cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmental impact on reproductive health and risk mitigating strategies.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to increase awareness among reproductive health professionals and trainees about the impact of environmental toxicants and climate change on women's health and mitigation strategies at the individual, professional and governmental levels. Recent findings Global health indicators reveal a meteoric rise of noncommunicable diseases over the past 50 years, which threaten reproductive health directly and indirectly. Evolutionary genetic mutations as contributors are unlikely in this timeframe, and environmental causes have been invoked. Notably, the past 75 years have witnessed marked increases in industrial chemical production, and global warming has rendered a 'climate crisis' with extreme temperatures and compromised food, water, and air quality. There is now strong experimental and epidemiologic evidence for endocrine disrupting chemicals and particulate matter and chemical components of air pollution in the pathophysiology of human reproductive disorders during development and across the lifespan, especially among vulnerable populations. Summary Environmental impacts on fertility, pregnancy outcomes, childhood neurodevelopment, and reproductive tract development are significant, not widely appreciated, and may be preventable. In light of the evidence, education and advocating economical mitigations of toxic environmental chemicals and alternative energy strategies are imperatives to assure quality reproductive health for this and future generations.
Platonic βραχυλογία and Aristotle on Say-What-You-Believe

A say-what-you-believe requirement (SWYB) is often considered distinctive of how Plato’s Socrates engages with interlocutors, distinguishing his method(s) and/or therapeutic aims from those of sophistic and eristic questioners. The treatment of SWYB in Aristotle’s Topics and Sophistical Refutations (SE), however, challenges the notion that SWYB would have distinguished Socrates in the eyes of Plato’s earliest readers.
Don’t 'Estop' Me Now: Estoppel, Government Contract Law and Sovereign Immunity if Congress Retroactively Repeals Public Service Loan Forgiveness

This Article considers whether federal student loan borrowers can bring successful legal challenges if Congress retroactively repeals the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (“PSLF”) program. It addresses whether borrowers at litigation could rely on analogies to the promissory estoppel doctrine or assert equitable estoppel claims to challenge the repeal. In doing so, the Article explores the intersection of estoppel and government contract law with sovereign immunity theories in a way that has never been done before. This topic has been given very little attention in prior literature, so I aim to present its legal issues in a clear way while paying tribute to its nuance. The Article addresses the hurdles of sovereign immunity and the Sovereign Acts Doctrine, which the borrowers would encounter at litigation. It concludes that, despite likely overcoming these hurdles, in many cases, the plaintiff-borrowers’ government contract law claims would likely still fail to win on their merits. The Article similarly contends that most if not all equitable estoppel claims would likely fail before a court. The Article then offers an alternative proposal to Congress, which would avoid the issues that would arise at litigation, while solving the problems associated with the program and protecting the most vulnerable members of society negatively impacted by a repeal.
Nonlinear Hypersonic Aerodynamics in Terms of Invariant Integrals: Some Exact Self-Similar Solutions for Jets and Projectiles

An analysis of the gas flow near a jet or projectile moving at the Mach number higher than about 6 called the hypersonic flow will be of major interest for the science, industry and military of the 21th century. In this paper, the basic differential equation of gas dynamics for any Mach numbers is derived for the steady, irrotational, adiabatic and homoentropic flows by using the general approach of invariant integrals of gas dynamics. For hypersonic flows past thin jets and projectiles, this equation is a nonlinear differential equation in partial derivatives of second order. Similar to the transonic gas dynamics, the nonlinearity of the hypersonic gas dynamics is caused by a very small value of the coefficient before the senior derivative which depends on a junior derivative of the sought solution. This nonlinearity of hypersonic flows was usually ignored. Several exact self-similar solutions of this nonlinear problem of the compressible fluid dynamics are given for the hypersonic flows around some profiles, including thin wedge, thin cone, and some new finds for other more sophisticated profiles. Manned hypersonic aviation as well as military hypersonic missiles for use in the Earth’s atmosphere along known trajectories are shown to be almost ineffective.
Structural Proteins of Simian Virus 40

Abstract Sodium dodecyl sulfate acrylamide gel electrophoresis of the solubilized proteins from purified simian virus 40 (SV40) virions revealed two major and two minor structural polypeptide components. The major components which comprise over 75% of the total virion were shown to be the capsid proteins by immunological and isoelectric focusing fractionation analysis. These two polypeptides have estimated molecular weights of 45,000 daltons as determined by gel electrophoresis. One of the two minor components was identified as the nucleocapsid protein and has an approximate molecular weight of 16,000. The other unidentified minor component has an average molecular weight of 29,000.
XML Web Services: The Global Computer?

The Web Services Description Language (WSDL) (Christensen et al., 2001) specifies how to implement remote procedure calls over the web via messages encoded in XML. WSDL promises a web-based programming model that works across multiple devices, multiple operating systems, and multiple organisations. Both commercial and open source implementations are available. There are critics, but momentum is building. We may say that WSDL is a detailed—though certainly partial—blueprint for the long awaited global computer. The first goal of my talk is simply to explain the basic ideas of WSDL and related specifications. My second goal is to explore some of the questions raised by WSDL, and some of the opportunities we have to apply ideas from theoretical computer science. In particular, I will report the results of an ongoing project to investigate security properties of XML web services.
Efficient excitation of Raman coherence by a gradient force

The vibrational molecular excitation by strong laser fields have been studied. Starting with the molecular Hamiltonian, we derive the vibrational excitation rate due to a gradient of laser field and show that the rate can be two to three orders of magnitude larger than the regular Raman rates. The developed theory contributes to understanding of interaction of powerful laser pulses with molecular systems, and it might be used in developing quantitative coherent Raman spectroscopy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional consequences of compartmentalization of synaptic input

Intra-axonal recordings of stomatogastric nerve axon 1 (SNAX1) indicate that there are synaptic inputs onto the SNAX1 terminals in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of the crab Cancer borealis (Nusbaum et al., 1992b). To determine whether this synaptic input only influenced SNAX1 activity within the STG, we identified the SNAX1 soma in the commissural ganglion (CoG). We found that this neuron has a neuropilar arborization in the CoG and also receives synaptic inputs in this ganglion. Based on its soma location, we have renamed this neuron modulatory commissural neuron 1 (MCN1). While intracellular stimulation of MCN1soma and MCN1SNAX has the same excitatory effects on the STG motor patterns, MCN1 receives distinct synaptic inputs in the STG and CoG. Moreover, the synaptic input that MCN1 receives within the STG compartmentalizes its activity. Specifically, the lateral gastric (LG) neuron synaptically inhibits MCN1SNAX-initiated activity within the STG (Nusbaum et al., 1992b), and while LG did not inhibit MCN1soma-initiated activity in the CoG, it did inhibit these MCN1 impulses when they arrived in the STG. As a result, during MCN1soma-elicited gastric mill rhythms, MCN1soma is continually active in the CoG but its effects are rhythmically inhibited in the STG by LG neuron impulse bursts. One functional consequence of this local control of MCN1 within the STG is that the LG neuron thereby controls the timing of the impulse bursts in other gastric mill neurons. Thus, local synaptic input can functionally compartmentalize the activity of a neuron with arbors in distinct regions of the nervous system.
Borderline magnetism in Sr4Ru3O10: Impact of La and Ca doping on itinerant ferromagnetism and metamagnetism

An investigation of La and Ca doped Sr4Ru3O10, featuring a coexistence of interlayer ferromagnetism and intralayer metamagnetism, is presented. La doping readily changes magnetism between ferromagnetism and metamagnetism by tuning the density of states. It also results in different Curie temperatures for the c-axis and the basal plane, highlighting a rare spin-orbit coupling with the crystal field states. In contrast, Ca doping enhances the c-axis ferromagnetism and the magnetic anisotropy. La doping also induces a dimensional crossover in the interlayer transport whereas Ca doping exhibits a tunneling magnetoresistance and an extraordinary T 3/2 dependence of the resistivity. The drastic changes caused by the doping demonstrate a rare borderline magnetism that is delicately linked to the interplay of the density of states and spin-orbit coupling.
The urban heat island effect and city contiguity

Abstract The spatial configuration of cities can affect how urban environments alter local energy balances. Previous studies have reached the paradoxical conclusions that both sprawling and high-density urban development can amplify urban heat island intensities, which has prevented consensus on how best to mitigate the urban heat island effect via urban planning. To investigate this apparent dichotomy, we estimated the urban heat island intensities of the 50 most populous cities in the United States using gridded minimum temperature datasets and quantified each city's urban morphology with spatial metrics. The results indicated that the spatial contiguity of urban development, regardless of its density or degree of sprawl, was a critical factor that influenced the magnitude of the urban heat island effect. A ten percentage point increase in urban spatial contiguity was predicted to enhance the minimum temperature annual average urban heat island intensity by between 0.3 and 0.4 °C. Therefore, city contiguity should be considered when devising strategies for urban heat island mitigation, with more discontiguous development likely to ameliorate the urban heat island effect. Unraveling how urban morphology influences urban heat island intensity is paramount given the human health consequences associated with the continued growth of urban populations in the future.
A True Domain Decomposition Procedure Based on Method of Moments to Handle Electrically Large Bodies

A true domain decomposition method to obtain numerical solution involving electrically large bodies using the method of moments (MOM) formulation is the subject matter of the present work. The electrically large body is initially divided into smaller sub-structures. By defining a set of new basis functions adaptively, utilizing the primary basis functions, a solution scheme is developed which completely eliminates the interaction of one substructure with the rest of the body. This procedure enables to solve each substructure independently and involves no iterative solution as a final step. The present method is conceptually simple and applicable to any MOM solution. Further, the method can easily handle multiple right-hand side vectors much the same way as the conventional MOM solution. A few representative numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of the new method.
Direct Measurement of Generator Winding Temperature Using a Miniature Transmitter

The direct measurement of stator winding copper temperatures in large electric machines is made possible with a miniature tunnel diode oscillator, mounted directly on the current-carrying conductor. A temperature-sensitive capacitor in the oscillator's resonant circuit causes the radiated signal frequency to change as copper temperature changes. This signal, radiated through the thickness of the winding ground insulation, reaches an antenna external to the ground insulation. Then this signal is compared with one from a calibrated external oscillator, using a standard AM (amplitude modulated) radio circuit which will indicate changes in transmitted frequency. Calibration curves of frequency vs. temperature will reveal the copper temperature at the transmitter.
Universal sensor interface module (USIM)

A universal sensor interface model (USIM) is being developed by the Raytheon-TI Systems Company for use with fields of unattended distributed sensors. In its production configuration, the USIM will be a multichip module consisting of a set of common modules. The common module USIM set consists of (1) a sensor adapter interface (SAI) module, (2) digital signal processor (DSP) and associated memory module, and (3) a RF transceiver model. The multispectral sensor interface is designed around a low-power A/D converted, whose input/output interface consists of: -8 buffered, sampled inputs from various devices including environmental, acoustic seismic and magnetic sensors. The eight sensor inputs are each high-impedance, low- capacitance, differential amplifiers. The inputs are ideally suited for interface with discrete or MEMS sensors, since the differential input will allow direct connection with high-impedance bridge sensors and capacitance voltage sources. Each amplifier is connected to a 22-bit (Delta) (Sigma) A/D converter to enable simultaneous samples. The low power (Delta) (Sigma) converter provides 22-bit resolution at sample frequencies up to 142 hertz (used for magnetic sensors) and 16-bit resolution at frequencies up to 1168 hertz (used for acoustic and seismic sensors). The video interface module is based around the TMS320C5410 DSP. It can provide sensor array addressing, video data input, data calibration and correction. The processor module is based upon a MPC555. It will be used for mode control, synchronization of complex sensors, sensor signal processing, array processing, target classification and tracking. Many functions of the A/D, DSP and transceiver can be powered down by using variable clock speeds under software command or chip power switches. They can be returned to intermediate or full operation by DSP command. Power management may be based on the USIM's internal timer, command from the USIM transceiver, or by sleep mode processing management. The low power detection mode is implemented by monitoring any of the sensor analog outputs at lower sample rates for detection over a software controllable threshold.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rhenium(III) and Rhenium(V) Complexes That Contain the (C6F5NCH2CH2)3N Ligand

The reaction between [Et4N]2[ReOCl5] and (C6F5NHCH2CH2)3N in THF at room temperature in the presence of NEt3 yielded air-stable emerald green diamagnetic [(C6F5NCH2CH2)2NCH2CH2NHC6F5]Re(O)Cl (1). T...
An abundant cell-wall polypeptide from cherry fruit has antigenic homology to carrot β-fructosidase

Summary Sodium dodecyl-sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of cherry mesocarp extracts revealed the presence of a major polypeptide of 29 kD, which accounts for 42 % of the total soluble protein. The 29 kD polypeptide has been purified by preparative gel electrophoresis, and it is resolved by two dimensional gel electrophoresis into three polypeptides having different isoelectric points. Polyclonal antibodies raised against deglycosylated carrot β-fructosidase cross reacted strongly against the cherry 29 kD polypeptide, and western blot analysis indicated a large increase in its accumulation during fruit ripening. Electron microscope immunocytochemistry localized the 29 kD polypeptide exclusively in cell walls of fruit mesocarp tissue.
The action of calcium-dependent protease on platelet surface glycoproteins.

The action of exogenous calcium-dependent protease (CDP) on tritium-labeled surface glycoproteins was analyzed by incubation of labeled, washed human platelets with CDP partially purified from human platelets. Labeled glycoproteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography. Incubation of the labeled platelets with the protease led to a loss (calcium-dependent) from the platelets of glycoproteins Ib and V and concomitant appearance in the supernatant solution of glycocalicin (a proteolytic fragment of glycoprotein Ib), glycoprotein V, and other, unidentified glycoproteins. These changes in surface label were accompanied by alterations in three parameters of platelet function. Compared to control platelets, the CDP-treated platelets were activated by thrombin more slowly and showed less saturable and nonsaturable binding of thrombin. The CDP-treated platelets, but not the controls, aggregated on addition of fibrinogen, indicating that treatment with CDP had exposed fibrinogen receptors. The alterations in surface glycoproteins and functional parameters were compared over a 1000-fold range of CDP treatment. The decreased binding of thrombin and the exposure of fibrinogen receptors were correlated with the release of surface glycoproteins to the supernatant solution, but the slow activation by thrombin was observed under conditions where no release of labeled glycoproteins was detected (i.e., brief incubations with low concentrations of CDP). Activation of the endogenous CDP with 2.5 mM calcium chloride plus the ionophore A23187 was accompanied by hydrolysis of actin-binding protein, a known substrate, and release to the supernatant solution of labeled glycocalicin and glycoprotein V plus a faster-migrating glycoprotein not released by exogenous protease. This effect was observed in the presence of leupeptin, which completely inhibited action of exogenous protease, suggesting that platelet calcium-dependent protease may modify the platelet surface in ways that can cause alterations of platelet function.
Stretched laminar flamelet analysis of turbulents H2 and CO/H2/N2 diffusion flames

The stretched laminar flamelet approach to turbulent diffusion flames is tested by comparison of instantaneous and conditionally-averaged Raman measurements in turbulent H2 and CO/H2/N2 jet diffusion flames with stretched laminar opposed-flow diffusion flame model calculations and measurements. The H2 turbulent jet diffusion flame measurements close to the fuel nozzle show instantaneous temperatures 300K less than equilibrium, peak OH concentrations three times larger than equilibrium, and substantial coexistence of H2 and O2. Quantitatively similar effects are calculated by David, et al., for lightly stretched (α=100 s−1) opposed-flow laminar H2 diffusion flames. The turbulent flame data lie in a narrow band between the highly stretched α=12,000 s−1 laminar flame calculation and the adiabatic equilibrium curve and approach adiabatic equilibrium downstream in the flame. Localized extinction is relatively unimportant in simple H2 turbulent jet diffusion flames since only a few instantaneous Raman measurements are close to that calculated at extinction (α=12,000 s−1). With a fuel consisting of 40%CO/30%H2/30%N2, experimental data in both the turbulent jet flame and a laminar opposed flow diffusion flame show even larger nonequilibrium effects. The excellent correspondence between stretched laminar and turbulent flame data suggest that the laminar flamelet approach may provide better predictions than the two-scalar pdf approach of finite-rate chemistry in turbulent reaction zones because partial equilibrium assumptions are not required and localized extinction can be accounted for properly. However, differences between stretched laminar and turbulent flame data suggest that the laminar flamelet approach can overestimate the influence of preferential diffusion in flames containing H2 and may not properly include the slow three body radical recombination reactions which are likely to occur outside of the relatively thin primary reaction zones.
The Acute Manifestations of Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid: Diagnosis and Treatment*

Seven patients with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid displayed acute inflammatory activity that could not be attributed to secondary bacterial infections, trichiasis, or lagophthalmos secondary to symblepharon. This acute inflammatory activity was manifested either as a localized conjunctival mound that was ulcerated and intensely hyperemic or as diffuse and intense conjunctival hyperemia and chemosis. Acute disease activity developed shortly after conjunctival biopsy in three patients and appeared spontaneously in the other four patients. Conjunctival biopsy specmens disclosed a heavy infiltrate of polymorphonuclear leucocytes within and beneath the conjunctival epithelium in addition to the chronic inflammatory cells typically found in this condition. The acute manifestations of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid cause rapid shrinkage and scarring of the conjunctiva. Systemic corticosteroids suppressed the acute disease activity and prevented additional scarring in all five patients treated.
Decision Theory Without “Independence” or Without “Ordering”

It is a familiar argument that advocates accommodating the paradoxes of decision theory by abandoning the “independence” postulate. After all, if we grant that choice reveals preference, the anomalous choice patterns of the Allais and Ellsberg problems (reviewed in section “Review of the Allais and Ellsberg “Paradoxes”) violate postulate P2 (“sure thing”) of Savage’s (The foundations of statistics. Wiley, New York, 1954) system.
The design of a decision aid about diabetes medications for use during the consultation with patients with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Objective To describe the process used to develop a medication choice decision aid (DA) for patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods We developed the DA through active collaboration with patients, clinicians, and designers, direct observations of clinical encounters, literature review, and collaborative development of design criteria. Insights from these processes informed the iterative creation of prototypes that were reviewed and field tested in actual consultations. Results The goal of the DA was to facilitate a conversation between the clinician and the patient about diabetes medication options. Four iterations of the DA were developed and field-tested before arriving at issue cards that organized the data for five medications around glucose control, hypoglycemia, weight changes, daily routine, self-monitoring and side effects. These cards successfully generated conversations during consultations. An ongoing clinical trial will determine if this DA affects patient adherence and outcomes. Conclusions A collaboratively developed DA designed to create a conversation about diabetes medications may lead to more patient-centered treatment choices. Practice implications If effective, this DA could replace disease-centered treatment algorithms for patient-centered conversations that enhance the management of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Gentrification in tourist cities: Evidence from New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina

Abstract Tourism‐led redevelopment often provides city residents with increased opportunities for employment, leisure, and cultural enrichment, but it can also have dramatic and unpredictable effects on their lives. One of these effects involves the repercussions of redevelopment that transforms working‐class neighborhoods into middle‐ or upper‐class areas catering to tourists. We use the city of New Orleans as a case study to explore the connections between tourism and gentrification. We first discuss the growth of tourism in New Orleans, paying particular attention to its geographic scope. We then consider the ways in which gentrification and tourism are connected in New Orleans and what their relationship adds to theories of tourism development and urban revitalization. The analysis concludes with an in‐depth look at one of the nation's oldest black neighborhoods, Treme, where both tourism and the nonblack population have been increasing in recent years.
A strengthened form of Tutte's characterization of regular matroids

Abstract We prove the following theorem: A binary matroid is regular (totally unimodular) if and only if it has no submatroid that is a series extension of a Fano matroid or its dual. This theorem may be viewed as strengthening Tutte's celebrated characterization of regular matroids in the spirit of Kuratowski's theorem on planar graphs.
Estimating probability distributions of bacterial concentrations in food based on data generated using the most probable number (MPN) method for use in risk assessment

Abstract Estimating probability distributions that describe bacterial concentrations in food products is a key element of quantitative microbial risk assessments. Standard bacteriological protocols for bacterial enumeration first apply a detection test to a set of samples. For samples that test positive, bacterial concentrations are quantified using a serial dilution assay such as the most probable number (MPN) method. Estimation of bacterial concentration distributions based on a set of such data, however, represents a considerable statistical challenge. A maximum likelihood approach has been published to estimate bacterial concentrations from this type of data while accounting for the censored nature of the data. In this study, we derived an alternative method, based on complete likelihood maximization from observed MPN pattern data. Both methods were first evaluated in simulation studies, which showed that the latter method generated unbiased estimates of the parameters of the bacterial concentration distribution, while the former method generated biased results. The bias was particularly pronounced when bacterial concentrations were low. Both methods fail to predict accurately low contamination levels at low prevalence (e.g. mean of −7 log10 for contaminated products and prevalence of 0.2). The methods were then applied to bacteriological data from a food survey of Listeria monocytogenes in the United States. The former method led to approximately 1 log10 cfu higher estimated mean bacterial concentration compared to estimates generated using the alternative method. The alternative method is preferable, in particular if bacterial concentrations are low.
Dynamic stereochemistry of 1,8-bis(2,2′-disubstituted-4,4′-dipyridyl)naphthalenes and their N,N′-dioxide derivatives

Abstract The dynamic stereochemistry of axially chiral 2,2′-disubstituted 1,8-bis(4,4′-dipyridyl)naphthalenes and their N , N ′-dioxide derivatives has been investigated using variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. Computational studies and NMR data show that these constrained atropisomers exist as almost equimolar mixtures of syn - and anti -isomers and undergo rapid interconversion at ambient temperature. Introduction of electron-donating substituents into the pyridyl moieties facilitates isomerization, which proceeds via a T-shaped transition state. The decrease in conformational stability was attributed to destabilization of the ground state as a result of enhanced Coulombic repulsion between the cofacial hetaryl rings.
Where Bernanke is taking the Federal Reserve: a Post Keynesian and institutionalist perspective

We develop a perspective on where Bernanke is taking the Federal Reserve by drawing from Paul Davidson's Post Keynesian analyses of the current financial crisis and the Federal Reserve as an effective market maker and Thorstein Veblen's perception that the Federal Reserve was supporting creditinflation by large investment banks in the 1920s. New Deal legislation restricted the ability of investment banks to create credit-inflation and left the Federal Reserve with only an indirect relationship with investment banks. Financial deregulation and financial derivatives resulted in a new and larger form of credit-inflation by underwriter-bank conglomerates. Bernanke's responses to the inevitable financial crisis are bringing the Federal Reserve into an even closer relationship with underwriter-bank conglomerates than Veblen envisioned.
Dynamic postural control but not mechanical stability differs among those with and without chronic ankle instability

The purpose of this investigation was to compare dynamic postural control and mechanical ankle stability among patients with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI) and controls. Seventy-two subjects were divided equally into three groups: uninjured controls, people with previous ankle injury but without CAI, and people with CAI. Subjects completed a single-leg hop-stabilization task, and then had an anterior drawer test and lateral ankle radiograph performed bilaterally. The dynamic postural stability index was calculated from the ground reaction forces of the single-leg hop-stabilization task. Ankle joint stiffness (N/m) was measured with an instrumented arthrometer during the anterior drawer test, and fibula position was assessed from the radiographic image. Patients with previous ankle injuries but without CAI demonstrated higher frontal plane dynamic postural stability scores than both the uninjured control and CAI groups (P<0.01). Patients with and without CAI had significantly higher sagittal plane dynamic postural stability scores (P<0.01) and increased ankle joint stiffness (P=0.045) relative to the control group. The increased frontal plane dynamic postural control may represent a component of a coping mechanism that limits recurrent sprains and the development of CAI. Mechanical stability alterations are speculated to result from the initial ankle trauma.
Oligomerization mechanism of cyclohexene oxide

Abstract Oligomerization of cyclohexene oxide was studied in the presence of two competitive nucleophiles (methanol and acetic acid). The resulting oligomers, 2-methoxyl-2′-hydroxyl-dicyclohexyl ether (II) and 2-acetoxyl-2′-hydroxyl-dicyclohexyl ether (IV), were isolated and spectroscopically characterized. The formulation of these oligomers were evaluated as a function of the reactant molar ration, pH, and temperature. The reaction rate constants, and Arrhenius parameters for the formation of the oligomers were determined over a pH range of 4 to 7. The reaction rates for the formation of the oligomers exhibited a second order dependence on the concentration of cyclohexene oxide, and first order dependence on the nucleophile and proton concentration, respectively. The major reaction pathway proposed for the formation of the cyclohexene oxide oligomers was via an activated chain end complex. The propagation of the activated chain end complex was then terminated by nucleophile attack (methanol or acetic acid).
The “Problem Patron” Public Libraries Created

Summary Normal adolescents are generally suspect within public and retail settings in the U.S., thanks in part to relentless negative media coverage of the age group, and to adult fear and misreading of their appearance. These suspicions also occur in public libraries, with occasional justification, but an argument can be made that public libraries have created this problem for themselves through a set of often taken-for-granted service assumptions. This article addresses these assumptions, pointing out how they contribute to the creation of a “problem” class of users, and how they might be changed or adjusted to change the situation.
Persistent innervation of the rat neocortex by basal forebrain cholinergic neurons despite the massive reduction of cortical target neurons: II. Neurochemical analysis

A significant reduction in the activity of cholinergic enzymes in the neocortex is one of the characteristic neurochemical abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease. The withdrawal of cholinergic innervation is thought to be due to atrophy and degeneration of the cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, postulated to occur as a consequence of the loss of postsynaptic target neurons and trophic factors synthesized by these target cells. To directly test the dependence of basal forebrain cholinergic innervation on the presence of target neurons, pregnant rats were administered moderate doses of methylazoxymethanol acetate on Gestational Days 14 and 15. This results in a 40-70% reduction of cortical neurons in offspring of treated dams, but has no significant effect on the genesis of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. In this paper, neurochemical analysis of cholinergic enzymes (ChAT and AchE) in 2-month-old offspring reveals that the basal forebrain innervates the hypocellular cortex in apparently normal fashion, despite the loss of target neurons. The cholinergic innervation of basal forebrain target regions was examined at various times through 20 months of age and was found to retain the initial high levels of enzymatic activity, without any evidence of loss of cholinergic innervation. The preservation of cholinergic innervation over 20 months despite the massive loss of target neurons contradicts the theory of dependence of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons on target-derived trophic support. These results suggest that the degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease is due to phenomena more complex than a reduction in the availability of trophic factors.
Bayes' controllers with memory for a linear system with jump parameters

The Bayes' regulator with perfect memory is derived for a linear stochastic plant with an incomplete probabilistic description. Because of the complexity of the equations characterizing the optimal control, two suboptimal approximations are also given. It is shown that under appropriate conditions, one of the suboptimal controllers is better than the best zero memory regulator.
Evaluation of Two Commercially Available TLC Materials as SER Substrates

Two commercially available thin-layer chromatographic plates were evaluated as substrates for routine analysis by surface-enhanced Raman spectrometry (SERS). One plate was purchased precoated with silver; the other was coated in-house via chemical reduction. The use of SERS as a detection method for thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was also considered. To this end, a mixture of commonly used sulfonamides was separated and detected directly from each plate. The mobilities of the sulfa drugs were not strongly affected by the silver, but Raman response was weak and analyte degradation was apparent. Improvement was found through modification of the surface by adding a thin film of water to the substrate. Overall substrate performance was evaluated with the use of crystal violet as the model analyte in both dry and dampened states. Signal vs. concentration curves were linear across at least two orders of magnitude with limits of detection in the low- to sub-ng range (total analyte applied). Under routine preparation and analysis procedures, reproducibility was generally < 30% , but improved to ~ 10% when greater care was applied. Typical spectra for two compound series having a variety of functional groups were obtained, showing the substrates to be moderately active.
Facilitating rational emotive behavior therapy by including religious beliefs

Though the vast majority of clients will profess religious beliefs and practices, many behavior therapists may be reluctant to include such beliefs and practices in their treatments because they view them as referring to supernatural events and essences that are beyond the scope of the natural, empirical philosophy claimed as the basis for behavior therapy. This is unfortunate because many clients are willing to take therapeutically useful actions based on these beliefs. It is also unnecessary because beliefs about supernatural events, like beliefs about anything, are empirically reportable and functionally testable, even if the events and essences about which these beliefs are held are claimed to be beyond the bounds of naturalistic, empirical inquiry. This article outlines some potentially useful interventions combining the principles and practices of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and religious beliefs.
Extended Field of View Confocal Microscopy

We exploit a fast motorized translation stage to replace the frame scan mirror in a raster scanning confocal microscope to extend field of view in one axis. 5cm x 1mm image is captured in <10 seconds.
Resonant photoemission from Cd1-xMnxSe: A probe of Mn 3d character and hybridization.

The Mn 3d contribution to the electronic density of states was analyzed for the wide-band-gap material ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$Se for 0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.20. Resonant photoemission at the Mn 3p-3d transition energy shows a new Mn-derived density-of-states feature 3.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 eV below the valence-band maximum. Core photoemission data indicate that the presence of Mn atoms in the lattice yields a relatively small perturbation to the stability of the Cd---Se bond.
Patronage, the Pendleton Act, and the Power of the People

The conventional wisdom and congressional scholarship find that members of Congress use their public authority to facilitate their reelections (Aldrich 1995; Moe 1990; Parker 1992; Weingast and Marshall 1988). The adoption of the Pendleton Act of 1883 has been cited as another in a long line of examples in which members have “stacked the deck” in their own self-interests (Johnson and Libecap 1994a). I challenge these pervasive views by presenting evidence that public pressure was an important and frequently overlooked factor in explaining the adoption of civil service reform in the late nineteenth century. More generally, I argue that members of Congress will enact reforms that diminish their power or restrict their authority only when the public is attentive and united; otherwise, they will establish governing structures and rules that facilitate their own reelections. This insight sheds light, more broadly, on the relationship between the represented and their representatives.
A Study on Erythrocyte Cell Volume and Number in Normal Adult and Triploid Intersex Chickens

Abstract Triploidy in chickens results in a triploid phenotype of red blood cell (R.B.C.) volume, i.e., triploid R.B.C. volumes are not significantly different from 1.5 multiples of that of the diploids. A regression model was developed which provided an equation for predicting R.B.C. volume from nuclear and whole cell length and width measurements and their regression coefficients with R.B.C. volume. Upon statistical analysis, whole R.B.C. length was the only measurement found to be significant in determining the volume. Nuclear and whole cell width measurements were, therefore, eliminated from the regression model, thereby reducing the analysis to a simple linear regression. Due to the relative ease of determining R.B.C. size, such determination is suggested for possible use in screening for triploidy and intersexes in chickens. Triploid R.B.C. counts were significantly lower than those of the diploids. The diploid R.B.C. counts proved to not be significantly different from 1.5 multiples of triploid counts. Under such conditions of a compensatory relationship between R.B.C. volume and number, it is expected that total R.B.C. mass and their packed volume would be of similar values in both dipiloids and triploids. As expected, hematocrit data from diploids and triploids were approximately equal and the difference was not significant statistically.
Results of Labscale Hybrid Rocket Motor investigation

This work was performed to establish a labscale hybrid rocket motor test and evaluation capability at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The scope included activation of a Labscale Hybrid Motor, determination of baseline burning rates for PMMA fuel, and replication of pressure oscillations for HTPB fuel. The 0.820-in.-diam port, 10-in.-long fuel grains were burned for two seconds with gaseous oxygen. PMMA fuels were tested at oxygen fluxes from 0.047 lbm/sec sq in. to 0.378 lbm/sec sq in., and the HTPB fuel was evaluated at 0.378 lbm/sec sq in. The results showed that the labscale hybrid motor replicated previously reported PMMA fuel regression rates. The results also replicated low-frequency (less than 100 Hz) pressure oscillations that have been observed for HTPB fuels. These results establish the Labscale Hybrid Motor facility at MSFC.
Increased formation of arginine deiminase byClostridium perfringens FD-1 growing in the presence of caffeine

Caffeine slowed growth and markedly increased the formation of arginine deiminase in growingC. perfringens FD-1 when dextrin, but not maltose or maltotriose, served as the energy source. It is postulated that the ability of caffeine to induce arginine deiminase is related to an inhibition of polysaccharide utilization, resulting in a shift-down condition known to induce arginine deiminase and other enzymes in bacteria.
Quantum limit for the atom-light interferometer

The standard quantum limit is calculated for the atom-light interferometer. It is shown that the smallest detectable phase is $$\delta \phi _{\min } = \frac{1}{2}[N_{atoms} + 4N_{photons} )/N_{atoms} N_{photons} ]^{1/2} .$$ Therefore, in practical experiments, the accuracy is limited by the square root of the number of atoms. We propose a novel correlated atom-photon state interferometer which makes a transition to the Heisenberg limit, δφmin ∝ 1/Natoms, as the atoms approach a Bose condensate. Such an interferometer may serve as a sensitive probe of the onset of Bose condensation. Finally, we point out that the correlated atom-photon state preparation scheme we propose may be used in a different way to approach the Heisenberg limit for non-Bose-condensed atoms.
Theatrical transvestism in the Parsi, Gujarati and Marathi theatres (1850–1940)

(2001). Theatrical transvestism in the Parsi, Gujarati and Marathi theatres (1850–1940) South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies: Vol. 24, Sexual sites, seminal attitudes: Sexualities, masculinites and culture in South Asia, pp. 59-73.
Air pollution abatement: output and relative price effects, a regional input-output simulation

Direct-cost estimates for air pollution abatement developed from an earlier study are used to derive technical coefficients for particulate and sulfur dioxide abatement activities of 48 industrial, non-industrial, and transportation sectors in West Virginia. Output and relative price effects are calculated for particulate matter abatement and two sulfur dioxide abatement alternatives using a static input-output model. Particulate matter abatement is chosen on the basis of cost and efficiency, while the sulfur dioxide abatement alternatives involve physical coal cleaning in directly affected sectors or physical coal cleaning as well as flue gas scrubbing and chemical coal cleaning. Sulfur dioxide is by far the more costly pollutant to reduce. Taking the average of prices before abatement as 0.975895 for the 48 sectors, the relative price for SO/sub 2/ abatement is 1.00261 (first alternative) or 1.17330 (second alternative). The relative price coefficient for particulate abatement is 0.9998.
Wind erosion from a sagebrush steppe burned by wildfire: Measurements of PM10 and total horizontal sediment flux

Abstract Wind erosion and aeolian transport processes are under studied compared to rainfall-induced erosion and sediment transport on burned landscapes. Post-fire wind erosion studies have predominantly focused on near-surface sediment transport and associated impacts such as on-site soil loss and site fertility. Downwind impacts, including air quality degradation and deposition of dust or contaminants, are also likely post-fire effects; however, quantitative field measurements of post-fire dust emissions are needed for assessment of these downwind risks. A wind erosion monitoring system was installed immediately following a desert sagebrush and grass wildfire in southeastern Idaho, USA to measure wind erosion from the burned landscape. This paper presents measurements of horizontal sediment flux and PM 10 vertical flux from the burned area. We determined threshold wind speeds and corresponding threshold friction velocities to be 6.0 and 0.20 m s −1 , respectively, for the 4 months immediately following the fire and 10 and 0.55 m s −1 for the following spring months. Several major wind erosion events were measured in the months following the July 2010 Jefferson Fire. The largest wind erosion event occurred in early September 2010 and produced 1495 kg m −1 of horizontal sediment transport within the first 2 m above the soil surface, had a maximum PM 10 vertical flux of 100 mg m −2 s −1 , and generated a large dust plume that was visible in satellite imagery. The peak PM 10 concentration measured on-site at a height of 2 m in the downwind portion of the burned area was 690 mg m −3 . Our results indicate that wildfire can convert a relatively stable landscape into one that is a major dust source.
Spatial Distribution and Origin of Magnetite in an Intrusive Igneous Mass

A quantitative technique was developed to aid the determination of the spatial distribution of magnetite to the constituent minerals in an igneous rock. The results show the magnetite to be preferentially associated with the ferromagnesian silicates; they further lend support that the magnetite was formed by precipitation, oxidation reaction, and alteration. The amount of magnetite formed by each process can be estimated and was found to be in decreasing order, as listed above. The technique allows intergranular relations to be noted and quantified. This permits a more justified speculation as to the crystallization history of an igneous pluton.
A Contemporary Simulation Infused in the Business Communication Curriculum A Case Study

This research examines students’ reactions to a contemporary simulation infused in the business communication curriculum. Results show that students indicated the experience helped them learn how to work better as a team, how to maintain composure, how the business world works, and how to improve their communication. Students also verified the validity of the simulation, stating that it prepared them for the business world by providing them with a challenging yet positive experience to demonstrate learned business communication principles. Details about the pedagogical framework of the business communication simulation and possible explanations and implications behind the findings are discussed.