cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chance constrained optimization of distributed energy resources via affine policies

This paper is concerned with optimal management of distributed energy resources (DERs) in distribution networks under uncertainty. The sources of uncertainty include user power consumption and intermittent renewable energy produced by photovoltaic (PV) units. The DERs enabling smart control laws mainly comprise photovoltaic inverters that produce or absorb reactive power, and storage units (batteries) that can be used to coordinate the photovoltaic units with the loads. A stochastic optimal power flow is formulated, where the control actions are expressed as affine functions of the uncertain quantities. Voltage security constraints are included as probabilistic constraints. Assuming that the uncertain quantities follow the Gaussian distribution, the resulting optimization problem is shown to be a second-order cone program. Numerical tests validate the probabilistic voltage specification.
Prediction of Active Site and Distal Residues in E. coli DNA Polymerase III alpha Polymerase Activity

The process of DNA replication is carried out with high efficiency and accuracy by DNA polymerases. The replicative polymerase in E. coli is DNA Pol III, which is a complex of 10 different subunits that coordinates simultaneous replication on the leading and lagging strands. The 1160-residue Pol III alpha subunit is responsible for the polymerase activity and copies DNA accurately, making one error per 105 nucleotide incorporations. The goal of this research is to determine the residues that contribute to the activity of the polymerase subunit. Homology modeling and the computational methods of THEMATICS and POOL were used to predict functionally important amino acid residues through their computed chemical properties. Site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical assays were used to validate these predictions. Primer extension, steady-state single-nucleotide incorporation kinetics, and thermal denaturation assays were performed to understand the contribution of these residues to the function of the polymeras...
Predictive mapping of soil-landscape relationships in the arid Southwest United States

Abstract Multi-scale geospatial and absolute variation of surface and near-surface soil physical and chemical properties can be mapped and quantified by coupling digital soil mapping techniques with high resolution remote sensing products. The goal of this research was to advance data-driven digital soil mapping techniques by developing an approach that can integrate multi-scale digital surface topography and reflectance-derived remote sensing products, and characterize multi-scale soil-landscape relations of Quaternary alluvial and eolian deposits. The study area spanned the arid landscape encompassed by the Barry M. Goldwater Range West (BMGRW), which is administered by the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, in southwestern Arizona, USA. An iterative principal component analysis (iPCA) was implemented for LiDAR elevation- and Landsat ETM + -derived soil predictors, termed environmental covariates. Principal components that characterize >95% of covariate space variability were then integrated and classified using an ISODATA (Iterative Self-Organizing Data) unsupervised technique. The classified map was further segmented into polygons based on a region growing algorithm, yielding multi-scale maps of soil-landscape relations that were compared with maps of soil landforms identified from aerial photographs, satellite images and field observation. The approach identified and mapped the spatial variability of soil-landscape relationships in alluvial and eolian deposits and illustrated the applicability of coupling covariate selection and integration by iPCA, ISODATA classification of integrated data layers, and image segmentation for effective spatial prediction of soil–landscape characteristics. The approach developed here is data-driven, applicable for multi-scale mapping, allows incorporation of a wide variety of covariates, and maps spatially homogenous soil-landscape units that are necessary for hydrologic models, land and ecosystem management decisions, and hazard assessment.
Hydrodehalogenation of aryl halides by hydrogen gas and hydrogen transfer in the presence of palladium catalysts

Catalytic hydrodehalogenation of halobenzenes over palladium supported catalysts was studied. Two different hydrogen sources were used: molecular hydrogen gas and hydrogen transfer from HCOOK and 2-propanol. HCOOK hydrogen transfer competitive reactions confirm the strong adsorption of iodobenzene over the catalyst which inhibits the adsorption of the other aryl halides and the donor. However, when using propan-2-ol as donor, iodobenzene is easily hydrodehalogenated and even fluorobenzene can be reduced. The basicity of the support plays an important role in the final performance of the catalytic system. Thus Pd/MgO is the best catalyst among all solids tested. Finally, hydrogen gas liquid-phase catalytic hydrodehalogenation indicates that reactivity order (BrBz>ClBz>IBz>FBz) depends on both the C-X bond dissociation energy and the adsorption strength of the halobenzene.
Reasonable Weights: Determinants, Definitions and Directions

Traditionally, the goal of any weight loss effort has been simple and straight-forward: reduce to ideal weight. Establishing goals based on reasonable rather than ideal weights (Brownell & Wadden, 1991; 1992) is a dramatic paradigm shift with implications for how treatment is selected, delivered, and evaluated. Such a fundamental shift requires theoretical specificity and empirical strength. The purpose of this chapter is to review the concept of a reasonable weight from several perspectives. First, the emergence of a reasonable weight from within the historical context of obesity treatment will be described. Second, the rationale for abandoning the use of ideal weights will be presented. Third, the various factors that influence the determination of a reasonable weight will be reviewed. Finally, suggestions for further research will be presented.
Response to 'Use of an algorithm for identifying hidden drug-drug interactions in adverse event reports' by Gooden et al.

Critical evaluation of the results of clinical studies is vital to the continued progress of medicine. We appreciate the work performed by Gooden and colleagues1 to evaluate the clinical significance of a drug interaction between paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and pravastatin, a cholesterol-lowering statin, that we published previously.2 Our results demonstrated a 18.5 mg/dl increase in glucose levels in individuals without diabetes, and a 48 mg/dl increase in glucose level for diabetes patients using three electronic medical record systems. In the study, Gooden et al 1 did not find a difference in the development of type 2 diabetes using administrative data. We agree that retrospective risk estimates such as ours may be influenced by selection biases, such as confounding by indication. However, in …
Beyond capital ideals : restoring banking stability

Hard on the heels of Mexico's crisis in 1994, a wave of financial crises swept across emerging economies - from East Asia and Russia to Brazil - bringing the fragility of banking and finance into unprecedented focus. What has gone wrong? Caprio and Honohan examine why emerging markets, in particular, are susceptible to and affected by financial difficulties. They show that these difficulties have a richer, more complex structure than they are sometimes believed to have - with marked information asymmetries and substantial volatility. The sources of heightened regulatory failure in emerging markets in recent years include the volatility of real and nominal shocks, the difficulty of operating in uncharted territory after financial liberalization and other changes in regime, and the political pressures that can inhibit the enforcement of prudential regulation. Caprio and Honohan discuss what stronger regulation can and cannot accomplish, as well as options to improve the incentive structure for bankers, regulators, and other market participants. They probe the shortcomings of a regulatory paradigm that relies mainly on supervised capital adequacy and discuss the possible intermittent application of supplementary blunt instruments as an interim solution while longer-term reforms are being put in place. Certain well-worn messages remain valid, but are respected more in theory than in practice. There would be fewer problems, the authors say, if there were: - More diversification. - More balanced financial structures (for example, as between debt and equity). - More foreign banks in emerging markets' financial systems. - Better enforcement of both contracts and regulations. Participants in the financial sector will constantly try to get around rules that limit their profitability, so regulation must be seen as an evolutionary struggle. Prevention of financial failure is not costless, and a heavy repressive hand is not warranted. But a richer regulatory palette can be used to protect financial systems more successfully against crisis while preserving the systems' growth-enhancing effectiveness. This paper is a joint product of Finance, Development Research Group, and the Financial Sector Practice Department. The authors may be contacted at gcaprio@worldbank.org or phonohan@worldbank.org.
Chapter 34 – Stress

The brain is the key organ of stress because it determines what is threatening and therefore stressful, and also determines the physiological and behavioral responses. It is not only dramatic life events but also many daily life experiences that elevate and sustain activities of physiological systems and cause sleep deprivation and altered health-related behaviors as a result of being "stressed out". Over time, this tolerable or toxic stress results in wear and tear on the body (allostatic load and overload), which reflects the impact of life experiences, genetic constitution, individual health behaviors, and developmental experiences that set lifelong patterns. Under stress, brain regions such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex undergo structural remodeling, which alters behavioral and physiological responses. Along with approaches to ameliorate chronic stress and reduce allostatic overload, there are new possibilities for engaging brain plasticity and using targeted behavioral interventions to improve brain and body health.
Beclin-1 regulates cigarette smoke–induced kidney injury in a murine model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), associated with cigarette smoke-induced (CS-induced) emphysema, contributes significantly to the global health care burden of disease. Although chronic kidney disease (CKD) may occur in patients with COPD, the relationship between COPD and CKD remains unclear. Using a murine model of experimental COPD, we show that chronic CS exposure resulted in marked kidney injury and fibrosis, as evidenced by histological and ultrastructural changes, altered macrophage subpopulations, and expression of tissue injury, fibrosis, and oxidative stress markers. CS induced mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased autophagic flux in kidney tissues and in kidney tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells, as determined by LC3B turnover assays. Mice heterozygous for Beclin-1 (Becn1+/-) were protected from the development of kidney tissue injury and renal fibrosis in response to CS exposure, and displayed impaired basal and inducible mitochondrial turnover by mitophagy. Interestingly, CS caused a reduction of Beclin-1 expression in mouse kidneys and kidney tubular epithelial cells, attributed to increased autophagy-dependent turnover of Beclin-1. These results suggest that Beclin-1 is required for CS-induced kidney injury and that reduced levels of Beclin-1 may confer renoprotection. These results identify the kidney as a target for CS-induced injury in COPD and the Beclin-1-dependent autophagy pathway as a potential therapeutic target in CKD.
An Evidentialist Social Epistemology

Historically, it has not been uncommon to find discussions of evidentialism clustering around puzzles about the evidence of perception, introspection, memory, intuition, and inference. Evidentialists have given less attention to social epistemology, with the important exception of the epistemic significance of peer disagreement. Taking its cue from this literature, in this essay I will sketch the outlines of a unified evidentialist social epistemology. At its center is a principle about higher-level evidence from the literature on disagreement, the “evidence of evidence principle,” which links our higher-level evidence about the evidence others possess for particular propositions with our own object-level evidence. I will argue that this principle is not only fruitful for understanding the effect of discovering peer disagreement, but that it also accounts for our having evidence from both group and individual testimony. The social epistemology on offer seems to accommodate the common-sense extent of our testimonial evidence, providing an insight into what is unique about social sources of evidence and what is not, as well as pointing ahead to interesting problems for evidentialists in social epistemology.
A Comparative Study of the Temporal Characteristics of Closed-End Fund Discounts/Premiums

The primary objective of this study is to compare the difference in temporal characteristics between municipal bond funds and domestic equity funds. The secondary objective is to identify the characteristics of the temporal behavior of closed-end fund discounts/premiums from a class of linear stochastic autoregressive-integrated-moving average (ARIMA (p, d, q)) models popularized by Box-Jenkins (1994). The tertiary objective is to examine the ability of the individually identified models to forecast out-of-sample closed-end fund discounts/premiums. Comparisons of the forecasting abilities will be made between the individually identified ARIMA (p, d, q) and random walk models using mean absolute percent error metric (MAPE) as criterion. For the weekly series our results show: out of 27 municipal bond closed-end funds, there are five following random walk model, thirteen following ARIMA(1,0,0) model, five following ARIMA(0,1,1) model, two following ARIMA(2,1,0) and one following each of ARIMA(0,1,2), and ARIMA(1,0,1) models; for the domestic equity (core) funds, out of twenty funds one follows the random walk model, six follow ARIMA(1,0,0) model, eight follow ARIMA(0,1,1), two follow ARIMA(2,1,0) and one follows each of ARIMA(0,0,1), ARIMA(0,0,2) and ARIMA(0,1,3) model . Except for one week out of the four weeks examined the forecast results for the weekly municipal bond closed-end funds do not show significant difference between the fund-specific ARIMA (p, d, q) models and the random walk model. Likewise, the forecast results for the weekly core funds do not show significant difference between the fund-specific ARIMA (p, d, q) models and the random walk model which is not consistent with the findings in Woan and Kline (2008). Our results show clearly that the ARIMA (p, d, q) models provide superior forecasts for the core funds with less than seventeen percent mean and median APEs to municipal bond funds with over fifty percent mean and median APEs in terms mean and median APEs. These results could be because the current data are from the rare persistent recessionary period of 2011 and 2012. Further research is needed to explain this phenomenon.
Social justice, history, and inequity in Cleveland: An overview

When we first volunteered to be on the Local Arrangements Committee for the ACRL 2019 conference, and to write this specific piece for our colleagues who were coming to our city, neither of us had a clue that the entire third season of the true crime podcast Serial 1 would focus on the criminal justice system of Cuyahoga County. But since it was so popular, we considered it a good framing device for a discussion about social justice in Cleveland. If you haven’t listened to Serial, the short version is Cleveland and Cuyahoga County’s criminal and juvenile justice system are shining examples of the inequity that exists in the region. Poverty, segregation, violence, food deserts, crime, and an unfair justice system are all parts of the larger system that remains unjust and unequal in the heart of a Rust Belt city desperate to rise again.
The mechanical behavior of brain surrogates manufactured from silicone elastomers.

Abstract The ongoing conflict against terrorism has resulted in an escalation of blast-induced traumatic brain injuries (bTBI) caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The destructive IEDs create a blast wave that travels through the atmosphere. Blast-induced traumatic brain injuries, attributed to the blast wave, can cause life-threatening injuries and fatalities. This study aims to find a surrogate brain material for assessing the effectiveness of head protection systems designed to mitigate bTBI. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is considered as the surrogate brain material. The stiffness of PDMS (Sylgard 184, Dow Corning Corp.) can be controlled by varying the ratio of base and curing agent. Cylindrical PDMS specimen with ratios of 1:10, 1:70, and 1:80 were subjected to unconfined compression experiments at linear rates of 5 mm/min, 50 mm/min, and 500 mm/min. A ramp-hold strain profile was used to simulate a stress relaxation experiment. The fractional Zener viscoelastic model was used to describe the stress relaxation response, after optimization of the material constants for the brain surrogate and shock wave exposure brain tissue. The results show that the low cost PDMS can be used as a surrogate brain material to study the dynamic brain response to blast wave exposure.
Revolutionary Successors: Deviant Children and Youth in the PRC, 1959–1964

This chapter focuses on deviant children and youth in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1959–1964, including those who engaged in mild transgressions like skipping out on Young Pioneer activities, and young people who committed violent acts like school shootings and rape. These examples of deviant children and youth not only enrich our understanding of the nature of everyday life during the PRC, but also help us grasp more clearly exactly where the boundaries of normative behaviour were drawn by the state, teachers, Communist Youth League leaders and parents, and how children and youth interacted with, and sometimes circumvented, these parameters.
Electrochemical reduction selectivity of crotonaldehyde on copper

Lignocellulosic waste is a potential feedstock for the generation of fuels and commodity chemicals, but existing conversion methods are too cost-intensive to be viable long-term solutions. Electrochemical reductions are promising for decentralized biomass valorization due to their modular scaling and capacity to run intermittently and without high temperatures or pressures. Using crotonaldehyde as a multi-functional model compound for the many partially unsaturated oxygenates found in processed biomass, we here demonstrate the production of butanal, butanol, butene, and butane (variously useful as commodity chemicals and major components of liquified petroleum gas) under ambient conditions by reductive bulk electrolysis with a copper mesh working electrode. We identify an optimum potential for reduced organic production under the reaction conditions and compare product distributions from reductions of intermediate species to further propose branching reaction pathways. Though butanal is typically the most abundant product from crotonaldehyde reduction, most of the butene and butane appear to result from a pathway involving initial reduction of the aldehyde group. We discuss evidence that selectivity is driven by interplay between crotonaldehyde reduction, local pH shifts due to the hydrogen evolution reaction, and changes in site reactivity and availability due to electrode fouling. This demonstration of model electrochemical biomass valorization also serves to inform further exploration into reduction of multi-functional molecules and electrochemical biomass processing in general.
Short-term Effects of Hurricane Harvey on Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Upper Galveston Bay, TX

From August 26 to 30, 2017, Hurricane Harvey inundated the Galveston Bay estuary in Texas with record-breaking rainfall. As a result, salinity levels in the bay declined rapidly from an average of 14 to < 1 ppt, altering aquatic habitat in the weeks following the storm. Long-term photo-identification monitoring efforts provided an opportunity to undertake a case study describing the effects of this extreme flood event on the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting upper Galveston Bay. We compared dolphin encounter rates for the months preceding and following Harvey to a year with no hurricane, examined shifts in habitat-based encounter rates, and evaluated the prevalence and extent of dolphin skin lesions, typically presenting as ulcerated or degraded epidermis. Encounter rates decreased from 1.09 dolphins per linear kilometer (d/km) in August 2017 before Harvey to 0.29 d/km in September 2017 (compared to 0.85 d/km in August 2016 and 0.91 d/km in September 2016). While most dolphins evacuated the upper portion of the bay, many remaining dolphins shifted habitats from shallow open bay to deep channels where salinity increased with depth. Of the dolphins that were sighted in the upper bay during the low salinity event, 96% exhibited at least one lesion and 65% of those dolphins had lesions of medium or high extent (significant increases compared to pre-Harvey levels). After salinity returned to levels above 11 ppt (approximately 8 weeks after Harvey), encounter rates increased and extent of lesions decreased, but prevalence of lesions remained elevated for at least 4 months after Harvey.
Iodine nutritional status among pregnant women in Hangzhou after the adjustment of iodized salt

Objective To explore the impact of iodine nutrition on pregnant women after adjusting the iodine content in iodized salt in Hangzhou and provide a scientific basis for supplementation of iodine to pregnant women. Methods After adjusting the iodine content of salt from 2012 to 2014, proportional probability sampling method was used to select 300 families and 100 pregnant women from every county (area, city) of Hangzhou City, and the household salt and urine samples were collected to detect iodine. Results Totally 3 904, 3 900 and 3 900 samples of household salts were collected with the medians of salt iodine concentration of 23.77, 22.75 and 23.30 mg/kg of each year from 2012 to 2014, respectively. The qualified rate of iodized-salt was 95.87% (3 550/3 703), 97.04% (3 510/3 617) and 96.53% (3 564/3 692) and the consuming rate of qualified iodized salt was 90.92% (3 550/3 904), 90.01% (3 510/3 900) and 91.38% (3 564/3 900), respectively, from the year 2012 to 2014. Totally 1 300, 1 217 and 1 315 urine samples of pregnant women were collected and the median of urinary iodine (MUI) of each year from 2012 to 2014 was 119.90, 136.40 and 124.00 μg/L, respectively. Conclusion After adjusting the iodine content of salt in Hangzhou, the salt iodine consumption levels of pregnant women's family are stable, but the level of urinary iodine is low, which should be pay attention to. Key words: Pregnant women; Iodine; Salt; Urine
A newly emerging thermal area in Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park contains many dynamic thermal areas that are the surface expression of the deeper magmatic system. Recently, we discovered the emergence of a new thermal area, located near the northeast margin of the Sour Creek dome, between Tern Lake and a previously mapped thermal area. It was about 33,300 m2 in area and located in the backcountry. It was discovered in 2018 as a spatially anomalous area of warm pixels in a Landsat 8 nighttime thermal infrared image. A high-spatial-resolution airborne visible image from August 2017 revealed a large area of recently fallen trees, mostly devoid of vegetation, and with bright soil, similar to other nearby thermal areas. Field observations in August 2019 confirmed that this was a steam-heated acid-sulfate thermal area, with an arc-shaped zone of hydrothermally altered soil and heated ground, with surface temperatures of 60-80 °C, several steaming fumaroles, and boiling temperatures (93 °C) just beneath the surface. Fallen trees in contact with warm ground were being carbonized, yet there were some cooler areas with new trees growing. Archived satellite and airborne remote sensing data going back to 1994 revealed that this thermal area started emerging around 2000. It slowly increased in size and in heat output until around 2005. 2005 to 2012 was a period of more rapid growth. From 2012 to present the growth rate slowed and stabilized, showing relatively little change. The formation of this new thermal area was not clearly linked to distinct seismic or geodetic events, though the period of rapid growth did partly coincide with a period of rapid inflation, possibly suggesting a causative relationship. The identification of this emerging thermal area illustrates the importance of satellite thermal infrared imaging combined with high-spatial-resolution remote sensing data and field observations for mapping, measuring, and monitoring Yellowstone's thermal areas. It’s also an example of the dynamics we expect to observe within Yellowstone’s hydrothermal system. Changes in the size and distribution of such thermal areas constitute normal background hydrothermal activity at large caldera systems. This new thermal area does not appear to reflect any significant changes in the broader magmatic system.
Invoking Criminal Equity's Roots

Equitable remedies have begun to play a critical role in addressing some of the systemic issues in criminal cases. Invoked when other solutions are inadequate to the fair and just resolution of the case, equitable remedies, such as injunctions and specific performance, operate as an unappreciated and underutilized safety valve that protects against the procedural strictures and dehumanization that are hallmarks of our criminal legal system. Less familiar equitable-like legal remedies, such as writs of mandamus, writs of coram nobis, and writs of audita querela, likewise serve to alleviate fundamental errors in the criminal process. Several barriers contribute to the limited use and efficacy of these longstanding remedies. Despite the vast numbers of people caught up in the criminal system, society’s aversion to recognizing errors in the system or to acknowledging the humanity of those charged prohibits greater invocation of these remedies. When taken in conjunction with the historically based fear of judicial arbitrariness and unchecked discretion associated with equity courts, these barriers can seem insurmountable. This Article is the first to acknowledge the pervasiveness of equitable remedies in the criminal system, and to advocate for an expanded use of equitable and equitable-like legal remedies in criminal cases. In an era with the odds so overwhelmingly stacked against criminal defendants, equity provides a much-needed check on our criminal system, allowing for the exercise of mercy and justice, not just punitiveness and retribution.
Sourcing Dacite from the Nenana Complex Occupation at Moose Creek, Central Alaska

This study reports the first results of geochemical sourcing of artifacts recovered from the 13,000-year-old occupation at Moose Creek in central Alaska, an assemblage assigned to the Nenana comple...
Mentoring to transgress: practicing inspection, reciprocity and hope in teacher education

This study examines the work of cooperating teachers (CTs) within a literacy leadership course to construct transgressive mentoring practices that work against the grain of what is typical in schoo...
CT-Guided Interstitial HDR Brachytherapy for Malignant Lung Lesions: Experience from University of California Los Angeles

The management of malignant lung lesions is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Patients who are medically inoperable owing to comorbidities and/or poor pulmonary function have limited therapeutic options. Many factors are considered in choosing the appropriate therapy for maximum benefit to the patient while minimizing adverse effects. Important factors include goal of treatment, tumor location, tumor proximity to nearby vasculature or critical organs, and prior therapies. Careful consideration of these factors guides the multidisciplinary team into choosing one of several minimally invasive treatment options available for medically inoperable patients. Brachytherapy is an option that has the ability to overcome several limitations posed by other treatment alternatives, and it has been shown to be safe and effective. Specifically, interest in interstitial brachytherapy for treating malignant lung lesions is growing, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is the first institution in the United States to perform CT-guided interstitial HDR brachytherapy in this setting. In this chapter, we describe our institutional experience with this treatment technique for patients with either primary or metastatic pulmonary malignancies. The benefits and potential pitfalls to consider with interstitial HDR brachytherapy, clinical outcomes, and future directions are highlighted.
Challenges of obtaining accurate adolescent self-report of cannabis use.

Nicotine use among adolescents has skyrocketed in recent years, a pattern primarily driven by the use of an electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). Clever marketing has promoted ENDS as “health...
Housing the Stranger in the Mediterranean World: Changing patterns of Muslim commercial space in the later middle ages

Muslim commercial institutions that had taken shape in the early Islamic period continued to evolve and thrive in the later middle ages. The large volume of business coming through the funduqs, fondacos , and other facilities in Egypt, Syria, and the Maghrib is attested in a wide range of sources from the second half of the thirteenth century through the first decades of the sixteenth century. The Mamlūk historian al-Maqrīzī (1364–1442) described the Funduq Bilāl al-Mughīthī in Cairo where “merchants and businessmen store their goods … I entered one day and saw their crates, large and small, lined up against the wall, leaving only a narrow passage between them. These containers were filled with incalculable sums of silver and gold.” Felix Fabri, a German pilgrim who came through Alexandria in the 1480s, was equally awed by the quantities of commodities packed into the Venetian fondacos in that city, one of which “was completely filled and overflowing with sacks and baskets of merchandise, so that there was hardly any space left to walk around, even though the courtyard was vast and there were numerous rooms.” The second Venetian fondaco was “even larger than the first, [and] there was a stupefying quantity of different kinds of merchandise, both those things which they wish to import from our regions and those which they wished to export from here.”
The Bioenergetics of Reproduction in Prosimian Primates: is it Related to Female Dominance?

Primates have been characterized as having relatively low reproductive rates, as indicated by extended periods of gestation, lactation, and infant dependency (Sacher and Staffeldt, 1974; Martin, 1975; Eisenberg, 1981; Ankel-Simons, 1983; Harvey and Clutton-Brock, 1985; Rasmussen, 1986; Rasmussen and Izard, 1988). Nonetheless, among primates there have evolved diverse patterns of reproduction and parental care. For example, in some species care is provided solely by the mother, while in other species other members of the family are primary care-givers. Infants may be carried nearly continuously; or they may be left in a nest, in tree holes, or on branches for extended periods of time. Some species may exhibit communal care and nursing. Rearing patterns are especially diverse among prosimian primates. Patterns vary from those of the social, diurnal lemurs of Madagascar in which females of most species carry their dependent young, and in some species with the assistance of family members (Klopfer and Klopfer, 1970; Klopfer, 1974; Wright, 1990) to those of the small, solitary, nocturnal bushbabies and lorises of Asia and Africa in which females provide nearly all care, and frequently must park their infants to forage for food (Doyle et al., 1969; Rosenson, 1971, 1972; Harcourt, 1984; Rasmussen, 1986).
Public Pensions and the Uniform Management of Public Employee Retirement Systems Act

The Uniform Management of Public Employee Retirement Systems Act is a recent product of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Approved by the Commissioners in 1997, the Act provides uniform rules in two important areas: the standards of fiduciary conduct and the disclosure obligations of public pension funds. In the former area, the Act provides a clear statement of the standards of fiduciary conduct and, in so doing, permits and encourages public pension systems to engage in modern investment practices. On disclosure, the Act provides broad obligations intended to provide rich and detailed information to those with an interest in monitoring public pension systems. In this article, Professor Willborn introduces the Act to the academic and general legal communities by providing a careful analysis of the provisions of the Act. These provisions are often complex because public pension systems themselves are complex organizations that call for sophisticated regulation.
Adaptive control in the presence of unmodeled dynamics

Stability and robustness properties of a wide class of adaptive control algorithms in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and output disturbances were investigated. The class of adaptive algorithms considered are those commonly referred to as model reference adaptive control algorithms, self-tuning controllers, and dead beat adaptive controllers, developed for both continuous-time systems and discrete-time systems. A unified analytical approach was developed to examine the class of existing adaptive algorithms. It was discovered that all existing algorithms contain an infinite gain operator in the dynamic system that defines command reference errors and parameter errors; it is argued that such an infinite gain operator appears to be generic to all adaptive algorithms, whether they exhibit explicit or implicit parameter identification. It is concluded that none of the adaptive algorithms considered can be used with confidence in a practical control system design, because instability will set in with a high probability.
RFID integrated QR code tag antenna

This paper presents an entirely new RFID tag antenna design that incorporates the QR (Quick Response) code for security purposes. The tag antenna is designed to work at 2.45 GHz frequency. The RFID integrated QR code tag antenna is printed with an additive material deposition system that enables to produce a low cost tag antenna with extended security.
Indeterminate Forms and Improper Integrals

This chapter discusses indeterminate forms and improper integrals. If f and g are two functions having the property that lim x → x 0 f ( x ) = 0 and lim x → x 0 g ( x ) = 0, the function f/g has the indeterminate form 0/0 at x 0 . The chapter presents a rule that is called L'Hopital's rule for finding lim x → x 0 [ f ( x )/ g ( x )] in certain cases when f / g has the indeterminate form 0/0 at x 0 . It also presents the proof of this result and considers other indeterminate forms. There are other situations in which lim x → x 0 [ f ( x )/ g ( x )] cannot be evaluated directly. The chapter defines one such important case. The definitions states, “Let f and g be two functions having the property that lim x → x 0 f ( x ) = ± ∞ and lim x → x 0 g ( x ) = ± ∞, where x 0 is real, +∞ or − ∞. Then the function f / g has the indeterminate form ∞/∞ at x 0 .” There are other indeterminate forms that can be dealt with by applying L'Hopital's rule. The chapter explains these forms presenting some examples.
Developing work and services in public sector organizations through evaluation

The article sheds light on developing work and services in public sector organizations through evaluation use. As evaluation has become enrooted in public sector organizations as a means for renewal, there is a need for empirical knowledge of how evaluative activities lead to learning and development. This study focuses especially on the use of internal self-evaluation in the bottom-up development of work and services. The study uses a multiple case study design to look at eight separate work communities in social care organizations. The use of evaluation is explored from two perspectives. First, the article focuses on the use of evaluation results; it identifies critical components for producing development goals on the basis of evaluation results and for implementing development activities. The trialogic view of learning helps to conceptualize a mediating role for different artifacts in the process of developmental evaluation. Second, the article explores process use as well as the outcomes of developmental evaluation. The case studies suggest that the process of developmental evaluation can generate cognitive, behavioral, attitudinal and affectional effects in the work communities.
Second generation of high dynamic range, arbitrated digital imager

A second generation 80/spl times/60 pixels arbitrated address-event imager has been designed and fabricated in a 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS process. Its pixel has been improved for image quality, power consumption and dynamic range. The improved pixel dynamic range is 203 dB. The array has a dynamic range of 119 dB. The power consumption is 1.7 mW in uniform indoor light and a mean event rate of 142 K events/s (2.8 K effective fps). The imager is capable of updating its images 10.4 K times/s.
Getting real about inequality : evidence from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru

Consumption baskets vary across households and inflation rates vary across goods. As a result, standard consumer price index (CPI) inflation may provide a misleading measure of the inflation actually faced by poor households, more so the more unequal the distribution of aggregate consumption across households. Likewise, changes in observed nominal consumption inequality may be very different from those in true inequality, that is, that measured using household-specific CPIs. The authors explore empirically these issues using household data covering nine episodes from four Latin American countries (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru). They find that in these countries standard CPI inflation typically reflects the inflation rate faced by a rich consumer located in the 80 to 90 percentile of the distribution of consumption expenditure. In most episodes the authors also find that inflation was anti-rich-that is, the inflation faced by the richest consumers was higher than the inflation faced by the poorest consumers. As a result of this bias, the observed increases in nominal inequality generally exceed the actual changes in real inequality. These results are robust to correcting for quality change bias in the CPI, to the use of alternative price indices, and to the use of alternative inequality measures.
Influence of Crystallographic Orientation on Twin Nucleation in Single Crystal Magnesium

Experimental plasticity on single crystals has found substantial non-Schmid effects in both twinning and non-basal slip in pure magnesium. The deviation from Schmid’s law has been attributed to the strong sensitivity of both twinning and slip to small lattice heterogeneities [1] and the effect of pre-slip and non-planar dislocation dissociation [2]. However, most molecular dynamics simulations use heterogeneities so the effect of slip on twin nucleation and vice-versa has been shrouded. This has motivated us to investigate the influence of crystal loading orientation on homogeneous slip and twin nucleation using molecular dynamics. These simulations allowed us to appreciate the propensity and nature of twin nucleation when pre-existing defects are absent. Analyses of deformation mechanisms and stress-strain responses shows that homogeneous dislocation nucleation on the basal slip system is correlated with the highest Schmid resolved shear stress, while homogeneous nucleation of tensile twins did not always correlate with the highest Schmid resolved shear stress.
Captain John Smith's Indian “Maskarado”

Summary A frequently overlooked bit of seventeenth-century Powhatan Indian ethnography is Capt. John Smith's enigmatic description of a women's transvestite dance that he witnessed on a visit to the Powhatan principal town, Werowocomoco, in 1608. While he took this to be an impromptu entertainment for his benefit, this paper argues that it was the conclusion of extensive harvest celebrations, and that it ushered in a new year. After Smith's description to contemporary English culture, this paper offers an analysis of the ritual in Powhatan terms, confirming earlier work relating to Powhatan notions of gender and the significance of women as well as the central importance of Werowocomoco politically and cosmically.
Reconsidering the Rhizome: A Textual Analysis of Web Search Engines as Gatekeepers of the Internet

Critical theorists have often drawn from Deleuze and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome when discussing the potential of the Internet. While the Internet may structurally appear as a rhizome, its day-to-day usage by millions via search engines precludes experiencing the random interconnectedness and potential democratizing function. Through a textual analysis of four search engines, I argue that Web searching has grown hierarchies, or “trees,” that organize data in tracts of knowledge and place users in marketing niches rather than assist in the development of new knowledge.
Assessments in large- and small-scale wiki collaborative learning environments: recommendations for educators and wiki designers

This paper discusses assessment practice when wikis are used as learning environments in higher education. Wikis are simple online information systems which often serve user communities. In higher education, wikis have been used in a supporting function to traditional courses; however, there is little research on wikis taking on a larger role as learning environments and even less research on assessment practice for these learning environments. This paper reports on the assessment techniques for large- and small scale- learning environments. It explores the barriers to assessment described in the studies. The paper concludes with a proposal of five improvements to the wiki engine which could facilitate assessment when wikis are used as learning environments in higher education.
Inhibition by nicardipine on endothelin-mediated inositol phosphate formation and Ca2+ mobilization in smooth muscle cell

We have investigated the effects of endothelin on phosphoinositide metabolism and Ca2+ mobilization in cultured A10 cells. Endothelin stimulated a significant increase in inositol phosphate formation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. IP3 was significantly elevated by 30 sec and reached a 2.0-fold above control at 1 min. The EC50 for endothelin was 0.5 nM. The initiation of inositol phosphate formation was independent of extracellular Ca2+, and the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, did not stimulate IP3 formation. However, the sustained elevation of inositol phosphates was partially inhibited by incubating cells in buffer lacking Ca2+ or in buffer containing nicardipine. Endothelin mobilized both intracellular and extracellular Ca2+ reaching a peak intracellular concentration of 350 +/- 11 nM by 1 min when cells were bathed with Ca2+-complete buffer. Intracellular Ca2+ remained 2-fold above baseline for at least 15 min. In contrast, when cells were exposed to endothelin in Ca2+-free buffer, the peak value of [Ca2+]i was 195 +/- 20 nM and returned to baseline by 2 min. Nicardipine completely blocked the influx of extracellular Ca2+ but did not interfere with the mobilization of intracellular stores. We conclude that endothelin produces a rapid and sustained elevation in inositol phosphate formation. The rapid production of IP3 is consistent with the time course for mobilization of intracellular Ca2+. Elevated cytosolic Ca2+ levels are maintained by the influx of extracellular Ca2+ through a nicardipine-sensitive Ca2+ channel and are involved in the sustained formation of inositol phosphates. These data provide an explanation for the sustained, nicardipine-inhibitable contraction of coronary artery strips induced by endothelin.
The history of bacteriologic concepts of rheumatic fever and rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives Review of the development of etiologic and pathogenetic concepts of rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the beginning of clinical bacteriology to the discovery of antibiotics. Method Analysis of English and German language publications pertaining to bacteriology and "rheumatism" between the 1870s and 1940s. Results Early in the 20th century there was a widely held belief that a microbial cause would eventually be found for most diseases. This encouraged pursuit of the intermittent findings of positive blood and synovial fluid cultures in cases of RF and RA. Development of a streptococcal agglutination test supported the erroneous belief that RA is a streptococcal infection, while the simultaneous development of other immunologic tests for streptococci suggested that a hemolytic streptococcus was etiologic in RF. Table 1 provides a chronology of major events supporting and retarding resolutions. Conclusions Much of the conflicting data and inferences regarding the etiology of RF and RA can be attributed to the absence or inadequacy of controls in observations of clinical cohorts and laboratory experiments.
An Economic Analysis of Expenditures on Agricultural Experiment Station Research

Experiment station research expenditures are responsive to economic and institutional forces. A four-equation model of resources allocation to state agricultural experiment station research, consisting of demand and supply equations for research, an equation allocating state governmental revenues to station research, and an expenditure identity, is presented. A reduced-form expenditure equation, derived from this model, is fitted to cross-sectional data for forty-eight U.S. states, pooled together for 1960, 1965,and 1970. A large share of the variance in per capita expenditures of state agricultural experiment stations is explained by the variables included in the model.
Inelastic rescattering and high-energy reactions on nuclei☆

Abstract We calculate the inelastic rescattering contributions to the elastic amplitude, average multiplicity and correlation parameters in particle-nucleus scattering for heavy nuclei at high energies. The results reproduce the general features of the experimental data. Possible corrections and the relation to other models are discussed.