cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“El mercado es como la marea”. Editoriales, editores/as y literatura juvenil en Argentina

From the perspective of Sociology of literature, we understand that novels are not only textual productions but also material ones. To analyze them, it is necessary to attend to the mediations between a text and a book. In this article, we will focus on the publisher companies and the publishers as key actors in the literary field, in particular, in the edition of Young Adult literature. We will be interested in reconstructing the formation of Young Adult literature in the Argentinian publishing industry and characterize the ways contemporaries Young Adult novels, which circulate outside schools, are published. Also, we did in-depth interviews to publishers of this industry with the purpose of knowing their experiences and being able to analyze their profiles, the ways Young Adult literature is published and managed, and the relation between the publishing policies and the formation of a new reading public.
Abstract 11146: Coronary Artery Negative Remodeling and Intimal Thickening Predict Long-Term Clinical Outcomes After Heart Transplantation

Introduction: Heart transplant studies have primarily focused on coronary artery intimal thickening to assess severity of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. More recently, negative vessel remodeling has been recognized as another important measure. This study aimed to investigate the association between early vessel remodeling and clinical prognosis after heart transplantation. Methods: In 99 recipients of heart transplants, baseline (4-6 weeks post-transplant) and 1-year volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was performed in the first 50 mm of the left anterior descending coronary artery. In categorical analysis, significant intimal thickening and vessel remodeling were defined using the median value of the volume change. Acute cellular rejection was determined by endomyocardial biopsy as ISHLT Grade ≥2R. Clinical outcomes were followed for a median of 5.2 years, and late major adverse events were defined as death or re-transplantation after the first year. Results: During the first year after transplant, 30.4% of patients experienced one or more episodes of acute cellular rejection. Patients with acute rejection showed significantly greater intimal thickening (Δintimal volume), whereas vessel remodeling (Δvessel volume) did not differ between patients with or without acute rejection. After 1 year, adverse events occurred in 28.5% of patients, and were significantly associated with vessel shrinkage during the first year. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated the lowest long-term event-free survival in patients with both vessel shrinkage and intimal thickening detected at 1-year post-transplant. Conclusions: In this population, negative vessel remodeling was the primary determinant of long-term mortality or re-transplantation. Combined assessment of both vessel remodeling and intimal thickening enhances the prognostic value of IVUS by identifying high-risk patients who may benefit from close follow-up and targeted medical therapies. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Chapter 9: Prostaglandin Structure-Activity Relationships

Publisher Summary Extensive pharmacological evaluation of unique natural products like extremely potent C 20 fatty acids has, however, uncovered a broad spectrum of activities, both in animals and man. Despite the demonstration of potent pharmacological activity, the original optimistic predictions of clinical utility for the natural prostaglandins have not been realized. The lack of selectivity and oral efficacy, chemical instability, and short duration of action of the natural materials have limited their commercial use to prostaglandin F 2α , (dinoprost tromethamine) as an abortifacient and prostaglandin E 2 (dinoprostone) both as an abortifacient and inducer of labor. Conclusions concerning prostaglandin analog activity must be accepted with caution unless data for several biological assays is presented because inactivity in one assay may be merely a reflection of selectivity. This chapter summarizes a number of useful prostaglandin structure–activity relationships (SAR), derived over the past decade. As the activity of the natural prostaglandins differs widely with changes in number, type, and stereochemistry of oxygenated substituents, it seems reasonable that cyclopentane ring analogs would exhibit different pharmacological profiles. The interesting concept of substituting a heteroatom for a ring carbon (and its pendant oxygen function) has been investigated with the synthesis of 8-aza, 9-thia, 10-oxa, 11-oxa, 11-thia, and 9, 11-dioxa analogs. Animal studies with many of the modified prostaglandins suggest that some may be superior to the natural materials. However, with the exception of the 15- and ldmethylated prostaglandins little has been reported concerning the therapeutic effects of prostaglandin analogs in man.
Values and Ethics for Professional Social Work Practice

Values and ethics have both philosophical and practical significance for the profession of social work. Core values reflect the ideology of the profession. Their articulation, through ethical standards, guides social workers' choices and actions across an array of roles, settings, and client populations. Values and ethics help to distinguish social work from other professions and provide a basis for accountability. Ethical decisions rely on a strong understanding of the codes that guide the profession, on practitioner self-awareness and on the use of thoughtful, thorough frameworks for weighing choices when dilemmas or conflicts arise. As such, social workers must understand concepts such as self-determination, confidentiality, informed consent, competence, and conflicts of interest and the ways in which these standards may be challenged or upheld in practice. They must also comfortably utilize critical thinking, consultation, and research in weighing options for resolving ethical dilemmas and have the capacity to skillfully implement the result of the decision-making process. Keywords: ethics; values; standards; NASW; ethical decision making; ethical dilemmas; confidentiality; self-determination; informed consent
The impact of explanation facilities on user acceptance of expert systems advice

Providing explanations for recommended actions is deemed one of the most important capabilities of expert systems (ES). There is little empirical evidence, however, that explanation facilities indeed influence user confidence in, and acceptance of, ES-based decisions and recommendations. This paper investigates the impact of ES explanations on changes in user beliefs toward ES-generated conclusions. Grounded on a theoretical model of argument, three alternative types of ES explanations A trace, justification, and strategy A were provided in a simulated diagnostic expert system performing auditing tasks. Twenty practicing auditors evaluated the outputs of the system in a laboratory setting. The results indicate that explanation facilities can make ES-generated advice more acceptable to users and that justification is the most effective type of explanation to bring about changes in user attitudes toward the system. These findings are expected to be generalizable to application domains that exhibit similar characteristics to those of auditing: domains in which decision making tends to be judgmental and yet highly consequential, and the correctness or validity of such decisions cannot be readily verified.
Path integral realization of a dynamical group

A way to realize a dynamical group in terms of a path integral is illustrated by using the Poschl-Teller oscillator.
Use of and satisfaction with managed health care benefits: a comparison by gender

: This study examines whether the use of and satisfaction with managed health care benefits differs for men and women. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in both use of and satisfaction with managed care. Further analysis shows income level is a mediating factor in how men and women fare in their experience with managed care with regard to access and cost of care. Although access to health care appears to be linked to both gender and income, problems with care received are linked to income level rather than gender.
Autoethnography, a Chicana's Methodological Research Tool: The Role of Storytelling for Those Who Have No Choice but to do Critical Race Theory

This article investigates the role of autoethnographic research as the methodological tool of choice for a Chicana who positions herself along the liminal perspective. I posit that testimonios, autobiographical educational experiences, must be used as valid ethnographic research to contribute to existing knowledge around issues of educational equity. Producing autoethnographic research acknowledges and validates my Chicana presence as well as draws attention to my marginal position inside dominant structures of education. Autoethnography and critical race theory are the manners in which I think about the world and the ways I have chosen to engage in educational research. My work is derived from personal experience in Los Angeles urban schools and later in elite institutions of higher education. These distinct locations present a unique opportunity to problematize the internalized forms of class and racial structures that permeate educational institutions. Grounded in my own educational biography, testimon...
The Effects of Meperidine in the Pulmonary Vascular Bed of the Cat

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that meperidine induces a dilator response in the feline pulmonary vascular bed, and to identify receptors involved in the mediation or modulation of these effects. Design: Prospective vehicle controlled study. Setting: University research laboratory. Subjects: Intact chest preparation; adult mongrel cats. Interventions: In separate experiments, the effects of diphenydramine (histamine H 1 -receptor antagonist), glibenclamide (adenosine triphosphate–sensitive K+ channel blocker), L-N 5 -(1-Iminoethyl) ornithine hydrochloride (L-NIO) (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), naloxone (opioid receptor antagonist), and nimesulide (selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor) were investigated on pulmonary arterial responses to meperidine and other agonists in the feline lung bed. Measurements and Main Results: The systemic pressure and lobar arterial perfusion pressure were continuously monitored, electronically averaged, and permanently recorded. Under elevated tone conditions in the isolated left lower lobe vascular bed of the cat, meperidine induced a dose-dependent vasodilator response that was not significantly altered after administration of glibenclamide, L-NIO, and nimesulide. Responses to meperidine were significantly attenuated after the administration of diphenydramine and naloxone. Conclusions: The results suggest that meperidine has potent vasodilator activity in the feline pulmonary vascular bed, and these responses are mediated or modulated, in part, by opioid and histamine receptor–sensitive pathways.
Differential sensitivity of memory cell subpopulations to anti-immunoglobulin and complement.

Evidence is presented for the unique sensitivity of memory cells bearing surface immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) to functional elimination with anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig) sera and complement (C). Treatment of cells for adoptive transfer with C and anti-γ1, anti-K, or anti-Ig significantly reduces the number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) of only the IgG1 isotype found in adoptive recipients. An increase in PFC of other isotypes accompanies the decrease in IgG1 PFC; there is no net change in the total PFC response. The depletion of IgG1 PFC requires treatment of transferred cells with both specific antisera and C; antisera directed against other isotypes show no significant effects. The maintenance of the magnitude of PFC response, compensation, is discussed.
CHI '01 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems

We wish you a warm welcome to CHI 2001. The CHI Conference provides a forum for people to meet both formally and informally, to share and to learn. We trust that you will find here the intellectually exciting and personally rewarding experiences that bring people back to this conference year after year.
Understanding population-based site-specific cancer incidence rates in the USA.

As compared with conventionally reported national population-based incidence rates, incidence rates better represent the “burden” of disease if they remove prevalent cases from the denominator. In order to reflect the “risk” in a disease-free population, rates should both exclude prevalent cases from the denominator and second or later diagnosed cases at the same site from the numerator. Five common cancers were evaluated through a correction method using 2005–2007 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program data to determine the extent of difference between conventional and corrected incidence rates. These corrections lowered the incidence rates 4.0–5.8% for female breast cancer, 4.6–7.6% for melanoma, 3.0–4.0% for colorectal cancer, and 2.1–2.5% for lung and bronchus cancer. Corrected incidence rates for prostate cancer were 9.9–13.7% higher. In cancers with either high prevalence and/or high occurrence of multiple primaries at the same site, corrected population-based incidence rates are warranted.
Obstructing giant pseudopolyps in granulomatous colitis

Two cases of giant pseudopolyps occurring in Crohn's disease of the colon are presented. In both there was obstruction to retrograde flow of barium, and in one the patient presented with acute obstruction.
Where's the Beef? Phenomenal Concepts as Both Demonstrative and Substantial

One popular materialist response to the explanatory gap identifies phenomenal concepts with type-demonstrative concepts. This kind of response, however, faces a serious challenge: that our phenomenal concepts seem to provide a richer characterization of their referents than just the demonstrative characterization of ‘that quality’. In this paper, I develop a materialist account that beefs up the contents of phenomenal concepts while retaining the idea that these contents contain demonstrative elements. I illustrate this account by focusing on our phenomenal concepts of phenomenal colour. The phenomenal colours stand in a similarity space relative to one another in virtue of being complex qualities—qualities that contain saturation, lightness, and various aspects of hue as component elements. Our phenomenal concepts, in turn, provide a demonstrative characterization of each of these component elements as well as a description of how much of that element is present in a given phenomenal colour. The result i...
The visible hand: The United States, Japan, and the management of trade disputes

What is the pattern of trade conflict and cooperation between the United States and Japan, and what does the pattern tell us about the way these trading partners manage their trade disputes? Contrary to the general wisdom that the imbalance in US‐Japanese trade relations has caused increasing amounts of conflictual behavior between the two countries, we find fluctuating amounts of conflictual and cooperative trade behavior, at least in the period from 1948 to 1978. Cooperative behavior, we assert, is an attempt to manage trade conflict. This study treats trade disputes as examples of international conflict. We analyze the relative amounts and intensities of conflictual and cooperative behavior to shed light on the trends and processes of US‐Japanese commercial rivalries. Our hypothesis is that periods of intensified conflictual trade behavior have been managed consistently by increased levels of cooperative trade behavior. We corroborate this hypothesis using Azar's (1982) Conflict and Peace Data Bank (CO...
Molecular approach to living systems

Living systems theory (LST) generates a large set of hypotheses that are thought to be applicable to the following eight levels of living systems: cell, organ, organism, group, organization, community, society, and supranational system. Many of the disciplines from which LST has derived its cross-level propositions are concerned not only with the properties of individual systems, but also with interactions between them. This paper focuses on linked systems and the linkages between them, rather than on individual systems. Intersystem relationships at various levels of living systems are examined for cross-level commonalities. The paper pays particular attention to dyads as the building blocks of quasi-living systems and higher-level living systems. Shared template elements, a common destiny, joint activity, and exchange of resources between and among systems are found to be common, cross-level factors in the bonding of systems.
DIVIDENDS, UNCERTAINTY, AND UNDERWRITING COSTS UNDER ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION

This paper presents a two-period model in which dividends act as a signal of the stability of the firm's future cash flows. It is demonstrated that firms with more stable future cash flows pay a higher dividend. Dividends are a credible signal because the promise of a higher dividend, ceteris paribus, increases the probability that the firm will have to issue equity and pay underwriting costs. Empirically testable implications of the model relating to the cross-sectional determinants of the level of dividends are also discussed.
Anisotropy of thermal expansion of thin polyimide films

Abstract The anisotropy of thermal expansion of thin polyimide (PI) films was investigated. Two types of spin-coated films have been studied. One was prepared by thermal conversion of its poly(amic acid) (PAA) and the other by solvent evaporation of the soluble preimidized PI. The lateral thermal expansion coefficient was derived from the measurement of the thermal stress by the Fizeau interference method. The vertical thermal expansion coefficient was determined by a two-beam laser interferometer. The lateral thermal expansion coefficient is in the order of 9 × 10-6°C-1 whereas the vertical thermal expansion coefficient is in the order of 110 × 10-6°C-1. These values deviate from those published for bulk material, and the strong anisotropy in thermal expansion coefficients is explained mainly by the in-plane orientation of the molecular chains in thin spun-on PI films.
An exploratory case study of young children's interactive play behaviours with a non‐English speaking child

This study is an examination of preschool‐age English speaking children's interactive play behaviours with a non‐English speaking child (NEC). The play types of a NEC were reported using the Parten's categories of solitary, parallel and interactive play. In addition, English‐speaking children's interactive play with a NEC were reported in this study using categories of affiliative, possession‐related, prosocial and aggressive behaviour from Ramsey's 1987 study.
Information Integration across Saccadic Eye Movements.

Abstract The visual world contains more information than can be perceived in a single glance. Consequently, one's perceptual representation of the environment is built up via the integration of information across saccadic eye movements. The properties of transsaccadic integration were investigated in six experiments. Subjects viewed a random-dot pattern in one fixation, then judged whether a second dot pattern viewed in a subsequent fixation was identical to or different from the first. Interpattern interval, pattern complexity, and pattern displacement were varied in order to determine the duration, capacity, and representational format of transsaccadic memory. The experimental results indicated that transsaccadic memory is an undetailed, limited-capacity, long-lasting memory that is not strictly tied to absolute spatial position. In all these respects it is similar to, and perhaps identical with, visual short-term memory. The implications of these results for theories of perceptual stability across saccades are discussed.
Solubility of Ca(OH)2 and CaSO4·2H2O in the liquid phase from hardened cement paste

Calculation of the solubility product constants for Ca(OH)2 and CaSO4.2H2O in pore solutions of hardened cement paste is used as an estimation of saturation. The treatment of solubility data using three models is discussed in this paper. These models are the Greenberg- Copeland model, the Bromley model and the Pitzer- Mayorga model, which are all based on extended Debye-Hueckel theory. The models are applied to the estimation of the saturation according to the experimental and calculated results. Experimental results were obtained from concentration measurements of ions present in the solutions while calculations are based on the models. None of the models evaluated appear entirely adequate to calculate Ca(OH)2 and CaSO4.2H2O saturation. According to the models, Ca(OH)2 and CaSO4.2H2O saturation in pore solutions depends strongly on the alkali content of the cement. (A)
Weather, Climate, and Environmental Water Transactions

Abstract Obtaining water for environmental purposes, such as habitat restoration or water quality improvements, has become an important objective in many parts of the world. Such water acquisitions are likely to become more challenging as regional water demand and supply patterns are altered by climate change. In regions where water supplies are already fully claimed, voluntary negotiated transactions have become a key means to obtain water for the environment. The cost of acquiring water in such transactions is hypothesized to vary with regional weather and climate conditions due to both the actual effects of temperature and precipitation on water supply and demand and the perceptions water users may hold about these effects. This article develops econometric models to examine the effect of temperature and precipitation on water lease prices in four U.S. states located in the desert southwest. Water leases for environmental and nonenvironmental purposes are contrasted to understand the differing nature o...
Improved Operational Performance Assessment for Two-Lane Highway Facilities

AbstractHistorically, two-lane highways served primarily as uninterrupted flow connectors between major population centers. Increasingly, however, population growth in areas between the major population centers along these highways is reaching levels such that occasional signalized intersections are commonly present. Given increasing congestion along these routes, particularly as a result of increased signalization, transportation engineers need methods and tools to analyze highway performance. The current analysis methodology contained in the commonly used highway capacity manual (HCM) for two-lane highways is limited in scope to completely uninterrupted-flow facilities. Furthermore, the spacing of signalized intersections along a two-lane highway is typically great enough such that the urban streets analysis methodology of the HCM is not applicable. Until recently, a simulation tool did not exist that could model the combination of two-lane highway segments and signalized intersections. This capability ...
Evaluation of dietary, medical and lifestyle risk factors for incident kidney cancer in postmenopausal women.

Kidney cancer incidence rates in the United States have been increasing and are not fully accounted for by better diagnostic techniques. Risk factors in women are incompletely described. A total of 34,637 Iowan women initially free of cancer completed a mailed questionnaire in 1986. Kidney cancer incidence was identified over 15 years of follow-up (n = 124) through linkage to a statewide cancer registry. Adjusted for age and other risk factors, kidney cancer was associated positively with maximum adult weight (p for trend = 0.02) and current waist-to-hip ratio (p for trend = 0.002). Compared to nondrinkers, consumers of alcohol of 3.0 or more grams per day had a relative risk (RR) of 0.52 (95% CI = 0.29–0.92). Total vitamin C intake was associated positively with risk of kidney cancer (p for trend = 0.04), whereas total vitamin E intake was associated negatively with risk (p for trend = 0.002). The few women who used copper supplements had a 6.52-fold increase in risk of kidney cancer (95% CI = 1.95–21.8). Compared to never users, women who were former users of estrogen had an increased risk of kidney cancer (RR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.11–2.36), but current users of estrogen were not at a higher risk. Women who were nulliparous or had more than 2 live births were also at increased risk of kidney cancer compared with women who had 1 or 2 live births. In conclusion, in these postmenopausal women, overweight, particularly central adiposity, was an important risk factor for kidney cancer. Potential risk factors that warrant further exploration were low intake of alcohol and vitamin E, higher intake of vitamin C, nulli- or multiparity and use of copper supplements. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fourier transform infrared picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy with a UV free-electron laser pump synchrotron IR probe

The development of the capability for sub-nanosecond time- resolved infrared spectroscopy, combining the broad spectral bandwidths and other well-established advantages of Fourier transform interferometry with the high power, high repetition rate and wide tunability of an electron storage ring-based UV free-electron laser pump, along with the broadband, pulsed, featureless IR continuum of synchrotron radiation from the same storage ring as a probe, is discussed. The capabilities of the system compared to other alternatives for fast, time-resolved infrared spectroscopy are discussed.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Algorithm Flattening: Complete branch elimination for GPU requires a paradigm shift from CPU thinking

Graphics processing units (GPUs) have inadvertently become supercomputers in and of themselves, to the benefit of applications outside of graphics. Acceleration of multiple orders of magnitude has been achieved in scientific computing, co-processing and the like. However, the Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) design of GPUs is extremely sensitive to thread divergence. So much so that performance improvement from GPUs is all but eviscerated by thread divergence for many applications. This problem has driven general purpose GPU computing in the direction of finding “appropriate” applications to accelerate, rather than accelerating applications with a need for performance improvements. Thread divergence is generally caused by branches. Previous research has addressed the issue of reducing branches, but none of this work aims to entirely eliminate branches, because the methods required for complete branch elimination are a drastic de-optimization for CPU. We present Algorithm Flattening (AF), a de-optimization for CPU which completely removes all branches, and results in a significant optimization for GPU accelerated applications. AF eliminates thread divergence, substantially decreases execution time, allows for the implementation of algorithms on GPU which previously do not fully utilize GPU capability and generates deterministic performance. AF removes branches, replacing them with a reduced equation, and achieves a substantial speedup of already GPU accelerated algorithms and applications. We believe that AF will have a significant impact on high performance computing as it is a long needed solution that allows unprecedented use of GPUs for general purpose applications.
Bermudagrass response to surface-applied urea amended with calcium chloride or ammonium thiosulfate

Surface-applied urea fertilizers are susceptible to hydrolysis and loss of nitrogen (N) through NH3 volatilization when conditions favorable for these processes exist. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) and ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) have been proposed as possible urease and NH3 volatilization inhibitors. The main objective of this research was to compare the efficacy of various N fertilizer sources on bermudagrass yield and fertilizer N use efficiency (NUE), and also to evaluate the effectiveness of CaCl2 and ATS as NH3 volatilization inhibitors for surface-applied urea. Multiple nitrogen fertilizer response tests were carried out on established bermudagrass plots at two sites near College Station, TX. Soil at one site was calcareous Ships clay and at the other site, acidic Lufkin fine sandy loam. Fertilizers were surface-applied to established bermudagrass plots at the beginning of each growing season and after each harvest. Urea performed as well as ammonium nitrate on the calcareous Ships clay soil, but on the ...
Nicotine deprivation effects on the dissociated components of simple reaction time.

The effect of smoking abstinence on the dissociated components of a simple reaction-time response was investigated. 7 subjects completed two experimental sessions conducted one week apart. Each experimental session was comprised of two tests. The first test consisted of abstinent baseline measures, while the second test was administered after smoking either an investigator-supplied nicotinised or denicotinised cigarette. A within-subjects design was utilized which permitted each subject to be their own control. Interestingly, the smoking of either experimenter-controlled cigarette (nicotinised or denicotinised) reliably decreased the subjects' desire to smoke. More importantly, however, was that only the nicotinised cigarette had any influence on simple reaction time. Moreover, this decrease in reaction time was isolated within the premotor or cognitive processes. In fact, there was no evidence that the smoking of a nicotinised cigarette had any effect on the motor-time component of this task. These findi...
Stress-relaxation of polyisobutylene in the transition region (1, 2)

Abstract New data are reported on the stress-relaxation of the National Bureau of Standards sample of polyisobutylene at temperatures from −40°C. to −83°C. When properly adjusted, the data agree very well with dynamic-property data at temperatures above −45°C. The data do not agree with the reduced equation for viscoelastic behavior applicable for butadiene-styrene copolymers. A new approach to this problem appears to be fruitful.
Electromyography of brachial muscles in Pan gorilla and hominoid evolution

Electromyographic studies on brachial muscles in a gorilla indicate that its elbow joint may be especially adapted for knuckle-walking and suspensory behavior. A close-packed positioning mechanism that minimizes muscular effort during full extension of the elbow joint is indicated by remarkably low levels of EMG in the brachial muscles, particularly during knuckle-walking and suspensory behavior on a trapeze. Extension of the elbow joint is facilitated by reduction of the olecranon process of the ulna, a feature that is attributable initially to aspects of an arboreal heritage in protogorilla and secondarily to selection for efficient knuckle-walking. Although notable differences exist between gorilla and man in known activity of the brachial muscles, the two species are strikingly similar in many basic features. Available evidence suggests that they share a common heritage of arboreal adaptation, including vertical climbing, hauling, hoisting, and suspensory behavior, perhaps more recently than some authors would care to admit. Knuckle-walking probably played an inconsequential role in the protohominid career. Selection for tool use, expecially involving powerful and rapid extension of the elbow joint, is the most reasonable explanation for the relatively more protuberant olecranon process in man by comparison with apes.
FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE TOEFL® INTERNET-BASED TEST (IBT): EXPLORATION IN A FIELD TRIAL SAMPLE

The present study investigated the factor structure of a field trial sample of the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ Internet-based test (TOEFL® iBT). An item-level confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted for a polychoric correlation matrix of items on a test form completed by 2,720 participants in the 2003–2004 TOEFL iBT Field Study. CFA-based multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analyses for the Reading and Listening sections showed that the language abilities assessed in each section were essentially unidimensional, while the factor structure of the entire test was best represented by a higher-order factor model with a general factor (English as a second language/English as a foreign language ability) and four group factors for reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The integrated Speaking and Writing tasks, which require language processing in multiple modalities, well defined the target modalities (speaking and writing). These results broadly support the current reporting of four scores corresponding to the modalities and a total score, as well as the test design where the integrated tasks contribute only to the scores for the target modalities.
Let play monopoly [computing industry]

Many people in the computing industry worry about nuances in antitrust policy, though no one will ever admit it. More precisely, no one recognizes that antitrust issues in computing go by another name. This is the topic of a fascinating study now posted on the Federal Trade Commission Web pages. Last year, a team of FTC staff wrote a report titled "Anticipating the 21st Century: Competition Policy in the New High-Tech Global Marketplace." This report says much about the thinking of the brain trust inside the FTC. It is especially intriguing for what it signals about future federal policy for the Microsoft problem.
Coherent Neutron Scattering and Collective Dynamics in the Protein, GFP

Collective dynamics are considered to be one of the major properties of soft materials, including biological macromolecules. We present coherent neutron scattering studies of the low-frequency vibrations, the so-called boson peak, in fully deuterated green fluorescent protein (GFP). Our analysis revealed unexpectedly low coherence of the atomic motions in GFP. This result implies a low amount of in-phase collective motion of the secondary structural units contributing to the boson peak vibrations and fast conformational fluctuations on the picosecond timescale. These observations are in contrast to earlier studies of polymers and glass-forming systems, and suggest that random or out-of-phase motions of the β-strands contribute greater than two-thirds of the intensity to the low-frequency vibrational spectra of GFP.
Terra Rossa catenas in Wisconsin, USA

Abstract The soils in the unglaciated part of Wisconsin have a loess cover over sedimentary rock, mostly dolostone of Ordovician age. The dolostone has weathered and produced layers of red clay or Terra Rossa . We have sampled 144 pedons of 16 catenas with different slope aspects and curvatures in a 70 km 2 area. Half of all the pedons had a red clay subsoil (mostly 5YR 3/4) and had on average over 40% clay. The mean thickness of the loess above the red clay was 50 cm but it ranged from 7 to 130 cm. The thickness of the red clay ranged from 4 cm to 60 cm with an average thickness of 25 cm. The red clay was found in every part of the landscape except the valley bottoms: it was present in soils on summits, shoulders, backslopes, and footslopes. The red clay is only found over dolostone, but not present on all dolostone ridges. It was concluded that there is large variation in the Terra Rossa soilscapes of Wisconsin and this variation can only partly be explained by topography.
Phase separation in solutions of vinyl polymers

When polymers of two different chemical species are dissolved in a common solvent the resulting solution usually separates into two phases. No obvious relation between phase separation and chemical nature of the monomeric units was observed. Solute molecular weight, temperature, and nature of the solvent were shown to be factors in determining the course of phase separation. A concept of phase separation is suggested which involves low entropy of mixing, greater attraction between like than unlike species of solute, and density differences between solvated polymer molecules.
Buccofacial Apraxia and the Expression of Emotion

Buccofacial Apraxia and the Expression of Emotion JOSHUA DAVID WOOLLEY Memory and Aging Center and the Department of Neuroscience, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-1207, USA K EYWORDS : buccofacial voluntary dissociation apraxia; emotion; expression; automato- Apraxia is a disorder in executing “learned” 1 or “skilled” movement (exclud- ing explicitly symbolic movements 2 ) not accounted for by weakness, inco- ordination, sensory loss, incomprehension or inattention to commands. 3, 4 In a classic case, the patient carried out commands such as, “show me how you would use a hammer” with his right arm without hesitation. 1 However, when asked to perform the same actions with his left arm, the patient would either do nothing or make an obviously incorrect response. When given real ob- jects, the patient showed no deficits with either arm. The fact that the right arm performed the actions normally rules out the possibility of incomprehen- sion, inattention, or uncooperativeness; while the successful performance of the left arm with real objects rules out the possibility of weakness or incoor- dination. This particular pattern of deficits is now called ideomotor apraxia. When patients have damage centered in the premotor area of the left frontal lobe, they may exhibit limb apraxia (LA) but may also show apraxia of the face, so-called buccofacial apraxia (BFA). These patients cannot pretend or imitate facial movements such as blowing out a match or sucking through a straw, but they usually perform normally when presented with a real match or straw. BFA, while fairly common, has been less studied than limb apraxia and has seldom been related to facial emotion expression. Care must be taken to separate BFA from automato-voluntary dissociation (AVD) affecting the face. In AVD, corticospinal innervation of the face is im- Address for correspondence: Joshua David Woolley, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF, 350 Parnassus St., Suite 706, San Francisco, CA 94143-1207. Voice: 415-476-6880; fax: 415-476- jwoolle@itsa.ucsf.edu Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1000: 395–401 (2003). © 2003 New York Academy of Sciences. doi: 10.1196/annals.1280.039
Smile characterization by U.S. white, U.S. Asian Indian, and Indian populations.

Statement of problem With growing demand for high esthetic standards, dentists must understand patient perception and incorporate their preferences into treatment. However, little is known about how cultural and ethnic differences influence esthetic perception. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in ethnic background, including the possibility of assimilation, affected a layperson's perception of esthetic and smile characteristics. Material and methods A survey was developed containing images that were digitally manipulated into a series of barely perceptible steps, changing 1 smile parameter to form a strip of images that displayed that parameter over a wide range. Data were collected with a customized program which randomly displayed a single image and allowed the subject to use the mouse to adjust an on-screen slider according to displayed instructions, that is, "Please move the slider to select the image you find to be most ideal"; or "Please move the slider to select the first image that you find unattractive." A convenience sample (n=288) comprised of U.S. whites, U.S. Asian Indians, and Indians living in India was surveyed. This sample provided a power of .86 to detect a difference of ±1.5 mm. Subjects evaluated images showing the smile arc, buccal corridor, gingival display, vertical overlap, lateral incisal step, maxillary midline to midface, and maxillary to mandibular midline. Rater reliability was assessed with the Fleiss-Cohen weighted Kappa (Kw) statistic and corresponding 95% confidence interval after each question was repeated in a random sequence. Choice differences due to ethnicity were assessed with a multiple randomization test and the adjusted P value with the step-down Bonferrroni method of Holm (α=.05). Results The Kw for the 17 variables in all 3 groups ranged from 0.11 for ideal vertical overlap to 0.64 for ideal buccal corridor space. Overall reliability was fair to moderate. Differences attributed to ethnicity were demonstrated between the Asian Indians and U.S. whites. Differences attributed to assimilation were demonstrated between U.S. Asian Indians and Asian Indians. Differences between U.S. Asian Indians and U.S. whites can be instructive and demonstrate the relative power of ethnicity and assimilation. A difference between these groups shows the power of ethnicity and no difference between these groups shows the power of assimilation. The ratings of the Asian Indians and the U.S. whites showed a clinically significant difference for Ideal Buccal Corridor and Maximum Smile Arc. There were no significant differences between the U.S. Asian Indians and Asian Indians. There were clinically significant differences between the U.S. Asian Indians and U.S. whites only for Ideal Buccal Corridor. Conclusions Ethnicity had a significant effect on the esthetic choices for Buccal Corridor and Smile Arc. There is no conclusive evidence for assimilation.
Separation of direct and compound effects by polarization measurements

Abstract The vector polarization of nuclear reaction products depends only on direct interaction effects if the compound nucleus scattering amplitudes have random phase. This result can be used to separate the direct and compound effects. The application to nucleon elastic scattering is outlined.
Does self-policing reduce chemical emissions?

Abstract The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Self-Policing Policy (more commonly referred to as the Audit Policy) waives or reduces penalties when companies voluntarily discover, disclose, and correct environmental violations. One goal of the Audit Policy is to encourage companies to conduct environmental audits in order to identify poor environmental performance. Thus, the regulatory flexibility associated with the Audit Policy should reduce subsequent chemical emissions. While several studies examine predictors of the Audit Policy, no studies examine if facilities that use the Policy decrease their chemical emissions as a result. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of the Audit Policy on changes in Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) emissions among a sample of 178 facilities operating in the chemical and allied product industry. The results of that analysis suggest that facilities that use the policy have similar subsequent emissions trends as facilities that do not use the policy. Moreover, the results also suggest that formal enforcement actions are the best predictor of TRI reductions. These findings persist despite other regulator and company controls. In terms of environmental policy, the results suggest that self-policing may not improve or deteriorate environmental performance in the chemical and allied products industry.
On the rise velocity of bubbles in liquid-solid suspensions at elevated pressure and temperature.

Experiments are conducted to measure the rise velocity of single bubbles in liquid-solid suspensions at pressures up to 17 MPa and temperatures up to 88°C over the bubble size range from 1 to 20 mm. It is found that the bubble rise velocity decreases with increasing pressure and with decreasing temperature. The decrease of bubble rise velocity is due mainly to the variations of gas density and liquid viscosity with pressure and temperature. The presence of solid particles also reduces the rise velocity; the extent of reduction can be examined in terms of an increase in the apparent suspension viscosity by applying the homogeneous, Newtonian analogy. A mechanistic model is developed which considers a balance of forces acting on a single bubble, including the impact force due to solid particles, as well as buoyancy, gravity and liquid drag forces. Comparisons between the model predictions and the experimental data on the bubble rise velocity in liquid-solid fluidized beds are shown to be satisfactory.
Chronic effects of low pH on length and weight of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar

Measurements were made on Atlantic salmon from five sources in New England. Fish were reared at pH 7.0 and 5.2 from hatch to 199, 270 or 440 days. Length and weight were smaller in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, that were continuously exposed to low pH in the laboratory. Length and weight in neutral pH water varied among fish from the different sources. Fish from the Green Lake, Craig Brook, and Tunison sources were not significantly different in their lengths over time. Cortland and landlocked Atlantic salmon were not significantly different from one another but were significantly different from the other three sources. At pH 5.2, there were no significant differences in length between fish from any of the five sources. The Cortland salmon were significantly different from the other four sources in respect to their weight over time at neutral pH. At pH 5.2, there were no significant differences between any of the five sources.
Readability of patient-reported outcome questionnaires for use with persons who stutter.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the readability of several published patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires for use with persons who stutter, and to compare the readability results to existing data about average reading levels for English-speaking adults living in the United States. Design Published PRO questionnaires were identified that are traditionally completed by persons who stutter in a self-administered format. Method Reading grade levels were analyzed using the Flesch Reading Ease, FOG, and FORCAST formulas as computed by a readability calculations software package. Descriptive statistics were computed across the questionnaires. Results The results of this study demonstrate that many of the PRO questionnaires exceeded the fifth to sixth grade reading levels recommended by health literacy experts. Conclusions The clinician should consider the average reading level needed to understand a particular PRO questionnaire when administering it to a patient or their proxy. Likewise, developers of PRO questionnaires should consider reading level of respondents and include information about this when reporting psychometric data. Educational objectives: The reader will get an overview over the literature on patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires and their use with persons who stutter and will be able to: (1) define readability, (2) describe how reading levels are determined for a given PRO questionnaire, (3) list the strengths and limitations of readability assessment in the evaluation of persons who stutter and (4) analyze the role of readability assessment in future PRO questionnaire development.
Magnetic Raman optical activity in FeF2

Abstract Raman optical activity (ROA) of magnons and phonons in antiferromagnetic FeF2 (TN=78 K) has been studied as a function of temperature and in applied magnetic field. For exciting light incident along the rutile-structure c-axis, ROA is observed for magnons but not phonons. In zero field, the small anisotropy-induced splitting (0.09 cm−1) of the two acoustic-magnon branches is observed by light scattering for the first time. The splitting in applied magnetic field is found to reduce with increasing temperature in accordance with theory. No ROA was detected for two-magnon excitations.
Effects of serial position and set size in auditory recognition memory.

Auditorially presented lists of from one to six digits were memorized by Ss with instructions to scan the memory set to determine the presen’ce or absence of a single auditorially presented probe digit. Results showed cooccurrence of parallel linear increases in decision time with list length for positive and negative responses and effects of serial position of probes in the memory lists. A comparison with two previous studies using visual presentation of materials suggests faster encoding of auditorially presented probes but similarity in processing time in memory once probes have been encoded.