cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Degenerate Variants ofClostridium acetobutylicumATCC 824: BIOTECHNOLOGY/FOOD MICROBIOLOGY

Abstract It is known that degenerate mutants of the solvent producingClostridium acetobutylicumwill spontaneously develop during repeated subculturing or continuous fermentation. Several hypotheses have been proposed as to what causes this spontaneous degeneration. One proposed explanation is that aberrations in regulatory proteins result in the failure of the organism to respond to influences causing the switch from the production of acids (acetate and butyrate) to the production of solvents (acetone, butanol, and ethanol). Another possibility is a mutation or rearrangement of the region of the chromosome involved in the production of the enzymes involved in solventogenesis. To further investigate the processes altered in degenerate mutants, a set of degenerate variants was obtained. This set includes strains obtained from repeated subculturing, a continuous fermentation, and from chemical mutagenesis. All of the strains show decreased or no production of acetone and/or butanol by gas chromatography analysis, and the loss of enzyme activity of one or more of the enzymes involved in solvent production. Experiments indicate that a genetic region encoding an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase (aad, adhE), the acetoacetyl-coenzyme A:acetate/butyrate:coenzyme A-transferase (ctfAB), and the acetoacetate decarboxylase (adc) is lost during the degeneration process. This result coupled with previous complementation studies of degenerate mutants with plasmids containing solvent formation genes which yielded a restoration of solvent formation suggest that in full degenerates the defect is not simply a result of a loss of an essential expression factor, but is due to a defect in that region of the chromosome encoding the solvent genes.
Changing the Sentiment of Those the Law Affects: Federal Marriage Promotion Programs

This qualitative study examined how 24 African American men and women responded to the question: Do you believe the government should try to change people’s attitudes to be more “pro-marriage ”? If so how and what should be the government’s role? Results indicated 14 individuals (58 %) did not believe the government should try to change people’s attitudes to be more “pro-marriage”; seven participants (29 %) believed the government should try to change people’s attitudes to be more “pro-marriage”; and three participants (13 %) believed the government can change community sentiment regarding marriage but offered several caveats related to what the role of government should and should not be. The implications of these results for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are discussed.
Balzac als Soziologe

Zu den Besonderheiten der Lehrtatigkeit Albert Salomons an der New School for Social Research zahlt die Entwicklung einer Vorlesung zur Einfuhrung in die Soziologie anhand der Menschlichen Komodie Honore de Balzacs. Carl Mayer skizziert den Hintergrund in seiner Gedenkrede auf Salomon.2 Salomon habe, schreibt Mayer, „literarische Dokumente fur unerlasslich zum Verstandnis der Gesellschaft“ gehalten: „In ihnen sah er die wichtigste Informationsquelle fur das gesellschaftliche Binnenleben, fur verborgene Motive, fur die innere Dynamik einer Gesellschaft in ihren jeweiligen Umstanden“. In diesem Sinne habe er auch in der Menschlichen Komodie „Spiegelungen der Sozialstruktur [ihrer] Epoche“ aufgesucht: „Anhand der Menschlichen Komodie hat Salomon den, wie ich glaube, gelungenen Versuch unternommen, das innere Getriebe, die lebendigen Mechanismen der Gesellschaft im Ubergang von der hofischen zur burgerlichen Gesellschaft sichtbar zu machen“.
Atom Motion at Model Crystal Surfaces

We have studied the motion of atoms in and near the surfaces of model crystals using an expectation value of the form , where uα(\(\overrightarrow{e}\)) is the αth Cartesian component of displacement of atom \(\overrightarrow{e}\) from its equilibrium position. The method of continued fractions has been used to construct the spectral densities ραβ(\(\overrightarrow{e}\overrightarrow{{{e}'}}\) ;ω). Analysis of these densities provides insights into which phonons contribute to atomic displacements, parallel and perpendicular to the surface, and which phonons contribute to the correlated motion of neighbouring atoms. We have compared the spectral densities with phonon dispersion curves obtained from slab calculations, and have examined the usefulness of spectral density in interpreting the results of electron energy loss spectroscopy experiments. In this paper we present a brief description of the method, and the results for tungsten, rhodium, nickel, and for oxygen adatoms on nickel.
Job Satisfaction and Union Participation: The Role of Fit:

Job satisfaction’s role as an antecedent to union participation has often been proposed as a negative relationship, but empirical support is lacking. To clarify boundary conditions of this relation...
Patient survival on the dose escalation phase of the Oncolytic Polio/Rhinovirus Recombinant (PVSRIPO) against WHO grade IV malignant glioma (MG) clinical trial compared to historical controls.

2061Background: The live attenuated oral (SABIN) serotype 1 poliovirus vaccine was modified to contain a heterologous internal ribosomal entry site stemming from human rhinovirus type 2, creating PVSRIPO. PVSRIPO recognizes CD155, an oncofetal cell adhesion molecule and tumor antigen widely expressed ectopically in malignancy. We report the survival results of the dose-finding portion evaluating PVSRIPO delivered intratumorally by convection-enhanced delivery (CED) compared to a historical control group of patients (pts) treated at Duke. Methods: Eligible pts on trial were adults with recurrent supratentorial WHO grade IV MG; solitary tumor 1-5cm in diameter; ≥ 4 weeks after chemotherapy, bevacizumab or study drug; adequate organ function; KPS ≥ 70%; and positive anti-polio titer. A historical group of adult recurrent WHO grade IV mg pts treated at Duke between 1/01/07-12/15/14 was retrospectively identified based on presence of a solitary tumor 1-5cm in diameter, KPS ≥ 70%, and absence of clinical declin...
Dengue fever as a cause of perimyocarditis and low-pressure cardiac tamponade

We describe a case of dengue shock syndrome, perimyocarditis, and low-pressure cardiac tamponade following a trip to the Caribbean. The case was managed in the critical care unit and 6 weeks after discharge the patient was asymptomatic with a normal ejection fraction. Dengue fever presenting as cardiac tamponade is exceedingly rare and emphasizes the importance of taking a thorough travel history as well as being aware of atypical manifestations of rare diseases to make a correct diagnosis.
Nicotine maintenance for smokers in methadone treatment: a new direction

Patients of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) exhibit an exceedingly high prevalence of tobacco use and disproportionately suffer from tobacco-related illnesses and mortality. A number of studi...
InverseCSG: automatic conversion of 3D models to CSG trees

While computer-aided design is a major part of many modern manufacturing pipelines, the design files typically generated describe raw geometry. Lost in this representation is the procedure by which these designs were generated. In this paper, we present a method for reverse-engineering the process by which 3D models may have been generated, in the language of constructive solid geometry (CSG). Observing that CSG is a formal grammar, we formulate this inverse CSG problem as a program synthesis problem. Our solution is an algorithm that couples geometric processing with state-of-the-art program synthesis techniques. In this scheme, geometric processing is used to convert the mixed discrete and continuous domain of CSG trees to a pure discrete domain where modern program synthesizers excel. We demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of our algorithm on several different examples, including those with over 100 primitive parts. We show that our algorithm is able to find simple programs which are close to the ground truth, and demonstrate our method's applicability in mesh re-editing. Finally, we compare our method to prior state-of-the-art. We demonstrate that our algorithm dominates previous methods in terms of resulting CSG compactness and runtime, and can handle far more complex input meshes than any previous method.
Delays in Palliative Care Referral Among Surgical Patients: Perspectives of Surgical Residents Across the State of Michigan.

Abstract Context Palliative care services (PCS) are underutilized and frequently delayed among surgical patients. Surgical residents often serve at the forefront for patient issues, including conducting conversations regarding prognosis and goals of care. Objectives This qualitative study identifies critical barriers to palliative care referral among seriously ill surgical patients from the perspective of surgical residents. Methods We conducted semistructured interviews with surgical residents (n = 18) across the state of Michigan, which focused on experiences with seriously ill surgical patients and PCS. Inductive thematic analysis was used to establish themes based on the research objectives and data collected. Results Four dominant themes of resident-perceived barriers to palliative care referral were identified: 1) challenges with prognostication, 2) communication barriers, 3) respect for the surgical hierarchy, and 4) surgeon mentality. Residents consistently expressed challenges in predicting patient outcomes, and verbalizing this to both attendings and families augmented this uncertainty in seeking PCS. Communicative challenges included managing discordant provider opinions and the stigma associated with PCS. Finally, residents perceived that an attending surgeon's decisive authority and mentality negatively influenced the delivery of PCS. Conclusions Among resident trainees, unpredictable patient outcomes led to uncertainty in the timing and appropriateness of palliative care referral and further complicated communicating plans of care. Residents perceived and relied on the attending surgeon as the ultimate decision maker, wherein the surgeon's sense of responsibility to the patient was identified as a significant barrier to PCS referral. Further studies are needed to test surgeon-specific interventions to improve access to and delivery of PCS.
Gender Differences and their Relation to Hazardous Attitudes in Pilot Training

It has been stated by the FAA that Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) training for pilots has been effective in reducing in-flight errors by up to 50 percent. Hazardous attitudes and their associated antidotes are currently discussed as part of the FAA’s ADM training for pilots. The purpose of this study is to add to the understanding of decision making differences and the effectiveness of instructing students on mitigating hazardous attitudes throughout their pilot training programs, in both male and female students using the New Hazardous Attitudes Survey. Results of this study discovered that only two of the six hazardous attitudes, Resignation and Self Confidence, were significantly lower in students who had advanced levels of flight training, as compared to those with only basic levels. Another significant result demonstrated that female’s overall hazardous attitudes scores were higher in the more advanced levels of flight training while males scores were lower.
Predicting therapist ratings of treatment progress and outcomes with the MMPI-2-RF.

Objective We examined the ability of scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales to predict treatment progress (compliance and activity in therapy) and outcome at termination (success in therapy, readiness for termination, and functioning at termination). Method Our sample included 448 (185 males, 263 females) community mental health center outpatients with an average age of 32.2 years (standard deviation = 10.2). We used MMPI-2-RF (self-report) indicators of personality and psychopathology and a composite outcome variable that represents therapist ratings of clients' treatment progress and outcomes. Results Scores on several MMPI-2-RF scales were correlated and associated with increased risk for poorer psychotherapy progress and outcomes in a mental health outpatient sample. Conclusions Clinicians can utilize the MMPI-2-RF to identify clients at risk for therapy process challenges and adverse outcomes, suggesting possible problem areas for intervention.
Clustering and ensembling approaches to support surrogate‐based species management

AIM: Surrogate species can provide an efficient mechanism for biodiversity conservation if they encompass the needs or indicate the status of a broader set of species. When species that are the focus of ongoing management efforts act as effective surrogates for other species, these incidental surrogacy benefits lead to additional efficiency. Assessing surrogate relationships often relies on grouping species by distributional patterns or by species traits, but there are few approaches for integrating outputs from multiple methods into summaries of surrogate relationships that can inform decision‐making. LOCATION: Prairie Pothole Region of the United States. METHODS: We evaluated how well five upland‐nesting waterfowl species that are a focus of management may act as surrogates for other wetland‐dependent birds. We grouped species by their patterns of relative abundance at multiple scales and by different sets of traits, and evaluated whether empirical validation could effectively select among the resulting species groupings. We used an ensemble approach to integrate the different estimated relationships among species and visualized the ensemble as a network diagram. RESULTS: Estimated relationships among species were sensitive to methodological decisions, with qualitatively different relationships arising from different approaches. An ensemble provided an effective tool for integrating across different estimates and highlighted the Sora (Porzana carolina), American Avocet (Recurvirostra Americana) and Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) as the non‐waterfowl species expected to show the strongest incidental surrogacy relationships with the waterfowl that are the focus of ongoing management. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: An ensemble approach integrated multiple estimates of surrogate relationship strength among species and allowed for intuitive visualizations within a network. By accounting for methodological uncertainty while providing a simple continuous metric of surrogacy, our approach is amenable to both further validation and integration into decision‐making.
CardioFAN: open source platform for noninvasive assessment of pulse transit time and pulsatile flow in hyperelastic vascular networks

A profound analysis of pressure and flow wave propagation in cardiovascular systems is the key in noninvasive assessment of hemodynamic parameters. Pulse transit time (PTT), which closely relates to the physical properties of the cardiovascular system, can be linked to variations of blood pressure and stroke volume to provide information for patient-specific clinical diagnostics. In this work, we present mathematical and numerical tools, capable of accurately predicting the PTT, local pulse wave velocity, vessel compliance, and pressure/flow waveforms, in a viscous hyperelastic cardiovascular network. A new one-dimensional framework, entitled cardiovascular flow analysis (CardioFAN), is presented to describe the pulsatile fluid–structure interaction in the hyperelastic arteries, where pertaining hyperbolic equations are solved using a high-resolution total variation diminishing Lax–Wendroff method. The computational algorithm is validated against well-known numerical, in vitro and in vivo data for networks of main human arteries with 55, 37 and 26 segments, respectively. PTT prediction is improved by accounting for hyperelastic nonlinear waves between two arbitrary sections of the arterial tree. Consequently, arterial compliance assignments at each segment are improved in a personalized model of the human aorta and supra-aortic branches with 26 segments, where prior in vivo data were available for comparison. This resulted in a 1.5% improvement in overall predictions of the waveforms, or average relative errors of 5.5% in predicting flow, luminal area and pressure waveforms compared to prior in vivo measurements. The open source software, CardioFAN, can be calibrated for arbitrary patient-specific vascular networks to conduct noninvasive diagnostics.
Flying Complex Approach Paths Using the microwave Landing System

A piloted simulation study was conducted to examine the requirements for using electromechanical flight instrumentation to provide guidance for manually controlled flight along complex, curved approach paths within the microwave landing system signal coverage. The data from these tests indicated that flight director guidance is required for the manually controlled flight of a jet transport airplane on complex, curved approach paths. Each of the three guidance algorithms tested could be used to fly the paths. However, pilot comments indicated that the use of guidance based on capturing the next straight path segment may not be acceptable since full-scale lateral deflections normally resulted during turns. Pilot comments indicated that all the approach paths tested could be used in normal airline operations. Approach paths with both multiple, sequential turns and short final path segments were demonstrated.
The Subelliptic Heat Kernel on the Anti-de Sitter Space

We study the subelliptic heat kernel of the sub-Laplacian on a 2n+1-dimensional anti-de Sitter space ℍ2n+1 which also appears as a model space of a CR Sasakian manifold with constant negative sectional curvature. In particular we obtain an explicit and geometrically meaningful formula for the subelliptic heat kernel. The key idea is to work in a set of coordinates that reflects the symmetry coming from the Hopf fibration \(\mathbb{S}^{1}\to \mathbb{H}^{2n+1}\). A direct application is obtaining small time asymptotics of the subelliptic heat kernel. Also we derive an explicit formula for the sub-Riemannian distance on ℍ2n+1.
MPDATA-A Multipass Donor Cell Solver for Geophysical Flows

This article is a summary of MPDATA, a class of methods for the numerical simulation of fluid flows based on the sign-preserving properties of upstream differencing. MPDATA was designed originally as an inexpensive alternative to flux-limited schemes for evaluating the advection of nonnegative thermodynamic variables (such as liquid water or water vapor) in atmospheric models. During the last decade, MPDATA has evolved from a simple advection scheme to a general approach for integrating the conservation laws of geophysical fluids on micro-to-planetary scales. The purpose of this paper is to outline the basic concepts leading to a family of MPDATA schemes, highlight existing MPDATA options, and to comment on the use of MPDATA to model complex geophysical flows.
Examination of laryngeal function of healthy dogs by using sedation protocols with dexmedetomidine.

Objective To determine the ability to evaluate laryngeal function under sedation with dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with opioids. Study design Randomized, crossover, blinded study. Animals Eight adult research hounds weighing 8 to 22.5 kg. Methods Dogs were sedated with propofol, dexmedetomidine, dexmedetomidine and butorphanol, or dexmedetomidine and hydromorphone. Digital images were collected with video laryngoscopy before and after doxapram administration. Maximal inspiratory normalized glottal gap (GGAn ) and laryngeal motion were compared between and within protocols before and after doxapram by using a difference of least squares mean. Results Normal laryngeal function was confirmed in all dogs with all protocols except propofol, which resulted in two false positive results. No difference between protocols was detected for predoxapram GGAn . Postdoxapram GGAn was greater than predoxapram GGAn for all four sedation protocols (P ≤ .0030). Compared with propofol, postdoxapram GGAn was greater for all three dexmedetomidine protocols (P ≤ .0420). Conclusion Dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with opioids was an effective sedation protocol for laryngeal examination, producing sufficient immobilization to prevent jaw motion and without affecting arytenoid abduction. Clinical significance Dexmedetomidine sedation does not inhibit normal laryngeal motion. Laryngeal examination with propofol alone can produce false positive results.
Steps towards neural decoding of colors

How we see colors is a great mystery, but also a route to understanding how we experience any quale, because color does not exist in the world outside our brains, and is undetectable by other senses. From photoreception to primary visual cortex, the neural encoding and transmission of color signals is well understood, providing a foundation for understanding cortical computations of color appearance. We describe how probabilistic models coupled with fMRI-guided microelectrode recordings from inferior-temporal macaque cortex (IT) could help us understand color decoding: i.e. how appearance is extracted from the neuronal responses evoked by a stimulus. Neurons in IT respond to a narrow range of colors with their peak responses scattered around the color circle. We discuss how intra-cellular processes and cortical circuits could generate such tuning curves, and how they approximate optimal Bayesian decoders in winner-take-all schemes.
Reported Heroin Use, Use Disorder, and Injection Among Adults in the United States, 2002-2018

This study uses National Surveys on Drug Use and Health data to characterize trends in heroin use, heroin use disorder, and heroin injection overall and by age, race, and geographic region.
Daridorexant, a new dual orexin receptor antagonist, in elderly subjects with insomnia disorder

Objective To assess the dose-response of daridorexant, a new dual orexin receptor antagonist, on wake after sleep onset (WASO). Methods Elderly (≥65 years) participants (n = 58) with insomnia were randomly allocated (Latin square design) to receive 5 treatments (5, 10, 25, and 50 mg daridorexant and placebo) during 5 treatment periods, each consisting of 2 treatment nights followed by a 5- to 12-day washout period. Main efficacy endpoints were the absolute change from baseline in WASO (primary) and latency to persistent sleep (LPS; secondary) to days 1 and 2 (mean of 2 treatment nights assessed by polysomnography) in each period. Safety and tolerability were also assessed. Results Of 58 participants included, 67% were female, and the median age was 69 years (range 65–85 years). WASO and LPS were dose-dependently reduced from baseline to days 1 and 2 after daridorexant administration (multiple comparison procedure modeling, p Conclusions Daridorexant was well tolerated. Dose-dependent improvements in WASO and LPS were statistically significant (dose range 10–50 mg) in elderly people with insomnia disorder. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02841709. Classification of evidence This study provides Class I evidence that, for elderly people with insomnia, daridorexant reduced WASO.
Building Advantage: Management By Mistrust In Controlling Empowered Proventure Workers

How can knowledge services direct and control their employees who must be empowered or given the autonomy to generate value-added solutions to customer priorities? This is a pressing question for managers of knowledge services. In this chapter, the conditions for empowerment are discussed, with the notion that the more discretion employees are given the more controls management has to impose for the organization to be effective. One of the radical ideas presented in this chapter is that employees should be managed and controlled by mistrust rather than a reliance on trust in knowledge services which, among other control mechanisms, entails peer control by other workers.
Corporate social advocacy as engagement: Nike's social justice communication

Abstract Nike’s recent progressive yet controversial communicative actions around issues of social justice raise an important question. How does Nike’s blemished organizational history coupled with its current Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) enhance our understanding of engagement in CSA contexts? This central question guides our critical essay. To address this question, we engage in a critical analysis of various Nike statements, campaigns, and actions which are situated as forms of CSA. Thus, we aim to uncover if or how Nike is engaging corporate social advocacy that challenges status quo gender, racial and cultural norms that attempt to circumscribe the human potential of women and people of color, and we analyze the role of engagement in the process. Our critical analysis of Nike’s statements, campaigns, and actions—draw upon the philosophical principles of the engagement literature in public relations. Uniting engagement literature with CSA in a critical essay allows us to not only explore the nature of Nike’s communicative action within the context of its troubled history, it also facilitates a deeper understanding of the connections between engagement and CSA in public relations. We argue that communicative actions engaged by Nike and analyzed in our critical essay push the boundaries on engagement and corporate advocacy through sport, shining an important light on CSA as a pivotal direction for further theorizing and research in public relations and engagement studies.
Intrinsic properties of strongly continuous fractional semigroups in normed vector spaces

Norm estimates for strongly continuous semigroups have been successfully studied in numerous settings, but at the moment there are no corresponding studies in the case of solution operators of singular integral equations. Such equations have recently garnered a large amount of interest due to their potential to model numerous physically relevant phenomena with increased accuracy by incorporating so-called non-local effects. In this article, we provide the first step in the direction of providing such estimates for a particular class of operators which serve as solutions to certain integral equations. The provided results hold in arbitrary normed vector spaces and include the classical results for strongly continuous semigroups as a special case.
Overview of Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Head and Neck Cancers

With the emerging fields of precision health, precision medicine, and digital health, head and neck cancer management is undergoing a paradigm shift to become more proactive instead of predominantly reactive. Cancer is a disease that affects everyone either directly or indirectly and, therefore, it is important to develop effective approaches for early detection of cancer. Promising approaches for cancer detection and management are rapidly advancing in areas such as medical imaging, noninvasive continuous health monitoring, leveraging big data, individualized treatment plans, and many other promising areas. However, with great promise also comes challenges including sensitivity and specificity of approaches, implementation into the current health ecosystem, and other efficiency and economic considerations. Cancer management is improving beyond guidelines intended for population-level care and can be tailored specifically for the individual. In this way, the efficacy and treatment outcomes can be greatly improved with treatment plans designed to maximize the benefit to the patient by incorporating personalized data. Moreover, using continuous monitoring, platforms can be developed to better manage patient care, avoid clinical visits when possible, and change treatment plans once a patient is identified as a nonresponder. In this chapter, opportunities and limitations are discussed along with potential future directions.
Chemotherapy with paclitaxel for recalcitrant molluscum contagiosum in an HIV-infected patient.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a viral skin infection seen in children, sexually active adults and immunocompromised populations. It is usually a self-limiting illness that typically spontaneously resolves without therapeutic intervention. However, when the papules are extensive or refractory causing complications or aesthetic issues, multiple treatment modalities exist to relieve symptoms, limit spread and decrease the social stigma associated with visible lesions. Treatment is especially important in HIV/AIDS infected populations, where prevalence is estimated between 5% and 18% and susceptibility to larger, widespread and recalcitrant lesions involving atypical distributions is more common. We evaluated a 38-year-old woman with a history of AIDS (CD4+ T cell count <25 cells/µL) and poor adherence with antiretroviral therapy who presented with a 9-month history of persistent, progressively worsening facial and truncal umbilicated papules consistent with recalcitrant MC refractory to cidofovir injections. She was successfully treated with paclitaxel with complete resolution of the lesions after four cycles without adverse effects.
Civic Education and Civic Capacity in Public Schools: The State of the Field and Directions for the Future

The global COVID-19 pandemic’s social, economic, and health consequences are far-reaching, and the pandemic’s disproportionate impact, coupled with movements against systemic racism, have exposed d...
Organizational policies, workplace culture, and perceived job commitment of mothers and fathers who take parental leave

Abstract Americans do not always fully utilize available parental leave policies due (in part) to fear of a commitment penalty – where taking leave (or taking longer periods of leave) lowers perceptions of job commitment. Using a survey experiment (N = 1713) to identify whether organizational leave policies affect perceived job commitment, we find that leave-taking (and taking longer periods of leave) is negatively associated with perceived commitment. However, perceived commitment is higher when workers take leave under more favorable policies, and the effect of favorable policies on perceived commitment is greater for fathers than mothers. Overall, these results can help organizations design parental leave policies that increase the likelihood that workers can take needed leave without damaging their careers.
Size-Scaling of Tensile Failure Stress in a Hot-Pressed Silicon Carbide

Quasi-static Weibull strength-size scaling of hot-pressed silicon carbide is described. Two surface conditions (uniaxial ground and uniaxial ground followed by grit blasting) were explored. Strength test coupons sampled effective areas from the very small (4 × 10−3 mm2) to the very large (4 × 104 mm2). Equibiaxial flexure and Hertzian ring crack initiation were used for the strength tests, and characteristic strengths for several different specimen geometries were analyzed as a function of effective area. Characteristic strength was found to substantially increase with decreased effective area for both surface conditions. Weibull moduli of 9.4- and 11.7 well-represented strength-size scaling for the two ground conditions between an effective area range of 10−1 and 4 × 104 mm2. Machining damage was observed to be the dominant flaw type over this range. However, for effective areas <10−1 mm2, the characteristic strength increased rapidly for both ground surface conditions as the effective area decreased, and one or more of the inherent assumptions behind the classical Weibull strength-size scaling were in violation in this range. The selections of a ceramic strength to account for ballistically induced tile deflection and expanding cavity modeling are considered in context with the measured strength-size scaling. The observed size-scaling is briefly discussed with reference to dynamic strength.
Departures from marginal-cost pricing in the American automobile industry: Estimates for 1977–1978

Abstract How are prices set in the American automobile oligopoly? This paper seeks empirical estimates of the extent of departure from marginal-cost pricing and of the effects of foreign competition. The model estimated has product differentiation, multiproduct firms, and heterogeneity in consumer tastes. The estimation presumes that product type (proxied by engineering specifications) is exogenous to the price/quantity market equilibrium. Cross-section results for the 1977 and 1978 model years yield price-cost margins around 10%. Import competition has the effect of lowering equilibrium margins for compact and subcompact models.
Power Conversion Systems of the 21st Century

A review of experience with power conversion systems during the past 15 centuries coupled with a survey of present systems provides a basis for speculating on the nature of the power conversion systems that may be expected to predominate in the 21st century. Exhaustion of our fossil-fuel reserves coupled with cost considerations will overcome emotional objections and lead to the use of nuclear fission and/or fusion as our prime energy source. In speculating on the power conversion systems best suited to use with fission or fusion reactors, a good case can be made for the thesis that these will employ a potassium or cesium vapor cycle operating with a turbine inlet temperature of 1400 to 2000/sup 0/F (760 to 1100/sup 0/C) that will reject its heat at around 1000/sup 0/F (540/sup 0/C) to a conventional steam system. The latter in turn will reject its heat at around 300/sup 0/F (150/sup 0/C) for use in industrial processes and district heating systems. Railroads will be electrified and automobiles and trucks will run on high energy storage batteries. Excess waste heat can be employed to distill sewage to provide fresh water, and to evaporate sewage sludge to dryness to sterilize it and yieldmore » good fertilizer.« less
Binary Formation and Interactions with Field Stars

Binaries provide an energy source in dense stellar systems. Exothermic gravitational interactions in star clusters can play a role similar to that of nuclear reactions in single stars. These gravitational interactions can be modeled in a laboratory setting, in the form of numerical binary-single star and binary-binary scattering experiments. Gravitational cross sections obtained this way can be applied to model star cluster evolution, just as nuclear cross sections are used as input data in stellar evolution calculations. References are given to detailed descriptions of gravitational cross sections, and a useful new example of an application is given: the rate at which hard binaries form in a homogeneous stellar background, as the solution of an Integral equation describing the combined effects of creation, destruction, hardening and softening of binaries.
China's B-Share Discount Puzzle: New Event, New Hypothesis and New Findings

There exists market segmentation in China's stock markets, in which local firms issued two classes of shares: class A shares available only to Chinese citizens and class B shares available only to foreign citizens. Contrary to what has been observed in other markets with a similar segmented structure, China B shares trade at a discount relative to A shares. After the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commissions opened the B-share market to Chinese citizens on February 19, 2001, the prevailing and persistent B-share discount dropped to 25 percent from its previous on average 75 percent. We exploit this new event and test the explanatory powers of different hypotheses on China's B-share discount puzzle. Our results support the differential risk hypothesis and liquidity hypothesis. We also document the effect of exchange risk factor on B-share discount through time.
CMOs, Duration Risk and a New Mortgage

This article is the winner of the Real Estate Finance manuscript prize (sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation) presented at the 1999 American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting.This article presen...
“Stony the Road” to Change: Black Mississippians and the Culture of Social Relations

“Stony the Road” to Change: Black Mississippians and the Culture of Social Relations. Marilyn Thomas-Houston. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 213 pp.
Regulation and Supervision: An Ethical Approach

This essay shows that government credit-allocation schemes generate incentive conflicts that undermine the quality of bank supervision and eventually produce banking crisis. For political reasons, most countries establish a regulatory culture that embraces three economically contradictory elements: politically directed subsidies to selected bank borrowers; subsidized provision of explicit or implicit repayment guarantees for the creditors of firms that participate in the credit-allocation scheme; and defective government monitoring and control of the distribution of burdens and subsidies that the other two elements produce. In the years leading up to the panic of 2008, technological change and regulatory competition simultaneously encouraged incentive-conflicted supervisors to outsource much of their due discipline to credit-rating firms and encouraged lenders to securitize their loans in ways that pushed credit risks on poorly underwritten loans into corners of the universe where supervisors and credit-ratings firms would not see them.
Transtracheal Oxygen Catheter Placement and Management

Transtracheal oxygen therapy (TTO) is a technology for administration of continuous supplemental oxygen to patients with chronic hypoxemia. It is an alternative to nasal cannula therapy. The multiple potential benefits of TTO are outlined in this publication. Two very different techniques for creation of the transtracheal tract have been developed to allow oxygen administration through the catheter. However, core to the success of TTO is the patient management program. Within the program are two pathways that are tailored to meet the specific needs of their respective companion insertion methods. The two methods are a modified Seldinger technique (MST) and the surgical approach developed by Dr. Alan Lipkin. In addition to benefits, potential complications of TTO are identified; they are generally minor in nature. Outcomes vary subject to the method of tract creation, patient selection, and experience of the team. Indications and contraindications as well as patient evaluation and selection are discussed. In addition, preprocedure management to address specific precautions and minimize complications is outlined. Both the surgical approach and MST for tract creation are reviewed. Patient management during the immature and mature tract phases is presented. Finally, specific advantages of the Lipkin procedure over the MST are summarized. The interventional pulmonologist, as team leader, plays a critical role in TTO. Trained respiratory therapists and nurses facilitate program implementation. A surgical colleague adds value to the team.
Political Culture and the Study of Chinese Politics

It is both a truth and a truism that Chinese politics cannot be understood without reference to Chinese culture (a truth and truism that would apply to any other society as well). But within the academic discipline of political science political culture has lost status over the past generation as not conducive to the development of empirical political theory. The usual candidate for replacement is rational choice theory. But properly understood, political culture is compatible with rational choice, inasmuch as there is no single standard of rationality, but, rather, it will vary from society to society and era to era. Considerations of the cultural background are necessary to provide content to rational choice theory, since without consideration of culture context rational choice threatens to reduce to a set of colorless banalities.
Autonomous pro-active real-time construction worker and equipment operator proximity safety alert system

Over six hundred construction worker deaths occurred in the United States during the inclusive years of 2004 to 2006 that were related to construction equipment and contact collisions. This paper presents findings about emerging radio frequency (RF) remote sensing and actuating technology that can improve construction safety by warning or alerting workers-on-foot and equipment operators in a pro-active real-time mode once equipment gets too close in proximity to unknown or other equipment. A review is provided on the background and importance of safety related to various pieces of construction equipment. Pro-active real-time proximity and alert technology for daily construction operations is introduced to solve this problem. Results of various field experiments that tested the proximity and alert technology are presented. A discussion follows on how such technology can improve objective construction site safety data collection and lead to more effective construction workforce safety training and education.
“WOMEN'S PRISONS” AND “MEN'S PRISONS”: SHOULD PRISONERS BE CLASSIFIED BY SEX?

What are the differences between “women's prisons” and “men's prisons”? That question is answered in this article, which documents that many institutions “for” women do not provide services designed specially for women, or anyone else. Moreover, some women's prisons provide fewer vocational, recreational, and educational programs than do institutions “for” men. Given the growing literature on the disparity of services and on the relative deprivations faced by many women prisoners, the author questions whether segregation by sex should continue to be used as a major premise of prison classification systems.
The effect of colleague quality on top performance: the case of security analysts

Using a unique panel dataset of top performing security analysts over a nine-year period, we show that top performers do not “own” their performance, even in the knowledge-intensive work performed in this professional business services context. While an individual's past performance does indicate future performance, the quality of colleagues in one's organization also significantly affects top performers' ability to maintain their performance. Specifically, top performers in professional business services rely on high-quality colleagues both to improve the quality of their own work and to deliver it effectively to clients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long Shot and Short Hit China as a Military Power and Its Implications for the USA and Taiwan

This article attempts to evaluate China's military developments in recent years and explore the implications of its military advancements. The emphasis will be on the potential impact of China's current military growth on the USA and Taiwan. What are the unique features of China's recent enhancement of its military capability? Does China's military expansion signal a power transition for a US-dominated international system? What is the US policy to deal with a rising China? Finally, to what extent is Taiwan prepared to meet China's new military challenges?
Dextran-lnduced Inflammation and Its Effect on Keratinized Gingival Epithelium in Monkeys*

The cell population present during dextran-induced inflammation and its effect upon induced keratinization of the sulcular epithelium was investigated in two young adult male Rhesus monkeys. Keratinization of the sulcus epithelium was induced by a combined regimen of scaling, an intravenous injection of achromycin and daily rubber cup prophylaxes. After keratinization was confirmed by means of biopsies, inflammation was induced either by injecting 200 microliters of a 5% dextran saline solution or by applying the solution topically on the marginal gingiva for 2 weeks. Clinical grade dextran, molecular weight 70,000, was used. Physiologic saline solution, either injected or topical, was also used. At the same time, the daily prophylaxes were continued. After the 2 weeks, gingival biopsies were taken from each tooth treated with the different regimens. One-half of each biopsy was routinely processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin or Rhodamine B, while the other half was processed for and stained with alcoholic and aqueous PAS to detect dextran in tissues. Histologic evaluation was carried out in three areas: a crestal zone, a cervical zone and an oral gingival zone. An Inflammatory Index (II) was determined and the width and length of keratin were measured. Dextran, either topical or injected, produced mainly a chronic inflammatory response characterized by lymphocytes (30-35%), monocytes-macrophages (5-10%), plasma cells (10%), polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) (15%) and unidentified cells (35%). Conversely, the physiologic saline-induced inflammation showed PMNs (75%), lymphocytes (5%) and unidentified cells (20%). The II for injected areas was significantly higher than for those topically treated or for nontreated controls. However, the increased II did not affect the degree of keratinization achieved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Thermal infrared properties of the Martian atmosphere: 3. Local dust clouds

Prior to and during the Martian global dust storms in 1977, local dust clouds were identified from thermal observations. Local dust clouds appear up to 40 K cooler than the surrounding region in the daytime and appear warm at night. In contrast to their well-developed and consistent thermal signatures, local dust clouds exhibited little albedo contrast. Multiple observations of the same areas show that local dust clouds form and dissipate in a few days or less, and clouds were observed to move with velocities of from 14 to at least 32 m/sec. Local dust clouds are common along the receding edge of the south polar cap (observed primarily for orbiter imaging) and in the restricted area -10 deg to -30 deg, 80 deg to 125 deg W (observed primarily by the infrared thermal mapper); several of the latter occurred over a ridge in Claritas Fossae, indicating strong topographic control. In their active growing stage, local dust clouds are probably about 8 km high and have relatively abrupt tops. The accumulation of dust from local clouds reached similar levels immediately prior to both global storms, supporting the hypothesis that such dust accumulations are responsible for triggering the global dust storms.
Diabatic-ramping spectroscopy of many-body excited states

Due to the experimental time constraints of state of the art quantum simulations, the direct preparation of the ground state by adiabatically ramping the field of a transverse-field Ising model becomes more and more difficult as the number of particles increase. We propose a spectroscopy protocol that intentionally creates excitations through diabatic ramping and measures a low-noise observable as a function of time for a constant Hamiltonian to reveal the structure of the coherent dynamics of the resulting many-body states. To simulate experimental data, noise from counting statistics and decoherence error are added. Compressive sensing is then applied to Fourier transform the simulated data into the frequency domain and extract the low-lying energy excitation spectrum. By using compressive sensing, the amount of data in time needed to extract this energy spectrum is sharply reduced, making such experiments feasible with current technology in, for example, ion trap quantum simulators.
INFERENCES ON THE COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION OF AN INVERSE GAUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION

The likelihood ratio test for a characteristic parameter of the inverse Gaussian distribution is derived. The parameter of interest characterizes the coefficient of variation, the skewness and the kurtosis of the distribution. The distribution of the test statistic is presented in a simplified form. Useful quanfiles of the distribution are given. Methods for constructing confidence bounds for the parameter, including Bayes highest posterior density intervals, are considered.
A cross-sectional study of food group intake and C-reactive protein among children

Background C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of sub-clinical inflammation, is a predictor of future cardiovascular diseases. Dietary habits affect serum CRP level however the relationship between consumption of individual food groups and CRP levels has not been established.