cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
U.S. Climate Policy: Obama, Trump, and Beyond

Since taking office, President Trump has worked hard to undo President Obama’s climate initiatives. Trump has announced an intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and his appointees at the Environmental Protection Agency have begun proceedings to undo major climate-related regulations. At each point, Trump’s policies have encountered resistance from state and local governments, courts, and major corporations. In particular, governments in many states such as California have increased their commitments to addressing climate change. Even the current Republican majority in both houses of Congress, which has generally been loyal to Trump, has shown some significant flashes of independence. The courts have shown themselves willing to be quite. In short, Trump has already damaged U.S. climate efforts and will continue to do so, but the U.S. will nevertheless continue to make progress in some areas. Keywords: environment law, climate policies, Paris Agreement.
Quantitative Evaluation of the Behavioral Response to Attractant and Repellent Compounds in Anopheles pseudopunctipennis and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Larvae

The mosquito Anopheles pseudopunctipennis (Theobald) is the principal vector for malaria in Latin-America. Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is the key vector of four important arboviral diseases: dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya. Controlling larval stages to reduce the production of new adult mosquitoes is part of the integrated vector management strategies. However, there are few studies about the olfactory behavior on immature stages of mosquitoes, especially in An. pseudopunctipennis. In this work, we have evaluated the behavior of An. pseudopunctipennis and Ae. aegypti larvae in response to attractant or repellent stimuli through a video-tracking analysis. We used the software EthoVision to obtain behavioral variables related to the swimming activity, such as distance, speed, and mobility status. The response to the repellents stimulus results in an increase of the swimming activity and the absolute angular velocity in both species. Otherwise, the responses to the possible attractants stimulus results in a decrease of the activity of the larvae only for Ae. aegypti. The effects of these compounds were weaker in Anopheles; probably as a consequence of their adaptations to different aquatic ecosystems. The study of the larval olfactory response could contribute to the development of new control tools based on ‘push–pull’ strategies by ‘pushing’ mosquitoes away from certain places using repellents, and ‘pulling’ them towards other places like traps baited with attractive cues.
Deep eutectic solvent route synthesis of zinc and copper vanadate n-type semiconductors – mapping oxygen vacancies and their effect on photovoltage

Ternary metal oxides M2V2O7−δ (M = Zn and Cu) were synthesized by dissolving binary metal oxide precursors in an environmentally benign deep eutectic solvent (DES), which is a eutectic mixture of a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor, followed by annealing in an open crucible. The unique reaction environment provided by the evolved ammonia allows for stabilization of oxygen vacancies and reduced oxidation states of metal ions within an oxide matrix without the need for any post-treatment with flammable reducing agents. According to comprehensive characterization, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), neutron powder diffraction, and UV-vis spectroscopy, oxygen deficiency is accompanied by reduced oxidation states of metal centers (Cu+ or V4+), resulting in oxides with mixed-valence metal oxidation states. The amount of oxygen vacancies can be tuned by changing the annealing temperature providing control over band gaps of ternary metal oxides and mid-gap states from reduced metal centers. All synthesized vanadates are n-type semiconductors based on negative photovoltages obtained from surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). A decay of the photovoltage with increasing annealing temperatures is attributed to electron trapping and electron/hole recombination at V4+ and Cu+ mid-gap states. This work shows for the first time the impact of oxygen vacancies on the electronic structure of DES synthesized oxides for solar energy conversion applications.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Transmission

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection causes a spectrum of respiratory illness, from asymptomatic to mild to fatal. MERS-CoV is transmitted sporadically from dromedary camels to humans and occasionally through human-to-human contact. Current epidemiologic evidence supports a major role in transmission for direct contact with live camels or humans with symptomatic MERS, but little evidence suggests the possibility of transmission from camel products or asymptomatic MERS cases. Because a proportion of case-patients do not report direct contact with camels or with persons who have symptomatic MERS, further research is needed to conclusively determine additional mechanisms of transmission, to inform public health practice, and to refine current precautionary recommendations.
Mixtures of Mycorrhizal Fungi Improve Growth of Lactuca Sativa and Reduce Levels of Zinc in Contaminated Soil

Bioremediation is currently under investigation as a viable way to remove many environmental pollutants and most commonly involves the use of microorganisms to extract organic pollutants or heavy metals from water or soil. One of the most abundant heavy metals found in industrially polluted sites is zinc (Zn); it is often found alongside metals like lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg). This experiment investigated the potential bioremediation of pasteurized soil contaminated with zinc using different vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) species and lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa). Soil was amended with 0.4 g of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) per kg of soil. Amended and unamended soils were inoculated with two different mixes of VAM, BioAg VAM-Endo™ and MycoBloom. For each treatment, L. sativa plants (15 pots per treatment) were grown in a greenhouse setting. Plant diameter was measured weekly. Plants were harvested after 55-days and the wet weight of leaf tissue was measured before the tissue was sent for analysis of zinc levels. Roots were assessed for mycorrhizae using a trypan blue staining procedure. The BioAg VAM-Endo™ mix was the most successful at removing ZnCl2 from the soil. L. sativa inoculated with VAM mixes formed mycorrhizae, grew healthier and removed more zinc from the soil than the non-inoculated group. We propose further investigation into the use of mycorrhizal fungi paired with other plant species to remove zinc from contaminated sites with harmful levels of zinc.
Aero-Driven Bleed-Air Applied to Roll Control

Aero-driven bleed-air (ADB) is a flow control technology that offers a unique alternative to novel aircraft concepts that are not conducive to traditional flapped control surfaces. The primary sour...
Black womanist teachers’ political clarity in theory and practice

Black women educators have a legacy of political clarity about teaching and learning as well as about anti-Black racism. Scholarship on Black women teachers has begun to map out this political clar...
Reassessing the Mythology of Magnuson-Moss: A Call to Revive Section 18 Rulemaking at the FTC

America faces twin crises of metastasizing corporate power and foundering government capacity to respond. Cries for economic justice grow louder as corporate consolidation has reached record levels and “informational capitalism” has systematically shifted power from individuals to large, data-rich firms. Americans are left vulnerable to “dark patterns” that extract customers’ wealth, to gig work companies that siphon customer tips away from workers, and to algorithmic decisionmaking that exhibits racial and gender bias. Yet, many rightfully doubt that America’s elected branches of government remain functional enough to handle these emerging challenges, and the Supreme Court continues to impede efforts that Congress and the President do undertake. The Federal Trade Commission is well-positioned to step into this breach. Section 18 of the FTC Act grants the agency the authority to issue new consumer protection rules to police against unfair or deceptive business tactics, backed by tough penalties and consumer redress. Yet, this power has sat virtually dormant for the past thirty-seven years after a “Reagan Revolution” at the agency decisively ended its rulemaking activity. For the first time in decades, a majority of FTC Commissioners supports using this tool, but long-unchallenged received wisdom stands in the way. This common narrative holds that Congress saddled the agency with almost impossibly onerous “Magnuson-Moss” procedural requirements for rulemaking in reaction to overbroad and politically unpopular FTC regulation. This paper argues that the conventional story is mistaken. A review of the history, statutory text, and judicial constructions of section 18 show that this pessimistic view confuses a historical decline in rulemaking—which was driven by non-statutory factors including an ascendant corporate lobby, changing congressional pressures, and a deregulatory ideological moment—with supposed flaws in section 18. Puncturing the mythology that has grown up around the Magnuson-Moss Act provides a more clear-eyed view of the FTC’s authorities. Doing so makes apparent that the Commission can—and should—pick back up its powerful tool of consumer protection rulemaking. Future rules can rein in marketplace misconduct such as deceptive online “drip pricing,” unfair privacy abuses, and much more. Reinvigorating the FTC’s regulatory program can restore the agency as a champion of American consumers and a cornerstone of an administrative state that is able to counterbalance dominant corporations and establish a more just economy.
Androgenetic Alopecia in Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations: A Review of Therapeutics

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) management is a significant clinical and therapeutic challenge for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients. Although gender-affirming hormone therapies affect hair growth, there is little research about AGA in TGD populations. After reviewing the literature on approved treatments, off-label medication usages, and procedures for treating AGA, we present treatment options for AGA in TGD patients. The first-line treatments for any TGD patient include topical minoxidil 5% applied to the scalp once or twice daily, finasteride 1 mg oral daily, and/or low-level laser light therapy. Spironolactone 200 mg daily is also first-line for transfeminine patients. Second-line options include daily oral minoxidil dosed at 1.25 or 2.5 mg for transfeminine and transmasculine patients, respectively. Topical finasteride 0.25% monotherapy or in combination with minoxidil 2% solution are second-line options for transmasculine and transfeminine patients, respectively. Other second-line treatments for any TGD patient include oral dutasteride 0.5 mg daily, platelet-rich plasma, or hair restoration procedures. After 6-12 months of treatment, AGA severity and treatment progress should be assessed via scales not based on sex; eg, the Basic and Specific Classification or the Bouhanna scales. Dermatologists should coordinate care with the patient's primary gender-affirming clinician(s) so that shared knowledge of all medications exists across the care team.
Newly Described Entities in Renal Tumor Pathology

Several new kidney tumor entities have been described since the publication of the 2004 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of renal tumors. These entities are included in the recent International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Vancouver Classification of Renal Neoplasia and are described in this chapter with a description of morphology, genetics, and ancillary diagnostic information relevant to distinguishing them from established diagnostic categories. Prognostic information, where available, is also provided.
Research in Soil Structure Interaction

In the field of protective structures to resist the effects of nuclear weapons, the soil-structure interaction zone is defined as the region between the 30-psi surface air overpressure range and the 1,000-psi range where structures are buried to depths to approximately 200 ft. At ranges nearer ground zero than the 1,000-psi range, the peak blast pressure increases rapidly. In addition to air blast, a surface or sub-surface burst reacts violently with the ground producing a crater and an associated ground shock of high intensity. If protection is required in such regions, it is necessary to build structures at great length and, in all probability, in rock. Two laboratory devices for simulating the air blast effects of nuclear devices are described. A fundamental study concerning the basic problem of soil arching is evaluted; a program concerning the response of buried, semicircular, fixed-end concrete arches is reviewed; a program to extend the range of knowledge of failure phenomena for circular buried cylinders is briefed; and a basic type of similitude study for buried aluminum arches is described.
Pricing Strategy in International Marketing

Although interest in international marketing has been growing rapidly, little or no attention is given to a pricing strategy involving price discrimination under governmental import restrictions such as import quotas. The authors show using a theoretical model that developing nations enjoying quota protection may be able to export part of their output abroad and achieve maximum profit.
Creep of Copper at Intermediate Temperatures

Activation energies for creep of copper at intermediate temperatures, where crystal recovery was negligible, were determined by the simple technique of rapidly alternating the test temperature between T1 and T2 (T2= T1 + about 10°K) throughout a constant stress creep test. The activation energy for creep ΔH was found to be 37,000 ± 3,000 cal per mol, independent of stress and strain. The same creep laws as have been previously established for high temperature creep were found to be valid for creep at intermediate temperatures. But the ΔH was found to be lower than that for self-diffusion in the intermediate temperature range whereas it is known to be equal to that for self-diffusion at high temperatures.
Characterization of Soils in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is predominantly underlain by two volcanic rock types, the Tertiary andesitic rocks and the Quarternary rhyolitic rocks. Data concerning the nature and properties of the soils derived from these rocks is limited. This study provides a detailed soil characterization analysis of benchmark soils and associated interpretations for use by both research and operations personnel. Data from this study will also further the knowledge of soils in mountain environments.
Pen + Touch Diagramming to Stimulate Design Ideation

Ideation, the process of generating new ideas, is central to design where the goal is to find novel solutions around a set of requirements. Designers engage in diagramming, creating external representations of ideas. Diagramming connects the body and creative cognitive processes, as the hands transform physical media to explore ideas. HCI researchers need to leverage body-based interaction to support creativity. My Ph.D. research develops a new body-based diagramming environment to stimulate design ideation.
Instructional Set and Word Association Test (WAT) Responses of Children and Adults.

Summary It was hypothesized that slight modifications in word association test (WAT) instructions would have no discernable effect on the responses of college students, but would produce significantly different response hierarchies generated by young children. Seventy-five adults and 375 children gave WAT responses to 32 stimulus words. One-third of the Ss, at each of six grade levels, was given standard WAT instructions; one-third was given a practice session with 10 additional words; and the remainder were instructed to respond to stimulus words with the “first thing” that came to mind. Although the different instructional sets had no discernable effect on the adult Ss, they had a significant effect (ps < .05) upon the number of (a) multiple-word and nonword responses, (b) paradigmatic responses, and (c) idiosyncratic responses produced by the children. These differences suggest that caution be used in the interpretation of WAT responses provided by young Ss.
Recycling of Aircraft: State of the Art in 2011

Recently, the end-of-service life for aging aircraft and related parts has become a key subject in recycling industries worldwide. Over the next 20 years, approximately 12,000 aircraft currently utilized for different purposes will be at the end of service. Thus, reclaiming retired aircraft by environmentally responsible methods while retaining some of the value becomes a significant need. Recycling aircraft components and using these in different applications will reduce the consumption of natural resources as well as landfill allocations. Compared to the production of virgin materials, recycling aircraft will also reduce air, water, and soil contaminations, as well as energy demand. In the present study, we have investigated the environmental benefits of recycling and reusing aircraft components in the same or similar applications as low-energy input materials. During the aircraft recycling, most of the aircraft components can be recycled and reused after reasonable modifications and investments.
An Overview of the Death Penalty and Capital Trials: History, Current Status, Legal Procedures, and Cost

There are several reasons to expect that the issue of capital punishment will continue to demand the attention of the public and the media. To provide necessary background for the articles that follow, we present a brief history of the death penalty in the United States and describe the American system of capital jurisprudence. We also present a detailed examination of one issue that frequently surfaces in discussions of capital punishment—the financial cost of the death penalty and its attendant procedures. Finally, we briefly describe each of the articles in this JSI issue. These articles examine the death penalty and capital trials from the perspective of social science.
Gravity Force Transduced by the MEC-4/MEC-10 DEG/ENaC Channel Modulates DAF-16/foxo Activity in Caenorhabditis Elegans

The gravity response is an array of behavioral and physiological plasticity elicited by changes in ambient mechanical force and is an evolutionarily ancient adaptive mechanism. We show in Caenorhabditis elegans that the force of hypergravity is translated into biological signaling via a genetic pathway involving three factors: the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel (DEG/ENaC) class of mechanosensory channels of touch receptor neurons, the neurotransmitter serotonin, and the FoxO transcription factor DAF-16 known to regulate development, energy metabolism, stress responses, and aging. After worms were exposed to hypergravity for 3 hr, their muscular and neuronal functions were preserved, but they exhibited DAF-16∷GFP nuclear accumulation in cells throughout the body and accumulated excess fat. Mutations in MEC-4/MEC-10 DEG/ENaC or its partners MEC-6, MEC-7, and MEC-9 blocked DAF-16∷GFP nuclear accumulation induced by hypergravity but did not affect DAF-16 response to other stresses. We show that exogenous serotonin and the antidepressant fluoxetine can attenuate DAF-16∷GFP nuclear accumulation in WT animals exposed to hypergravity. These results reveal a novel physiological role of the mechanosensory channel, showing that the perception of mechanical stress controls FoxO signaling pathways and that inactivation of DEG/ENaC may decouple mechanical loading and physiological responses.
Generation of force by single-headed myosin.

Abstract Myosin has two heads, each of which can interact with actin and ATP. We have investigated the possibility that co-operative interactions occur between the heads by measuring the force generated by single-headed myosin in reconstituted actomyosin threads. Myofibrils were digested with papain, actomyosin was extracted from the myofibrils, and one-headed myosin was purified by cycles of sedimentation with actin. The one-headed myosin was approximately 90 to 95% pure as determined by densitometer scans of polyacrylamide gels run in 20 m m -PP 1 (impurities consisted of 1 to 5% of myosin and 1 to 5% myosin rod). The ATPase activity per mole of single-headed myosin was one half that of myosin under conditions where the activity was activated by Ca 2+ , K + or actin. One-headed myosin could also participate in superprecipitation, although with a rate that was at least one order of magnitude slower than that for myosin. Myosin or one-headed myosin was mixed with actin, threads were formed via extrusion into low ionic strength, and the isometric forces and isotonic velocities generated by the threads were measured. The ratio of the isometric tension produced per head by the one-headed myosin to the isometric tension produced per head by myosin was 1·0 ± 0·1. The maximum velocity of thread contraction for the one-headed myosin was also not different from the control myosin. Thus, the absence of one head does not appear to impair the generation of force or motion by the remaining head.
Rapid Embedded Programming: A Tool for Education

At ASU, new commercially available automatic code-generation tools are used to progress from controller design, to simulation, and finally to implementation on embedded hardware. Case studies highlighting a force-feedback joystick, a robotic hovercraft, and motor servo-control with encoder feedback are presented. Using these software tools, design iterations and multiple controllers are quickly simulated and downloaded to the actual hardware, providing students an appreciation for rapid embedded system design.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
In Vivo Molecular Imaging Using Cerenkov Luminescence

Many radionuclides, upon decay, produce visible light via the Cerenkov effect. This allows radiotracers to be imaged using sensitive optical technologies providing opportunities for in vivo optical molecular imaging using Cerenkov luminescence.
Photoionization and photoabsorption cross sections for ionospheric calculations

Abstract Photoionization and photoabsorption cross sections for N 2 , O 2 and O are presented in a form useful for calculation of solar EUV absorption and photoelectron production. The cross sections are based mostly on the data presented in the reviews by Schoen (1969) and Huffman (1969).
Effects of High Pressure on the Near Ultraviolet Vapor Absorption Spectrum of Benzene in a Number of Diluent Gases

The absorption spectrum of benzene vapor in a number of gaseous diluents over a wide range of diluent densities has been obtained. The wavelength of absorption shifts to the red in the gases A, H2, N2, CO2, O2, CO, C2H6, and C2H4, to the blue in the diluents He and Ne. Since the light absorber is the same in each case, the relative rates of shift with density should be a function of the physical properties of the diluents. However, no simple correlation has been found to exist between relative shift and such properties of the solvents as polarizability or dielectric constant. Dispersion theory predicts only roughly the relative shifts. No satisfactory explanation has been found for the blue shift obtained in He and Ne.
Risk Factors and Management of Urine Leaks After Partial Nephrectomy

Purpose: As nephron sparing surgery is used more frequently for select renal tumors, the incidence of urine leaks will likely increase. To our knowledge the risk factors of and management strategies for urine leaks have not been studied. We report our experience with the risk factors of and management for urine leaks after open and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 127 consecutive patients who underwent partial nephrectomy between 2001 and 2007, including 70 with open and 57 with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, as performed by 3 surgeons. Urine leak was defined as drain output consistent with urine greater than 48 hours after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.Results: Of the patients 21 experienced a urine leak after partial nephrectomy, including 13.3% overall, and 10.5% after laparoscopic and 18.5% after open partial nephrectomy. Patients with a urine leak had significantly greater tumor size (3.2 vs 2.4 cm, p <0.044), endophytic location...
Relationship of thyroid disease to renal cell carcinoma An epiden ologic study

Thyroid hormone im participates in numerous cellular functions besides thermogenesisand metabolism: Several studies, including the recent identification of the product of an oncogene, c-erb-A, as a thyroid-hormone receptor, have shown possible involvement of thyroid hormone in the process of carcinogenesis A, recent anecdotal observation of an unusually high incidence of thyroid dysfunction in women with renal cell carcinoma led to a retrospective review of the incidence and distribution of thyroid disorders in women with renal cell carcinoma compared with a control group of women with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, or, urethra: Women with renal carcinoma had a statistically significantly higher percentage of hypothyroidism, thyroid disease in general, and the use of thyroid-hormone supplements as compared with the control group (P = 0.033, P = 0:005, P = 0.041, respectively): The nature of the relationship, however, could not be determined. These findings add a new dimension to renal cell carcinoma, and prospective studies are encouraged to define the contribution of thyroid hormone to renal cell carcinogenesis.
Privatization, Politics, and Urban Services: The Political Behavior of Charter Schools

In this article we re-examine the dualist theory of public and private sector providers of public services. While this theory holds that private sector providers exhibit a behavior substantively different from those of the public sector, i.e., they respond to external pressures with market-oriented behavior instead of political behavior, we argue that these actors actually can and often do respond in a political manner. Furthermore, we argue that a political response is as likely to be exhibited by for-profit providers, who should be the most free-market oriented, as nonprofit organizations. We provide evidence for our proposition drawn from our study of the behavior of charter schools, market-based providers of public education, and charter school advocates in the District of Columbia and find that when faced with numerous challenges, charters responded by lobbying government for assistance instead of competing in the market place. We conclude that the line of demarcation between the behavior of public and private sector providers is actually quite blurred and when faced with similar problems in the delivery of public services, both forms of providers will respond in a similar manner.
In situ reactor radiation-induced attenuation in sapphire optical fibers heated up to 1000 °C

Abstract The purpose of this work was to determine the suitability of using instrumentation utilizing sapphire optical fibers in a high temperature nuclear reactor environment. For this, the broadband (500–2200 nm, or 0.56–2.48 eV) optical transmission in commercially available sapphire optical fibers was monitored in situ prior to, during, and after reactor irradiation. Portions of the sapphire fibers were heated to temperatures up to 1000 °C during irradiation. The sapphire fibers were irradiated, mostly at a neutron flux of 5.0 × 10 11 n/cm 2 /s and a gamma dose rate of 28 kGy/h (dose in sapphire), to a total neutron fluence of 6.4 × 10 16 n/cm 2 and total gamma dose on the order of 1 MGy. Results were generally consistent with the results of previous in situ measurements of the transmission in unheated sapphire fibers during reactor irradiation. Added attenuation at 850, 1300, and 1550 nm, appears to be limited by the growth of radiation-induced defect centers that are located in the ultra violet to the visible range and is therefore less at 1300 and 1550 nm than at 850 nm. A linear increase in attenuation, due to displacement damage effects, was observed with increased irradiation time at constant reactor power. However, the rate of increase of the added attenuation during constant power reactor irradiation monotonically decreased with increasing temperature up to 1000 °C, with the most significant decrease occurring between 300 and 600 °C. Additional calculations predicted that the majority of (if not all of) the observed increases in attenuation during irradiation at 600 and 1000 °C were due to effects in the unheated sections of the irradiated sapphire fibers. These results suggest that, for a reactor radiation environment similar to that tested in this work, heating sapphire fibers to temperatures of 600 °C or greater during irradiation would significantly reduce (or possibly eliminate entirely) the rate of growth of the added attenuation in the sapphire fibers.
Astrocyte metabolism and signaling during brain ischemia

Brain ischemia results from cardiac arrest, stroke or head trauma. These conditions can cause severe brain damage and are a leading cause of death and long-term disability. Neurons are far more susceptible to ischemic damage than neighboring astrocytes, but astrocytes have diverse and important functions in many aspects of ischemic brain damage. Here we review three main roles of astrocytes in ischemic brain damage. First, we consider astrocyte glycogen stores, which can defend the brain against hypoglycemic brain damage but may aggravate brain damage during ischemia due to enhanced lactic acidosis. Second, we review recent breakthroughs in understanding astrocytic mechanisms of transmitter release, particularly for those transmitters with known roles in ischemic brain damage: glutamate, D-serine, ATP and adenosine. Third, we discuss the role of gap-junctionally connected networks of astrocytes in mediating the spread of damaging molecules to healthy 'bystanders' during infarct expansion in stroke.
High-efficiency, Cd-free copper–indium–gallium–diselenide/polymer hybrid solar cells

Abstract The use of a semiconducting polymer as a buffer layer replacement for CdS in traditionally all-inorganic copper–indium–gallium–diselenide (CIGS)-based solar cells is reported. The semiconducting polymer used is poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL), which has physical and electronic properties that facilitate a suitable junction between the CIGS and the top electrode. We report on the fabrication, physical properties and photovoltaic characteristics of such Cd-free organic–inorganic devices, which have 6% power-conversion efficiencies.
Static Magnetic Field Exposure Reproduces Cellular Effects of the Parkinson's Disease Drug Candidate ZM241385

Background This study was inspired by coalescing evidence that magnetic therapy may be a viable treatment option for certain diseases. This premise is based on the ability of moderate strength fields (i.e., 0.1 to 1 Tesla) to alter the biophysical properties of lipid bilayers and in turn modulate cellular signaling pathways. In particular, previous results from our laboratory (Wang et al., BMC Genomics, 10, 356 (2009)) established that moderate strength static magnetic field (SMF) exposure altered cellular endpoints associated with neuronal function and differentiation. Building on this background, the current paper investigated SMF by focusing on the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) in the PC12 rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line that displays metabolic features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Methodology and Principal Findings SMF reproduced several responses elicited by ZM241385, a selective A2AR antagonist, in PC12 cells including altered calcium flux, increased ATP levels, reduced cAMP levels, reduced nitric oxide production, reduced p44/42 MAPK phosphorylation, inhibited proliferation, and reduced iron uptake. SMF also counteracted several PD-relevant endpoints exacerbated by A2AR agonist CGS21680 in a manner similar to ZM241385; these include reduction of increased expression of A2AR, reversal of altered calcium efflux, dampening of increased adenosine production, reduction of enhanced proliferation and associated p44/42 MAPK phosphorylation, and inhibition of neurite outgrowth. Conclusions and Significance When measured against multiple endpoints, SMF elicited qualitatively similar responses as ZM241385, a PD drug candidate. Provided that the in vitro results presented in this paper apply in vivo, SMF holds promise as an intriguing non-invasive approach to treat PD and potentially other neurological disorders.
Analysis of subharmonic oscillations in a ferroresonant circuit

Ferroresonance is a nonlinear oscillatory phenomenon that occurs in capacitively coupled transformers or reactors under certain conditions. In this paper, an averaging method is utilized to compute the domain in 2D parameter space where subharmonic (period-3) ferroresonant oscillations could persist. The accuracy of the analytical results is verified using numerical simulations and the power spectral density. It is shown that the proposed method yields a quick means to determine (i) the proximity to initiation of subharmonic resonance and (ii) the effect of core loss on the domains of subharmonic oscillations.
Relationship Between Airway Reactivity and SP Expression in Hyperoxic Neonatal Lung Injury. • 1448

Relationship Between Airway Reactivity and SP Expression in Hyperoxic Neonatal Lung Injury. • 1448
Energetic materials: flexible approach pays off.

Researchers have managed to extract electrical energy from environmental noise by exploiting the piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide nanowires with a device that could herald a new generation of local power sources.
Expanding the Chronology for the Extinct Giant Island Deer Mouse (Peromyscus nesodytes) on San Miguel Island, California, USA

The translocation and extinction of animals and the role humans played in shaping island ecosystems has become a topic of great interest in island and coastal archaeology (Grayson 2001; Matisoo-Smi...
Association of knowledge, anxiety, and fear with adherence to follow up for colposcopy.

Objectives. To evaluate the association of pre-visit anxiety with pre- and post-visit knowledge, satisfaction, and adherence to colposcopy follow-up visits. Methods. A group of 122 women presenting for colposcopy between July 1999 and May 2000 were studied. Immediately prior to their appointment, 98% of eligible patients participated in a self-administered questionnaire. Patients were sent a follow-up questionnaire within two weeks of the appointment. Statistical analyses included Chi-Square and Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables. Results. The mean follow up was 112 days (SE 9.47). Although the mean fear score was 7.3 (SE 3, range 1–10) and mean anxiety score was 7.8 (SE 2.8, range 1–10), there was no significant association with pre-visit fear and adherence to follow up. Pre-evaluation knowledge was positively associated with fear, anxiety, post-visit knowledge, and adherence to follow up. Conclusions. Pre-visit intervention may improve adherence and reduce anxiety associated with colposcopy.
Differences between magnetic domain imaging observations and theory

A quasi-two-dimensional model is developed to calculate domain structures in magnetite grains containing two to 20 domains. The calculation shows that “domains” do not consist of uniformly magnetized regions, consistent with the conclusions previously carried out on sub-micron grains, but that they become more uniformly magnetized for grains containing several domains, consistent with domain imaging results. In spite of improvement over previous calculations, there remains a significant difference between the number of domains observed and calculated.
Type C coping, alexithymia, and heart rate reactivity are associated independently and differentially with specific immune mechanisms linked to HIV progression

The maladaptive Type C coping style has been linked to disease progression in HIV and other immunologically mediated disorders. We hypothesized that strong Type C coping, higher levels of alexithymia, and greater cardiovascular (particularly heart rate) responses to, and prolonged recovery from stress would be associated with poorer functioning of immune parameters previously linked to HIV pathogenesis and progression: (1) antigen-stimulated production of the beta (beta)-chemokines MIP-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta, which bind to the HIV co-receptor CCR5 and block HIV entry into CD4(+) lymphocytes; and (2) antigen-stimulated production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), which synergizes immune activation associated with HIV replication. We examined relations among psychological, cardiovascular, and immune variables in a baseline sample of 200 HIV-infected, predominantly African American outpatients attending an HIV primary care clinic in inner-city Baltimore. In regression analyses adjusted for CD4(+) count and age, strong Type C coping was associated with significantly higher IL-6 production, as predicted. The theoretically related construct of alexithymia was correlated with significantly lower stimulated production of HIV-inhibiting MIP-1 alpha. Independent of alexithymia, greater heart rate reactivity, and poorer heart rate recovery in response to experimental stressors were also significantly associated with lower production of MIP-1 alpha, adjusted for cardiovascular medications, methadone use, CD4(+) count, and age. These findings support our primary set of hypotheses that maladaptive Type C coping, alexithymia, and heart rate reactivity/recovery are associated with disturbances in two key immune parameters implicated in HIV pathogenesis. Our secondary hypothesis, that dysregulated heart rate reactivity may mediate the connections between Type C coping and/or alexithymia and IL-6/ MIP-1 alpha was not confirmed. The finding that Type C coping, alexithymia, and heart rate reactivity/recovery are associated independently and differentially with specific aspects of relevant immune functioning may reflect distinct biobehavioral pathways that contribute to HIV progression.
The zebrafish sf3b1b460 mutant reveals differential requirements for the sf3b1 pre-mRNA processing gene during neural crest development.

The functions of gene regulatory networks that control embryonic cell diversification occur on a background of constitutively active molecular machinery necessary for the elaboration of genetic interactions. The essential roles of subsets of such “housekeeping” genes in the regulation of specific aspects of development have become increasingly clear. Pre-mRNA processing is essential for production of functional transcripts by, for example, excision of introns. We have cloned the zebrafish toastb460 locus and found that it encodes splicing factor 3b, subunit 1 (sf3b1). The sf3b1b460 mutation causes aberrant splicing of sf3b1 resulting in functional and predicted nonfunctional transcripts and a 90% reduction in full-length Sf3b1 protein. The sf3b1b460 mutation was isolated in a mutagenesis screen based on the absence of neural crest-derived melanophores. Further analysis revealed specific earlier defects in neural crest development, whereas the early development of other ectodermal populations appears unaffected. The expression of essential transcriptional regulators of neural crest development are severely disrupted in sf3b1b460 mutants, due in part to defects in pre-mRNA processing of a subset of these factors, leading to defects in neural crest sublineage specification, survival and migration. Misexpression of a subset of these factors rescues aspects of neural crest development in mutant embryos. Our results indicate that although sf3b1 is a ubiquitously essential gene, the degree to which it is required exhibits tissue-type specificity during early embryogenesis. Further, the developmental defects caused by the sf3b1b460 mutation provide insights into genetic interactions among members of the gene regulatory network controlling neural crest development.
Response Characteristics of the U.W. Sonic Anemometer

Abstract A new sonic anemometer, called the U.W. sonic anemometer, has been designed to minimize the flow distortion due to the transducer wakes. We present a general analytical model for calculating the effect of these transducer wakes on measured velocity spectra, and show that the effects in the U.W. sonic anemometer are indeed less than in conventional arrays. We suggest a method of correcting for the errors caused by the transducer wakes.
Polystyrene Latex Nanoparticles Shrink When Polyelectrolyte of the Same Charge Is Added

Reversible deswelling of latex nanoparticles, induced by electrostatic repulsion after adding polyelectrolyte (polystyrenesulfonate, PSS) chains of the same charge to suspensions of the particles in deionized water, is shown using time-resolved fluorescence depolarization of fluorescent dyes (Lumogen 5 Yellow 083) impregnated within the nanoparticles, using methods of two-photon excitation. Shrinkage of the particles produced closer spacing between dyes, thus enhancing fluorescence quenching and homo energy transfer, which depolarizes fluorescence emission. Thus, it was observed that the higher the PSS concentration, the more rapid decay of fluorescence depolarization on the subnanosecond time scale. When NaCl was subsequently added, screening caused the original particle size to be recovered. Tentatively, the diameter increase was roughly 7%. The spatial resolution provided by two-photon excitation implies that this method can be used to estimate the size changes of particles in situ in concentrated semi...
Pilot evaluation of a biopsychosocial integrated standardized patient examination in a family medicine clerkship.

OBJECTIVE A new biopsychosocial Integrated Standardized Patient Examination (ISPE) was implemented to assess communication skills for medical students participating in a family medicine clerkship. METHOD Mixed method, multi-level evaluation. RESULTS Pilot ISPE scores were significantly higher than previous Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (p < .01). Family Physician and Social/Behavioral Scientist rater scores were correlated (p < .001), and Cronbach's alpha statistics were acceptable (FM: alpha = .837; BH: alpha = .768). Preceptor scores on "relations with professionals" (beta = .694, p = .008) significantly predicted ISPE scores, but other clerkship assignment grades were inversely associated with ISPE. Qualitative focus group themes included lack of readiness, divergence in beliefs on scope of physician practice, and focus on grade. CONCLUSIONS This pilot project describes the process and demonstrates the possibility of implementing a complex standardized patient case to assess students' management of complicated primary care patients with medical, psychological, and social issues.
UV laser scanning and fluorescence monitoring of analytical ultracentrifugation with an on-line computer system

Abstract A new optical system for the analytical ultracentrifuge is described, which permits sedimentation to be monitored by fluorescence. The optical system is based on a laser light source, which is focused to a narrow (50 micron) beam. The radical scanning of the beam provides information on the distribution of fluorescing material with distance in the centrifuge cell. Data collection and processing are performed in conjunction with an on-line computer system which sorts incoming fluorescence pulses according to rotor hole and cell sector, averages families of pulses to improve signal to noise ratios and fits the data (in the experiments reported here) 10 equations to determine sedimentation coefficients. Initial experiments with the system have been performed with bovine serum albumin and indicate that sedimentation can be readily monitored by fluorescence with solutions at concentrations as low as 20 micrograms per ml, with excitation at 257 nm. At these concentrations, the optical density is only in the 0.01 range, too low for experiments with absorption-scanner optical system. Even lower concentrations can be used when fluorescent labels are used with excitation in the visible region of the spectrum. The preliminary studies indicate that fluorescence monitoring of sedimentation will substantially enhance the range of experimental possibilities in ultracentrifugation by improving both the sensitivity of measurements and the discrimination between sedimenting species on the basis of their fluorescence characteristics.
Global Moderns: Democracy Discourses and Palestinian Social Activism in Haifa, Israel

PALESTINIAN SOCIAL ACTIVISTS in Haifa, Israel traffic in global discourses of development, civil rights, and democracy. While their organizations provide services to local Palestinian communities, they are also vehicles through which to assert activist notions of Palestinian modernity and cultural authenticity based on a dual critique of traditionalism and Westernization. Social activists are cosmopolitan in that they transverse multiple places and multiple discourses. Within these ideological and spatial voyages, activists vie for control not only over the meaning of global and local discourses of democracy, but its form and execution. [Democracy, modernity, organizations, Palestinians, Haifa]
Internalized Homophobia and Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Persons

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between internalized homophobia and use of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes, as well as problems associated with alcohol and general substance use. Participants were 207 lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons recruited at a gay pride festival in Atlanta, GA. Significant negative correlations were found for females between internalized homophobia and lifetime use of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes, as well as monthly use of marijuana. No significant relationships were found for males. Research and practical implications are discussed.
Authentication, authorisation and auditing for ubiquitous computing: a survey and vision

This paper surveys the state of the art in authentication, authorisation, and auditing for ubiquitous computing. The survey covers a range of recent work, of which 12 representative contributions are compared side by side along 20 criteria. The paper also describes a vision of invisible security that integrates unobtrusive multi-factor authentication with probabilistic models that take into account social relationships and natural behaviours, such as borrowing credentials as a form of access delegation. This vision recasts current probabilistic models for authentication and argues that the traditional separation of concerns between authentication and authorisation needs to be revisited.
Paper 23: Automation of Control Systems for Reciprocating Compressors

Progress made in reciprocating compressor control systems in recent years has been dramatic. Extensive use of sophisticated compressor control systems has taken place in the natural gas pipeline industry. Automated pipeline compressors in a dozen stations, totalling 100 000 hp or more, may be under the command of a single operator. Rapid developments, particularly in solid-state technology, will permit compressor controls to be more extensive and reliable. With a continuing trend towards more complex plants and processes, more control functions will be automated since manual surveillance alone will find it difficult to provide assured improvement in compressor safety and performance.
Lexical categories in Japanese

Abstract The lexical feature system proposed by Chomsky (1970), [+/-V, +/-N], makes it possible to capture a number of significant syntactic and morphological generalizations. The feature system can minimally distinguish the four major English categories, but in Japanese, there are six categories commonly recognized. It is shown that the feature system is capable of dealing with the Japanese lexical categories. Those properties that resist ready categorization by the feature system are shown to derive from general principles of the grammar, thus making categorial distinction based on those properties unnecessary.