cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mercury Distribution Across 14 U.S. Forests. Part I: Spatial Patterns of Concentrations in Biomass, Litter, and Soils

Results from a systematic investigation of mer- cury (Hg) concentrations across 14 forest sites in the United States show highest concentrations in litter layers, strongly enriched in Hg compared to aboveground tissues and indicative of substantial postdepositional sorption of Hg. Soil Hg con- centrations were lower than in litter, with highest concentra- tions in surface soils. Aboveground tissues showed no detectable spatial patterns, likely due to 17 different tree species present across sites. Litter and soil Hg concentrations positively correlated with carbon (C), latitude, precipitation, and clay (in soil), which together explained up to 94% of concentration variability. We observed strong latitudinal increases in Hg in soils and litter, in contrast to inverse latitudinal gradients of atmospheric deposition measures. Soil and litter Hg concentrations were closely linked to C contents, consistent with well-known associations between organic matter and Hg, and we propose that C also shapes distribution of Hg in forests at continental scales. TheconsistentlinkbetweenCandHgdistributionmayreflectalong-termlegacywherebyold,C-richsoilandlitterlayerssequester atmospheric Hg depositions over long time periods. Based on a multiregression model, we present a distribution map of Hg concentrations in surface soils of the United States.
The Anatomy of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Ten steps are identified and explained to assist the performance of a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) study. The article is presentedfrom the standpoint of an important social problem that can be elucidated by the CEA procedure. The ten steps outlined generally follow the scientific method, beginning with stating the problem and defining objectives, continuing through identifying alternatives, establishing measures of effectiveness, and formulating and testing a model program. A discussion of selecting alternatives based on different approaches used to conduct the CEA evaluation itself concludes the article.
Meal-stimulated C-peptide and insulin antibodies in type I diabetic subjects and their nondiabetic siblings characterized by HLA-DR antigens.

We studied serum C-peptide (CP) response 90 min after a breakfast meal and insulin antibody titers in 171 type I diabetic (IDDM) patients and 272 of their nondiabetic siblings from 169 unrelated families. HLA typing was performed in all participants. In IDDM patients, there was a decline in CP response with increased duration of disease. CP responses of >1.8 ng/ml were seen significantly less often in patients who were 10 yr old at the time of diagnosis (8% versus 21%, P 1.8 ng/ml than did patients who lacked this antigen whether duration of IDDM was 0.05) or >10 yr (15% versus 0%, P 10 yr (1.2 ± 1.5 versus 1.0 ± 0.4, P The nondiabetic male sibs had higher postprandial plasma glucose (PG) (84 ± 22 versus 79 ± 20, P In conclusion, pathogenetic heterogeneity of IDDM is supported here by the following: (1) patients with earlier onset of IDDM seem to have more severe beta cell insult, and (2) DR4-positive patients give evidence of better preservation of beta cell function, even in the earlier onset classes.
Correlative techniques for cross-modality medical image registration

Correlation provides rapid, accurate, objective image registration, but is limited to applications where the data sets are similar. Our goal was to develop preliminary image processing techniques which will allow correlative registration of (dissimilar) brain images obtained using different imaging modalities. A simulation showed that correlative registration is effective for trend-similar images, leading to the hypothesis that preprocessing algorithms need only impose trend similarity to permit successful cross-modality correlative registration. This hypothesis was tested using MR and CT image which were acquired with external fiducial markers to test the registration accuracy. After analyzing the salient features of each image set, trend similarity was imposed using simple masking and gray scale adjustment techniques. A correlative registration program was then applied to the trend-similar image sets, and the resulting rigid body transformation parameters were applied to the original images. The registered image sets matched the fiducial marker locations to within one pixel, accuracy is similar to that obtained by matching user-identified anatomical points, leading to the conclusion that simple pre-processing techniques can allow correlative registration to be used for aligning images from multiple imaging modalities.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Commentary on education and training for mental health administration

The diversity of administrative positions indicates that future training programs may need to be tailored to the specifics of the job and to the special environment in which the administrator must function. This article explores the issues of training administrators, i.e., who should lead, preparation for the different roles administrators must assume, and anticipation of physical and mental stress. Suggestions, are offered for the reduction of administrative stress.
Peritoneal Dialysis Complicated by Aspergillus flavus Peritonitis: A Role for Fungal Antigen Serodiagnosis

A patient is described with aspergillus peritonitis associated with peritoneal dialysis. Although the diagnosis was established by exploratory laparotomy, aspergillus antigenemia was detected retrospe
The teaching of proof at the lower secondary level—a video study

Teaching mathematical proof is one of the most challenging topics for teachers. Several empirical studies revealed repeatedly different kinds of students’ problems in this area. The results give support that students’ abilities in proving are significantly influenced by their specific mathematics classrooms. In this paper we will present a method for evaluating proof instruction and some results of a video study that describe proving processes in mathematics classrooms at the lower secondary level from a mathematical perspective.
Amplitude death in an array of limit-cycle oscillators

We analyze a large system of limit-cycle oscillators with mean-field coupling and randomly distributed natural frequencies. We prove that when the coupling is sufficiently strong and the distribution of frequencies has sufficiently large variance, the system undergoes “amplitude death”-the oscillators pull each other off their limit cycles and into the origin, which in this case is astable equilibrium point for the coupled system. We determine the region in couplingvariance space for which amplitude death is stable, and present the first proof that the infinite system provides an accurate picture of amplitude death in the large but finite system.
The new cryogenic vacuum chamber and black-body source for infrared calibrations at the NIST's FARCAL facility

The Facility for Advanced Radiometric Calibrations (FARCAL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, comprises the Medium Background Infrared (MBIR) facility and the Training for Calibration Expertise in Radiometry (TraCER), the latter being a classroom setting. The MBIR is a 120 cm by 180 cm vacuum chamber with an internal cold shroud and an integral roll-out table. The chamber will contain a black-body source and an absolute cryogenic radiometer (ACR). Both components are mounted on the roll-out table. Measurements will be performed in the MBIR facility that cannot be accomplished using existing facilities, including the NIST Low Background Infrared (LBIR) facility and the room-temperature non-vacuum radiometric facilities. Initially the MBIR facility will be used for 80 K medium background measurements and 300 K ambient background measurements.
Solubilization and characterization of RNA polymerase from a higher plant

Abstract RNA polymerase has been solubilized from sugar beet chromatin. With calf thmus or sugar beet DNA as template enzyme activity was linear with respect to protein concentration and required the presence of all four nucleoside triphospahates, added DNA and divalent metal ions. The enzyme exhibited a sharp Mn 2+ optimum of 1·25 mM and a Mg 2+ optimum at 10mM. The Mn 2+ /Mg 2+ activity ratio (activity at optimum concentrations) was 2·0 with an optimum salt concentration of 50 mM. Based on data including inhibition with α-amanitin (0·025 μg/ml), the majority of the total activity appeared to be RNA polymerase I. Subsequent fractionation by DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography resulted in one peak of activity eluted with 0·18 M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 .
Electroweak chiral Lagrangian and new precision measurements.

A revised and complete list of the electroweak chiral Lagrangian operators up to dimension four is provided. The connection of these operators to the $S$, $T$, and $U$ parameters and the parameters describing the triple gauge boson vertices $\mathrm{WW}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\mathrm{WWZ}$ is made, and the size of these parameters from new heavy physics is estimated using a one flavor-doublet model of heavy fermions. The coefficients of the chiral Lagrangian operators are also computed in this model.
Superhyperfine interactions of Ag6+ clusters in silver loaded 4A zeolite

Abstract A paramagnetic silver cluster consisting of an octahedral Ag 6 + molecule surrounded by a cube of eight Ag + ions has been detected in γ-irradiated zeolite 4A fully loaded with silver. The ‘superhyperfine’ interaction of the silver ions in the outer cage was used as a probe to study the effects on the cluster of dehydration at various temperatures.
Purified |[lambda]| regulatory protein cII positively activates promoters for lysogenic development

The bacteriophage lambda regulatory protein, cII, has been purified and shown to activate positively RNA transcription from the two phage promoters which coordinately regulate phage lysogenic development. To obtain this protein, the cII gene was cloned into a plasmid vector carrying the strong, regulatable lambda phage promoter PL such that it was overproduced to levels approaching 5% of cellular protein.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome cholangiopathy: Spectrum of disease☆

Abstract purpose: Reports of biliary tract abnormalities in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are infrequent. Nine patients with features of papillary stenosis and sclerosing cholangitis and one patient with primary bile duct lymphoma were previously described. Since those reports, an additional 16 AIDS patients with clinical and laboratory features suggestive of biliary tract disease have been evaluated. The findings in these 26 patients form the basis of this study. patients and methods: The patients, 25 men and one woman, with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, fevers, or elevated serum alakline phosphatase levels, or any combination of the three symptoms, underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and ampullary biopsy. results: Twenty of these 26 (77%) patients were found to have markedly abnormal cholangiograms. Four patterns of cholangiographic abnormalities were identified: sclerosing cholangitis and papillary stenosis (10 patients), papillary stenosis alone (three patients), sclerosing cholangitis alone (four patients), and long extrahepatic bile duct strictures (three patients). An AIDS-associated pathogen or malignancy was identified in 11 patients (55%), with cytomegalovirus being the most common (five patients). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory features were not significantly different between AIDS patients with cholangiopathy and those without cholangiopathy. However, 15 of 20 patients with cholangiographic abnormalities (versus only one of six patients without such abnormalities) had ductal dilation on ultrasound or computed tomography, or both. conclusion: Clinicians should be aware that profound biliary tract abnormalities may develop in a large number of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. Confirmation of the anatomic abnormalities, determination of correct etiology, and effective therapy may depend upon early endoscopic cholangiography.
Development of an instrument to measure attitudes toward the personal use of premarital contraception.

Objective measurement and understanding of contraceptive attitudes is necessary to provide support for the routine approach of educational programs as the solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancy. An attitude instrument measure consisting of 25 homogeneous statements was developed to collectively measure the degree of favorableness or unfavor ableness toward the personal use of contraception during premarital sexual intercourse. The design of the study included determination of reliability and validity for the attitude instrument. The Likert method of summated ratings was selected as the technique for measuring premarital contraceptive attitudes. Statements for the instrument were first obtained by requesting single men and women students enrolled in Pennsylvania State University required health classes to respond in a paragraph or 2 to the question "How do you feel about the use of contraception during premarital sexual relations." Analysis of the 25 items on the same subjects responses resulted in a Coefficient Alpha index of reliability of .920 and an estimated average inter-item correlation of .315. The instrument was also administered to 114 single men and women high school students enrolled in 11th grade health classes. The Coefficient Alpha index of reliability was .908 and the estimated average inter-item correlation was .282. A 3rd administration of the attitude instrument was to 42 single undergraduate women students who were using the Pennsylvania State University Ritenour Health Center for the purpose of obtaining contraception. The Coefficient Alpha index of reliability was .907 and the estimated average inter-item correlation was .282. Based on the findings it is concluded that the Preparmital Contraceptive Attitude Evaluation instrument developed in the study has a high level of reliability and a demonstrated degree of validity. There was a statistically significant difference in the Premarital Contraceptive Attitude scores for the 3 study groups. An examination of the mean attitude scores indicated that the attitude score for the high school students is lower than the group of 433 university students. The clinic group had the highest mean attitude score. The development of this instrument demonstrated that contraceptive attitudes can be effectively measured.
Residual resistivity of the PdAgH system

The electrical resistivity of a series of Pd1−yAgy alloys, with 0 < y ≦ 0.5, containing hydrogen up to an H/Pd atom ratio of 0.8, has been measured at 4.2 K, and the results analysed using the Mott two-band model for the resistivity of transition-metal alloys. A distinct effect is the decrease in sp–d scattering brought about by filling of the 4d band by the H. The ratio of sp–d to sp–sp scattering strengths for hydrogen in PdAgH is somewhat greater than the corresponding ratio for the Pd and Ag. The strength of the scattering by the hydrogen increases with H content, which may reflect an increase in the density of sp states at the Fermi level. The results indicate that it is the hydrogen-to-palladium rather than the hydrogen-to-metal atom ratio that is important in this system, which is consistent with the idea that the Pd-H interaction is much stronger than that between Ag and H.
Maternal atopy and the number of offspring: Is there an association?

We investigated the association between maternal atopy and the number of offspring. In a population- and pregnancy-based survey (part of the European Studies on Infertility and Subfecundity), we obtained information on the number of offspring, adverse pregnancy outcomes, age at pregnancy, and waiting time to pregnancy. The German portion of these surveys also included information on physician-diagnosis of asthma, atopic eczema, or hay fever. The odds ratio (OR) adjusted for age showed that the number of children was reduced among women with atopy (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57-0.98 in the pregnancy-based sample; OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.63-0.99 in the population-based sample). We did not identify other signs of reduced reproductive ability in atopic women. The results provide support for two assumptions: (i) either a lower number of offspring in atopic mothers combined with an increased risk of atopy in offspring of atopic mothers may explain the protective effect of a higher number of siblings on atopy in offspring; or (ii) successive pregnancies may decrease the atopic response of the mother and thus the risk of developing atopy in subsequent offspring.
Quantitative Solid-State NMR Spectra of CO Adsorbed from Aqueous Solution onto a Commercial Electrode

In this communication we present quantitative, solid-state NMR spectra of CO adsorbed from solution onto a commercial Pt/C fuel cell electrode; the CO spectra are presented as a function of surface coverage, as modified by electrochemical oxidation of surface-bound CO. These data clearly portend the widespread application of quantitative solid-state NMR techniques for studies of practical electrochemical processes. In conclusion, we report quantitative {sup 13}C NMR spectra for CO adsorbed onto commercial Pt/C fuel cell electrodes. Each spectrum shown required approximately 14 h of instrument time to acquire; we are further optimizing both the NMR parameters and probe configuration for improved signal-to-noise ratios. The number and character of CO adsorption sites are clearly accessible via this approach; if used in conjunction with in situ potential control, the number of possible studies of potential-dependent processes appears to be vast. 6 refs., 2 figs.
Modification of the quality of water injected into Louisiana gulf coast sands: Effects of cation exchange

Interest in artificially recharging selected shallow sands in South Louisiana with fresh water has been stimulated by the desire to retard contamination of municipal groundwater supplies by brackish water, to retard ground subsidence and decrease pumping lifts, and to develop emergency subsurface supplies of potable water for communities dependent on surface waters susceptible to contamination. Results of field experiments, laboratory work, and model calculations demonstrate that ion exchange reactions involving clays dispersed in aquifer sands can be expected to modify significantly the composition of waters injected into Gulf Coast sediments. As little as 0.1 weight percent smectite (montmorillonite) can remove, by exchange with absorbed Na, a significant fraction of the dissolved Ca and Mg present in the injected water. The hardness of the water is thus reduced, which may be a desirable modification in water quality. Exchange occurs as fast as the fluids can be pumped into or out of the aquifer, and the water-softening capacity of the aquifer can be restored by allowing sodium-rich native pore waters to sweep back over the dispersed clays. Each acre of an aquifer 50 feet thick and containing 0.1 wt % smectite could soften half a million gallons of injected Mississippi River water. Many individual Gulf Coast aquifers underlie tens of thousands of acres, and their potential softening capacity is thus enormous. Additional exchange processes involving adjacent aquitard shales presumably will operate over long-term periods.
Phase transitions in the electrodeposition of tellurium atomic layers on Au(100)

Abstract This paper describes the electrochemical formation of tellurium atomic layers on Au(100) and the phase transitions associated with those layers. Voltammetry in HTeO2+ shows two clear sub-monolayer reduction features prior to the onset of bulk Te deposition. In situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has shown that a 0.25 coverage (2×2) structure is the first Te adlayer formed by scanning into the first reduction feature. The (2×2) unit cell was also observed using low energy electron diffraction (LEED). As the potential was shifted through the first deposition feature, the (2×2) converted to a 0.33 coverage (2× 10 ) structure, by the random introduction of Te atom chains in the initial (2×2) layer. Te–Te distances in the chains were consistent with Te atoms at their van der Waals diameter, 0.44 nm. The chains can be thought of as boundaries between domains of the (2×2), shifted by 2 from each other. The (2× 10 ) structure consists of a complete layer of these chains. Further deposition, past the first reduction feature, resulted in a 0.375 coverage (2×4) structure. The (2×4) also appears to consist of chains of Te atoms, but with every third atom set in a lower site where they are not easily imaged under some tunneling conditions. Scanning into the second reduction feature, a shoulder on bulk Te deposition, atoms in the (2×4) structure became compressed, converting to a structure with a coverage of 0.67 and a ( 2 × 5 ) unit cell. At this stage, the Te atoms were no longer separated by a distance consistent with their van der Waals diameter, but with one closer to that of the underlying Au atoms, 0.288 nm. The Te atoms appear to have covalently bonded to each other, simultaneously inducing a roughening transition in the surface. The transition may result from stress induced via bonding between the Au substrate and this covalently bound Te atomic layer. All the structures described above are single atomic layers. Three-dimensional nucleation progressed at potentials associated with the bulk Te deposition feature. Needles, or rectangular Te atom domains with high aspect ratios, propagating in the 〈100〉, were formed in a second layer, apparently on domains of the ( 2 × 5 ) structure.
Fabrication of a Novel 3D Porous Micromixer Using Selective Ultrasonic Foaming

Mixing on the micro scale has been considered as one of the most challenging tasks in microfluidic related chemical and biological applications. With a trend for polymeric microfluidic systems, a simple yet efficient passive micromixer is highly preferred [1–2].Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Obeying Moore's law beyond 0.18 micron [microprocessor design]

Moore's Law has been fundamental to the silicon industry, obeyed for the past 30 years; however, technology scaling will become difficult beyond 0.18 micron, threatening Moore's Law. This paper discusses future challenges, implication to microprocessor performance, power, and integration, and suggests alternatives to abide by Moore's Law.
Multiple Scattering Aspects of the π -Nucleus Low Equation

The $\ensuremath{\pi}$-nucleus Low equation, under certain assumptions (implicit in conventional multiple-scattering theory), is equivalent to a linear equation. The propagator of this equation includes a factor of ${(\frac{z}{{H}_{0}})}^{2}$ which vastly reduces off-shell scattering. As a result, the Kisslinger singularity is eliminated, and the size of the Lorentz-Lorenz effect and local-field corrections is reduced.
“On A Piece of Chalk”-Updated†

ABSTRACT. Many advances have been made in our knowledge of the biology of foraminifera over the past several decades. Fine structural, biophysical, and molecular biological studies have shown that the most prominent components of their distinctive bidirectional granuloreliculopods are bundles of micro tubules linked by crossbridges to each other, as well as to membrane-bound organelles and the plasma membrane. the microtubules ratchet past each other as dynein transduces the free energy of ATP to produce pseudopodal movements. In spite of the fact that there are over 40,000 described species of living and fossil species of foraminifera, there have been many recent exciting discoveries of new species and groups. New casting techniques are providing us with greater understanding of the complexities and functional aspects of form in the group. Significant advances are being made in understanding the distribution and energetics of deep-sea forms. Larger and planktonic foraminifera are the hosts for a particularly diverse range of endosymbiotic algae, including dinoflagellates, chlorophytes, unicellular rhodophytes, and diatoms. Chloroplast husbandry also occurs. Significant research effort has been expended yielding us considerable insight into various aspects of the endosymbiotic phenomenon. A unified conceptual framework has been drawn to help us understand the life cycle options found in foraminifera.
Congruential frequency hop signals for multi-user environments: a comparative analysis

Frequency-hop pulse train signals used in applications such as coherent multiuser of multibeam echolocation must be selected on the basis of good time-frequency characteristics in both auto- and cross-ambiguity domains. A comparative analysis is presented for several classes of such signals, all algebraically constructed via congruences on a finite field. For each class, an uniform upper bound is placed on the entire cross-ambiguity function surface, and bounds are placed on the amplitude of spurious peaks in the auto-ambiguity functions. These bounds depend on time-bandwidth product and code length exclusively, which allows for a meaningful comparison across classes. Typical aspects of time-frequency behavior are shown to illustrate the associated detection and resolution properties. >
Endoscopic full-thickness plication for the treatment of GERD: long-term multicenter results.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the long-term safety and durability of effect for endoscopic full-thickness plication for the treatment of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Plicator (NDO Surgical, Inc., Mansfield, MA) used delivers a transmural suture through the gastric cardia to restructure the antireflux barrier. Published reports have shown the Plicator procedure to be effective in reducing GERD symptoms and medication use at 1 year post-plication. Twenty-nine patients with chronic heartburn requiring maintenance daily anti-secretory therapy were treated at five sites. Patients received a single full-thickness plication in the gastric cardia 1cm below the gastroesophageal junction (GE) junction. Re-treatments were not permitted. Patients were evaluated at baseline for GERD symptoms and medication use. Intermediate (12 month) and long-term subject follow-up (median follow-up: 36.4 months; range, 31.2–43.9 months) were completed to evaluate procedure safety and durability of effect. Twenty-nine patients completed the 12-month and 36-month follow-up. All procedure-related adverse events occurred acutely, and no new events were observed during extended follow-up. At 36-months post-procedure, 57% (16/28) of baseline proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-dependent patients remained off daily PPI therapy. Treatment effect remained stable from 12- to 36-months, with 21/29 patients off daily PPI at 12 months compared to 17/29 patients at 36-months. Median GERD- Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) scores remained significantly improved at 36 months versus baseline off-meds scores (8 versus 19, p < 0.001). In addition, the proportion of patients achieving ≥ 50% improvement in GERD-HRQL score was consistent from 12 months (59%) to 36 months (55%). Endoscopic full-thickness plication can reduce GERD symptoms and medication use for at least 3-years post-procedure. Treatment effect is stable from 1 to 3 years, and there are no long-term procedural adverse effects.
A Controlled Study of Cortical Gray Matter and Ventricular Changes in Alcoholic Men Over a 5-Year Interval

Background We report on structural brain changes during a 5-year period in healthy control and alcoholic men. Methods Alcoholic patients (n=16), from an initial group of 58 who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scanning while in treatment, were rescanned with the same acquisition sequence approximately 5 years later. Control subjects (n=28) spanning the same age range also were scanned twice at a comparable interval. Changes in brain volume were corrected for error due to differences in head placement between scans and expressed as slopes (cubic centimeters per year), percentage of change over baseline for the control subjects, and standardized change for the alcoholic patients. The alcoholic patients varied considerably in the percentage of time that symptoms of alcohol dependence were present and in the amount of alcohol consumed during follow-up. Results The cortical gray matter diminished in volume over time in the control subjects, most prominently in the prefrontal cortex, while the lateral and third ventricles enlarged. The alcoholic patients showed similar age-related changes with a greater rate of gray matter volume loss than the control subjects in the anterior superior temporal lobe. The amount of alcohol consumed during follow-up predicted the rate of cortical gray matter volume loss, as well as sulcal expansion. The rate of ventricular enlargement in alcoholic patients who maintained virtual sobriety was comparable to that in the control subjects. Conclusions During a 5-year period, brain volume shrinkage is exaggerated in the prefrontal cortex in normal aging with additional loss in the anterior superior temporal cortex in alcoholism. The association of cortical gray matter volume reduction with alcohol consumption over time suggests that continued alcohol abuse results in progressive brain tissue volume shrinkage.
Daytime tropospheric water vapor profile measurements by Raman lidar

Describe a high performance Raman lidar system capable of both nighttime and daytime operation. The key elements of this system are a narrow-band, dual field-of-view detection system, fast photon counters and a high average power excimer laser. This system has been used to measure daytime water vapor profiles up to 5 km with high spatial (75-150 m) and high temporal (10 min) resolution. The authors discuss this system and a novel method for calibration.
Paths to psychological empowerment in an urban community: Sense of community and citizen participation in substance abuse prevention activities

Empowerment represents a promising intervention target for substance abuse prevention activities. To date, however, there has been a paucity of research examining the role of empowerment processes engaged in by citizens within substance abuse prevention contexts. Addressing this concern, this study tested a path model that included perceptions of person, situation, and environment-related predictors of empowerment. The hypothesized model was found to fit data from a sample of randomly selected urban residents (n = 661) who participated in an evaluation of a Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Community Partnership. Findings elucidate the need for developing substance abuse prevention initiatives that promote empowerment by increasing participation in substance abuse prevention activities, with particular emphasis on incorporating strategies designed to improve sense of community. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Psychometric Characteristics of a Multidimensional Measure to Assess Impairment: The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale

The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) is a multidimensional measure of degree of impairment in functioning. Interrater reliability data are presented for lay raters, graduate students, and frontline staff. Reliability was high for the total score and behaviorally-oriented scales. Construct, concurrent, and discriminant validity were assessed with the sample of children and adolescents evaluated at the Fort Bragg Demonstration Evaluation Project. Youth and their caregivers were evaluated via interview and selfcompleted instruments at four time points. Significant correlations were found between the CAFAS and other related constructs. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by logistic regression analyses examining the relationship between CAFAS ratings and problematic behaviors endorsed on measures completed by parents, teachers, or the youth. Youth with higher CAFAS total scores were much more likely to have poor social relationships, difficulties in school, and problems with the law. Discriminant validity was assessed with a repeated measures analysis of variance with intensity of care at intake and time as factors. Youth who were inpatients or in residential treatment centers at intake had higher CAFAS scores than those who were outpatients. These findings provide strong evidence for the reliability and validity of the CAFAS.
Empirical Study of Effects of Price Adjustment Clauses (PACs) on Highway Construction Bid

Volatility in price of critical materials used in transportation projects, such as asphalt cement, leads to considerable uncertainty about project cost. This uncertainty can lead to price speculation and inflated bid prices submitted by highway contractors to protect against possible price increases. One of the most common risk sharing strategies widely used by transportation agencies is price adjustment clauses (PAC) that divide potential upside and downside risk of material prices between contractors and owners. However, it is not clear whether offering PAC reduces risk premium of bids submitted by highway contractors. The research objective of this paper is to assess the impact of offering PAC for asphalt cement on submitted bids of one of the most common asphalt mixture line items. Data on 1520 highway projects consisting of the asphalt line item bided out in the state of Georgia from 1998 to 2013 were collected to analyze the impacts of PAC on bid prices. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of several factors, such as project size, number of bidders, asphalt cement price, and availability of PAC on unit price bids material prices submitted by highway contractors. It is found that eligibility for PAC is not a statistically significant explanatory variable to explain the variation of submitted bid prices for the asphalt mixture items.
A clear-sky spectral solar radiation model for snow-covered mountainous terrain

A clear-sky spectral solar radiation model for direct and diffuse fluxes, combined with topographic calculations from digital terrain data, computes either incident, net, or reflected solar radiation at any point on a snow surface in mountainous terrain. The radiation may be integrated over any wavelength range from 250 to 5000 nm, or over any time step. Atmospheric attenuation parameters are ozone, water vapor, the Angstrom turbidity coefficient and exponent, and the absorptance to reflectance ratio of the atmospheric aerosols. The model derives these, from measurements which may contain both systematic and random errors, by finding the least squares solution to an overdetermined set of nonlinear equations. For calculations over a specified area, it employs table look-up procedures, so that computation speed for the spectral model approaches that for a lumped model. Thus it may be useful as part of a snow surface energy budget calculation over a drainage basin.
Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine Is Safe and Immunogenic in Immunocompromised Ferrets

Patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer are highly susceptible to influenza virus infection. Prevention of influenza virus infection is complicated in the immunocompromised host because of suboptimal responses to the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV). A new, live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV; FluMist) may offer a more effective alternative to TIV, but the safety of this LAIV in immunocompromised patients must first be established. In the present study, FluMist was administered to ferrets immunocompromised by treatment with dexamethasone and cytarabine. Ferrets exhibited no signs or symptoms attributable to FluMist, and nasal clearance of LAIV strains from immunocompromised ferrets was similar to that from control ferrets. Serum antibody responses against the vaccinating strains were analyzed as a measure of vaccine efficacy. Antibody titers to all 3 vaccine strains in immunocompromised ferrets were similar to those seen in mock-treated control ferrets, as assessed by microneutralization assay. These findings support the potential use of this vaccine in immunocompromised humans.
United States Tourism Policy Alive, but Not Well

A coherent federal policy for travel and tourism has eluded the United States for nearly 50 years-and remains in limbo.
Experimental and numerical investigation of lift-off and blow-off limits of subsonic methane diffusion flame

The stability characteristics of a series of straight tube methane fuel injectors have been tested in still air. The experimental data is intended for use as a validation for CFD codes and computational methods to be used for subsonic combustion analyses. In addition to stability data, Schlieren photographs and temperature profiles of lifted flames are provided for comparison of numerical and experimental results. Infrared photographs are used to suggest that the edges of the base of a lifted flame occur where the temperature equals the ignition temperature of the fuel. In a numerical simulation, this information is helpful for locating the base of a lifted flame. Finally, numerical results are obtained by using a finite volume scheme to discretize the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for the reacting flow. The turbulent stresses and heat and mass fluxes are computed using the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) procedure. The RSM, in combination with other models employed, produces flame base heights and other flame characteristics that are in reasonable agreement with experimental results. (Author)
Warping virtual space for low-cost haptic feedback

With the introduction of the Nintendo Wii, Playstation Move, and Microsoft Kinect, gaming and virtual reality technologies have begun to merge. These technologies have enabled low-cost, more-natural interaction with games and virtual environments (VEs). However, the sense of touch is usually missing. Interacting with virtual objects often means holding a hand in the air, which can be tiring if done for long. I present a technique to turn simple objects into haptic surfaces for virtual objects, extending earlier work on Redirected Touching [Kohli et al. 2012].
Documenting Past Climate Change

To eliminate the variability inherent in the weather, ‘Climate’ is taken to be a 30-year average of temperature, precipitation and other factors. As the old saying goes, ‘The climate is what you expect; the weather is what you get.’ Earth’s climate has varied between two major states, ‘greenhouse,’ where there is no ice in the polar regions and equator–pole temperature gradients are small, and ‘icehouse,’ where the polar regions are covered by ice and the latitudinal temperature gradient is large. During the icehouse state, the climate oscillates between glacials when the polar ice expands down to the mid-latitudes, and interglacials when it is restricted to high latitudes. The last change from greenhouse to icehouse occurred about 35 million years ago. For the past 800,000 years, glacials have lasted about 80,000 years, followed by a deglaciation lasting 10,000 years and an interglacial lasting 10,000 years. Determination of changing geologic process rates has become possible through the development of more sophisticated techniques involving potassium–argon dating, reversals of Earth’s magnetic field, fission track dating, astronomical dating, and tritium, carbon-14, and beryllium-10 dating techniques. Human activities have greatly accelerated the rates of geologic change. The climate of the past 6,000 years, during which civilization has developed, is the longest period of stability in the past few million years.
Book Review: Jami Fullerton and Alice Kendrick (2006) Advertising’s War on Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department’s Shared Values Initiative, Spokane, WA: Marquette Books. ISBN 0-922993-44-0

Advertising, war and terrorism – what more could a book title offer to attract attention in today’s global political environment? Indeed, Jami Fullerton and Alice Kendrick’s book promises to bring light to the controversial efforts of the United States to improve its tarnished image in the Muslim world through the use of advertising.
Imaging cardiac activation sequence during ventricular tachycardia in a canine model of nonischemic heart failure

Noninvasive cardiac activation imaging of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is important in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias in heart failure (HF) patients. This study investigated th...
Electrochemical oxidation of adsorbed alkenoic acids as a function of chain length at Pt(111) electrodes. Studies by cyclic voltammetry, EELS and Auger spectroscopy

Studies of the electrochemical oxidation of a series of straight-chain terminal alkenoic acids adsorbed at a Pt(111) electrode surface are reported. Compounds adsorbed were: propenoic acid (acrylic acid, PPA); 3-butenoic acid (vinylacetic acid, 3BTA); 4-pentenoic acid (allylacetic acid, 4PTA); 6-heptenoic acid (6HPA); and 10-undecenoic acid (10UDA). Vibrational spectra of adsorbed layers were obtained by use of electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Molecular packing densities were measured by use of Auger spectroscopy. Electrochemical oxidation of each adsorbed layer was explored by means of cyclic voltammetry in aqueous inert electrolyte (KF/HF). As the analogous aliphatic acids are not chemisorbed at Pt under the same conditions, the alkenoic acids evidently adsorb at Pt(111) predominantly through the C=C double bond. Molecular packing densities indicate that the carboxylic acid moiety is in contact with the Pt surface only in the case of PPA. EELS spectra also indicate that the carboxylate groups (other than in PPA) are present as pendants. The carboxylic acid O-H stretching bands of most of the adsorbed acids are red-shifted and broadened, evidently due to extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding; the exceptions are PPA, for which the interaction is primarily with the Pt surface, and 3BTA, for which intermolecular interaction between the carboxylic acid pendants is apparently prevented by steric considerations. The surface-attached carboxylic acid moieties react with KOH solution, leading to retention of K+ ions, detected by Auger spectroscopy, and to changes in the vibrational spectra indicative of carboxylate anions; reactivity toward KOH decreases with chain length. Adsorbed alkenoic acids at Pt(111) surfaces are stable in water and in vacuum. Oxidation of the adsorbed short-chain acids PPA and 3BTA proceeds to completion, forming CO2 as the principal product. Oxidation of the adsorbed long-chain acids converts the C=C moiety to 2CO2, and transforms the remainder of the molecule to an unadsorbed diacid (likely possibilities are malonic acid from 4PTA; glutaric acid from 6HPA; and heptane-1,7-dioic acid from 10UDA).
Dynamic Synthesis/Design and Operation/Control Optimization Under Uncertainty of a PEMFC System

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are one of the leading candidates in alternative energy conversion devices for transportation, stationary, and portable power generation applications. Such systems with their own fuel conversion unit typically consist of several subsystems: a fuel processing subsystem, a fuel cell stack subsystem, a work recovery-air supply subsystem, and a power electronics subsystem. Since these subsystems have different physical characteristics, their integration into a single system/subsystem level unit make the problems of optimal dynamic system synthesis/design and operation/control highly complex. Thus, dynamic system/subsystem/component modeling and highly effective optimization strategies are required. Furthermore, uncertainties in the results of system synthesis/design and operation/control optimization can be affected by any number of sources of uncertainty such as the load profiles and cost models. These uncertainties can be taken into account by treating the problem probabilistically. The difficulty with doing this, particularly when large-scale dynamic optimization with a large number of degrees of freedom is being used to determine the optimal synthesis/design and operation/control of the system, is that the traditional probabilistic approaches (e.g., Monte Carlo Method) are so computationally intensive that combined with large-scale optimization it renders the problem computationally intractable. This difficulty can be overcome by the use of approximate approaches such as the response sensitivity analysis (RSA) method based on Taylor series expansion. Thus, in this paper, a stochastic modeling and uncertainty analysis methodology for energy system synthesis/design and operation/control which uses the RSA method is proposed and employed for calculating the uncertainties on the system outputs. Their effects on the synthesis/design and operation/control optimization of a 5kWe PEMFC system are assessed by taking the uncertainties into account in the objectives and constraints. It is shown that these uncertainties significantly affect the reliability of being able to meet certain constraints (e.g., that on the CO concentration) during the synthesis/design and operation/control optimization process. These and other results are presented.© 2008 ASME
Microsegregation to Antiphase Boundaries in Monolithic γ′ Phase with Ternary Additions

The microsegregation to (111) anti-phase boundaries of the constituents and of the ternary atoms in monolithic γ′ phase is modeled using the tetrahedron approximation of the Cluster Variation Method. Similar to the binary case, alloy stoichiometry and temperature play an important role in determining the type and degree of atomic segregation to anti-phase boundaries. For a given composition, the segregation phenomenon is also found to be dependent on the site preference of the ternary additions. The results of our calculations are also used in order to assess the contribution of anti-phase boundary dislocation dragging to the strength of γ′ intermetallics.
Automated patient handling activity recognition for at-risk caregivers using an unobtrusive wearable sensor

Patient handling activities with awkward postures expose healthcare providers to a high risk of overexertion injury. The recognition of patient handling activities (PHA) is the first step to reduce injury risk for caregivers. In this paper, we propose a system to solve the problem, which comprises an unobtrusive wearable device and a novel spatio-temporal warping (STW) pattern recognition framework. The wearable device, named Smart Insole 2.0, is equipped with a rich set of sensors and can capture the information of patient handling activities. The STW pattern recognition framework fully exploits the spatial and temporal characteristics of plantar pressure, to quantify the similarity for the purpose of activity recognition. we perform a pilot study with eight subjects, including eight common activities in a nursing room. The experimental results show the overall classification accuracy achieves 91.7%. Meanwhile, the qualitative profile and load level can also be classified with accuracies of 98.3% and 92.5%, respectively.
A Note on Hermite and Subelliptic Operators

In this note, we compute the fundamental solution for the Hermite operator with singularity at an arbitrary point y∈ℝ n . We also apply this result to obtain the fundamental solutions for the Grushin operator in ℝ2 and the sub-Laplacian in the Heisenberg group H n .
The post-secular: Paradigm shift or provocation?

In the twentieth century, the social scientific study of religion was dominated by debates surrounding secularization. Yet throughout its reign, secularization theory was subject to a series of theoretical and empirical challenges. Pronouncements of a forthcoming revolution in theory were frequent, yet secularization theory remained largely undisturbed. However, recent years have seen secularization theory decreased in status. Some have located its heir in the post-secular, yet the concept has invited fractious debate. This article surveys a range of engagements with the post-secular, seeking to identify convergences that sit beneath an otherwise divided field. While this survey reveals the failure of the post-secular to fully supplant secularization theory, it does find that central debates in the field today have departed significantly from earlier generations of scholarship, particularly in a reflexivity toward the field’s basic concepts, a skepticism of teleological theories of history, and a renewed ...