cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Instrument Development for High Reynolds Number Pipe Flow in Liquid Helium

We have developed a flowmeter and pressure transducer for use in studying turbulent pipe flow in liquid helium. The flowmeter measures the average velocity of flow in a pipe by determining the variations of the time of flight of an ultrasonic sound burst. It is capable of measuring velocities from 0.1 cm/sec to over 1 m/s without introducing any heat losses into the flow. Future developments promise to extend the accuracy and range of this flowmeter. The pressure transducer is a parallel plate capacitance manometer using a flexible plastic membrane as one of the plates. The transducer is capable of resolving pressures from 0.05 Pa up to 50 Pa using current calibrations and could be calibrated up to 500 Pa without permanently deforming the membrane. The transducer has the potential to measure both pressure differences and local velocities if used with a Pitot tube. Both of these instruments have been tested initially in a half inch diameter flow tube in which we were able to achieve a maximum Reynolds number of 1.5 million.
Optimization of multistage vapour compression systems using genetic algorithms. Part 2: Application of genetic algorithm and results

Genetic algorithms involve the coding of a solution into a binary string in the same manner that DNA is a biological coding. A population of binary strings are randomly created, evaluated, allowed to mate and are mutated to form a new generation of strings. There is a mating preference given to those strings which rate the highest to simulate the survival-of-the-fittest theory that exists in nature. This process of evaluation, mating and mutation is repeated until some termination criteria are met. A computer code was written in Visual C++ to simulate the vapour compression systems and perpetuate the genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm functioned adequately enough to provide general trends but it did not find a universal optimum. After numerous runs, the code produced data that suggest that systems which employ intercooler/flash tanks and operate at lower evaporating temperatures have a higher multistage effectiveness. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acupuncture Therapy for the Treatment of Tobacco Smoking Addiction

Acupuncture has been reported as an effective treatment for some addictions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate acupuncture treatment effect on the cigarette smoking habit with a motivated population in a controlled clinical setting. From a volunteer research population, sixteen matched pairs were assembled according to age, sex, and severity of smoking habit. Research subjects were randomly assigned to real or sham acupuncture treatment groups. Self-reported cigarette logs were measured pre-treatment and post-treatment. Analysis of variants confirmed homogeneity of group pre-treatment cigarette consumption. Cigarette consumption significantly decreased in both th e real and sham treatment groups. Treatment group, age, sex, or severity of smoking habit were not significant factors in treatment effects for cessation of smoking. Legitimate crossover treatment for sham research group showed a significant decrease (p less than or equal to 0.05) in cigarette consumption; this change was not statistically different from change in cigarette consumption during placebo treatment. A discussion of acupuncture point selection rationale is made as is an analysis of Tehchi sensations and subjective reports of appetite for cigarettes. Acupuncture did not enhance the cessation of cigarette smoking in this study.
Functions of First Class

Let f be a real-valued function on R. For any interval I, the quantity $$\omega (I) = \mathop {\sup }\limits_{x \in I} f(x) - \mathop {\inf }\limits_{x \in I} f(x)$$ is called the oscillation of f on I. For any fixed x, the function ω((x − δ, x + δ)) decreases with δ and approaches a limit $$\omega (x) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{\delta \to 0} \omega ((x - \delta ,x + \delta )),$$ called the oscillation of f at x. ω(x) is an extended real-valued function on R. Evidently, ω(x0) = 0 if and only if f is continuous at x0. When it is not zero, ω(x0) is a measure of the size of the discontinuity of f at x0.
Some Mathematical Aspects of Buckling

This is a set of lecture notes for a very short course on the mathematical foundations of buckling theory. Since the critical buckling load can usually be characterized as the largest (or smallest) eigenvalue of a variational problem, the approximation of this load is a special case of the approximation of all the eigenvalues of a variational problem. A rather detailed analysis of this problem is to be found in the author’s book Variational Methods for Eigenvalue Approximation, CBMS Regional Conference Series in Applied Mathematics 15, SIAM, Philadelphia, 1974. We refer the interested reader to this book for more details and for references.
Comparison of the triboluminescent properties for europium tetrakis and ZnS:Mn powders

In 2006, some authors determined that the triboluminescence (TL) of manganese-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Mn) increases with increasing impact velocity. In 2011, the authors discovered a method of synthesizing europium dibenzoylmethide triethylammonium (EuD4TEA) that produced TL 106% greater than ZnS:Mn. In fact, this material is bright enough to be seen in daylight. This paper investigates the effects of increasing impact energy on the TL of EuD4TEA and various grain sizes of ZnS:Mn using a drop tower. The low energy results indicate that increasing impact energy can increase the triboluminescent light yield for impact energies up to 1.4 J, the upper limit of the drop tower. The minimum activation energies required for each material are also explored. In addition, the effects of the increasing impact energy on the triboluminescent decay time are also investigated. The details of the experimental setup, synthesis of EuD4TEA, and results are discussed in this paper.
Fracture Risk after Parathyroidectomy among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients

The impact of parathyroidectomy (PTX) on the long-term risks for hip and other fractures is unknown. Uncontrolled case series have reported an increase in bone mineral density after PTX. However, very low serum parathyroid hormone levels have been associated with decreased bone mineral density, adynamic bone disease, and fractures. This study compared long-term fracture rates among hemodialysis patients who underwent PTX with a matched control group. Data were obtained from the US Renal Data System. Patients who underwent a first PTX while receiving hemodialysis were matched with up to three control patients by age, race, gender, year of dialysis initiation, primary cause of renal failure, and the dosage of intravenous vitamin D used before PTX. Patients with a history of fracture or renal transplantation were excluded. Study outcomes were incident hip, vertebral, and distal radius-wrist fractures identified using hospitalization codes. Incident hip fracture rates in the PTX and matched control groups were 6.0 and 9.3 fractures per 1000 person-years, respectively. After adjustment, PTX was associated with a significant 32% lower risk for hip fracture (95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.86; P = 0.001) and a 31% lower risk for any analyzed fracture (95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.83; P < 0.001) compared with matched control subjects. Fracture risks were lower among hemodialysis patients who underwent PTX compared with matched control subjects. Surgical amelioration of secondary hyperparathyroidism may outweigh the risk of parathyroid hormone oversuppression in terms of bone health.
Distinct Pathways of Ca2+ Sensitization in Porcine Coronary Artery : Effects of Rho-Related Kinase and Protein Kinase C Inhibition on Force and Intracellular Ca2+

Alterations of the Ca(2+) sensitivity of contraction have been reported for porcine coronary artery, but the mechanisms are not clearly understood. We investigated the mechanism(s) of Ca(2+) sensitization in response to the thromboxane A(2) analogue (U46619). Our hypothesis is that different mechanisms of Ca(2+) sensitization could be distinguished by their distinct time courses. Therefore, we measured the time course of [Ca(2+)](i) and isometric force simultaneously in an intact artery after a single addition of U46619. The initial transient phase was associated with Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, whereas the maintained phase was associated with Ca(2+) influx. Two distinct types of Ca(2+) sensitization characterized these phases with either protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated or Rho-kinase-mediated mechanisms. Their effects were quite distinct on the basis of the time courses over which the sensitization was effective. PKC inhibition (1 micromol/L calphostin C) had a much greater effect in the initial phase, diminishing the size of the transient and prolonging the rise in force and the decline in [Ca(2+)](i). There were limited effects on the sustained force. Rho-kinase inhibition (10 micromol/L Y27632), in contrast, nearly abolished the sustained force but had a lesser effect on the transient phase. Neither inhibitor had any effect on the force versus [Ca(2+)](i) relations for KCl contractures. Our evidence suggests that both PKC-mediated and Rho-kinase-mediated Ca(2+) sensitizations are present in coronary arteries, but the latter is dominant in thromboxane A(2) receptor-mediated contraction.
Evidence that shed thyrotropin receptor A subunits drive affinity maturation of autoantibodies causing Graves' disease.

Context: In Graves’ disease, thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAb) activate the TSH receptor (TSHR) causing hyperthyroidism. Serum polyclonal TSAb are difficult to study because of their extremely low serum levels. Objective: Our objective was to determine whether monoclonal TSAb possess characteristics previously reported for polyclonal autoantibodies in Graves’ sera. Design: We studied monoclonal TSAb from three laboratories: six generated from mice with induced hyperthyroidism; and one, M22, a human autoantibody obtained from Graves’ B cells. Results: All TSAb with one exception were potent activators of TSHR-mediated cAMP generation, with relatively similar half-maximal stimulatory concentrations. Like polyclonal autoantibodies, monoclonal TSAb were largely neutralized by conformationally “active” (but not “inactive”) recombinant TSHR A subunits (the N-terminal cleavage product of the TSHR). Chimeric substitutions of TSHR amino acids 25–30 (the extreme N terminus after removal of the 21 residue signal peptide) abrogated the binding and function of all monoclonal TSAb but with one antibody (TSAb4) revealing a nonidentical epitope. Remarkably, these residues are uninvolved in the M22 epitope determined by x-ray analysis. Finally, flow-cytometric dose-response analyses, not previously possible with polyclonal TSAb, revealed that all monoclonal TSAb, human and murine, bound with lower affinity to their in vivo target, the TSH-holoreceptor, than to the isolated TSHR ectodomain. Conclusions: TSAb function does not require antibodies with identical epitopes, and human autoantibody M22 may, therefore, not represent the full epitopic repertoire of polyclonal TSAb in Graves’ disease. Most important, we provide strong evidence that the shed ectodomain (primarily the A subunit) is the primary antigen driving affinity maturation of TSAb producing B cells.
An Op Amp transfer circuit to measure voltages in battery strings

Abstract To measure the individual voltages in a series connected battery pack, each measurement must be transferred to a common reference level. A transconductance amplifier using an operational amplifier (Op Amp) provides a convenient circuit that is both simple and cost effective. This technique is shown to be more accurate than previous methods and it avoids most of the component matching requirements
Innate immunity in aging: impact on macrophage function

Summary Innate and adaptive immune functions decline with age, leading to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases and cancer, and reduced responses to preventive vaccination in the elderly population. Macrophages function as ‘pathogen sensors’ and play an important role in the initiation of inflammatory responses, elimination of pathogens, manipulation of the adaptive immune response and reparation of damaged tissue. In this paper, we review the literature addressing the impact of aging on the macrophage population.
Syntax-Driven Learning of Sub-Sentential Translation Equivalents and Translation Rules from Parsed Parallel Corpora

We describe a multi-step process for automatically learning reliable sub-sentential syntactic phrases that are translation equivalents of each other and syntactic translation rules between two languages. The input to the process is a corpus of parallel sentences, word-aligned and annotated with phrase-structure parse trees. We first apply a newly developed algorithm for aligning parse-tree nodes between the two parallel trees. Next, we extract all aligned sub-sentential syntactic constituents from the parallel sentences, and create a syntax-based phrase-table. Finally, we treat the node alignments as tree decomposition points and extract from the corpus all possible synchronous parallel tree fragments. These are then converted into synchronous context-free rules. We describe the approach and analyze its application to Chinese-English parallel data.
Database management for the self-directed work team (IC fabrication)

The authors describe a management organizational change at Harris Semiconductor that utilizes self-directed work teams. A major obstacle to the implementation was the inability of the management organization to supply the work teams with appropriate data to self-manage their area of responsibility. The need for information at the production-worker level led to the creation of a team information system (TIS) function. This function was created in conjunction with other changes in the support structure of the fab. The organizational structure was designed to supply the self-directed work teams with improved communication over the traditional management pyramid. The TIS function was a vital ingredient in this effort for improved communication. >
Low power programmable-gain CMOS distributed LNA for ultra-wideband applications

A design methodology is presented for low power distributed amplifiers and is used for the design of a 9 mW LNA with programmable gain implemented in a 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS process. The LNA provides a gain of 8 /spl plusmn/ 0.6 dB from DC to 6.2 GHz, with an input match of -16 dB and an output match of -10 dB over the entire band. The IIP3 is +1.8 dBm, and the NF ranges from 4.2 to 6.2 dB. The gain is tunable from -10 dB to +8 dB while gain flatness and matching are maintained.
Puget Sound Route Learning Test: Examination of the validity and reliability of a novel route test in healthy older adults and Alzheimer's disease patients

The validity and reliability of a novel route learning test were examined to assess the effectiveness of its use in evaluating spatial memory in healthy older adults and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Puget Sound Route Learning Test was significantly correlated with an existing measure of cognitive ability, the Dementia Rating Scale. It was also found that the route-learning test was sensitive to cognitive differences between diagnostic groups, providing support for its use with older adults.
Sublingual nitroglycerin versus intravenous ritodrine as tocolytic for external cephalic version: A double-blinded randomized trial ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of sublingual nitroglycerin with that of intravenous ritodrine as a tocolytic agent for external cephalic version in nulliparous women. Study Design: We performed a double-blinded, randomized trial. Nulliparous patients, between 36 and 40 weeks of gestation, were assigned randomly to receive either (1) an intravenous infusion of ritodrine (111 μg/min) for 20 minutes, followed by two puffs of sublingual placebo or (2) an intravenous infusion of sodium chloride 0.9% (placebo) for 20 minutes, followed by two puffs of sublingual 0.4 mg of nitroglycerin. Three minutes after the administration of the sublingual spray, an external cephalic version was attempted. The rate of successful external cephalic version and side effects was compared between groups. Results: Of 74 randomly assigned patients, 38 patients received intravenous ritodrine, and 36 patients received sublingual nitroglycerin. Although not statistically significant, the rate of the successful external cephalic version was higher in the ritodrine group compared with the nitroglycerin group (45% vs 25%, P =.075). The rate of headaches was higher in patients who received nitroglycerin (28% vs 8%, P =.02). Mean blood pressure and maternal heart rate were lower in the nitroglycerin group 10 minutes after the administration of the medication. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of palpitations, hypotension, or fetal bradycardia between the two groups. Conclusion: When compared with intravenous ritodrine, sublingual nitroglycerin was associated with a higher rate of headache, lower blood pressure, and a trend toward a lower rate of successful external cephalic version. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:1454-9.)
Dietary acidification enhances phosphorus digestibility but decreases H+/K+-ATPase expression in rainbow trout

Oxynticopeptic cells of fish stomach are thought to secrete less acid than the specialized parietal cells of mammalian stomach. Gastric acidity, however, has not been directly compared between fish and mammals. We therefore fed rainbow trout and rats the same meal, and found that the lowest postprandial pH of trout stomach was 2.7, which was only transiently sustained for 1 h, whereas that of rat stomach was 1.3, which was sustained for 3 h. Postprandial pH of the small intestine was slightly higher in trout (approximately 8.0) than in rats (approximately 7.6), but pH of the large intestine was similar (approximately 8.0). Addition of acids to fish feeds, in an attempt to aid the weak acidity of fish stomach, has been known to improve phosphorus digestibility, but its physiological effect on fish stomach is not known. Exogenous acids did improve phosphorus digestibility but also decreased steady-state mRNA expression of trout H(+)/K(+)-ATPase (ATP4A, the proton pump) as well as Na(+)/bicarbonate cotransporter (NBC), and had no effect on gastrin-like mRNA and somastostatin (SST) mRNA abundance. Gastrin-like mRNA and SST-2 mRNA were equally distributed between corpus and antrum. ATP4A mRNA and NBC mRNA were in the corpus, whereas SST-1 mRNA was in the antrum. Trout gastrin-like EST had modest homology to halibut and pufferfish gastrin, whereas trout ATP4A mRNA had > or = 95% amino acid homology with mammalian, Xenopus and flounder ATP4A. Although ATP4A seems highly conserved among vertebrates, gastric acidity is much less in trout than in rats, explaining the low digestibility of bone phosphorus, abundant in fish diets. Dietary acidification does not reduce acidity enough to markedly improve phosphorus digestibility, perhaps because exogenous acids may inhibit endogenous acid production.
Mumbai's Development Mafias: Globalization, Organized Crime and Land Development

For over a decade, researchers have analyzed the effects of liberalization and globalization on urban development, considering the local political implications of shifts at the national and global scales. Taking the case of Mumbai, this article examines how the past 15 years of political reforms in India have reshaped property markets and the politics of land development. Among the newly empowered actors, local criminal syndicates, often with global connections, have seized political opportunities created by these shifts to gain influence over land development. The rise of Mumbai’s organized criminal activity in the 1950s was closely linked to India’s macroeconomic policies, with strict regulation of imports fuelling the growth of black market smuggling. Liberalization and deregulation since the early 1990s have diminished demand for smuggled consumer goods and criminal syndicates have since diversified their operations. With skyrocketing real estate prices in the 1990s, bolstered by global land speculation, the mafia began investing in property development. Supported by an illicit nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and the police, the mafia has emerged as a central figure in Mumbai’s land development politics. The article examines the structural shifts that facilitated the criminalization of land development and the implications of mafia involvement in local politics.
Dynamic Aperture-based Solar Loop Segmentation

A new method to automatically segment arc-like loop structures from intensity images of the Sun's corona is introduced. The method constructively segments credible loop structures by exploiting the Gaussian-like shape of loop cross-sectional intensity profiles. The experimental results show that the method reasonably segments most of the well-defined loops in coronal images. The method is only the second published automated solar loop segmentation method. Its advantage over the other published method is that it operates independently of supplemental time specific data
Combination of AFM with IR-ATR spectroscopy for measurements in liquid environment

We present the instrumental combination of atomic force microscopy with infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy. This is the first time to demonstrate AFM scanning while recording IR-spectra in a liquid environment.
Melanocyte precursor cells in the hair follicle germ during the dormant stage (telogen)

Der Ursprung der Melanozyten, die in der Haarwurzel wahrend jedes Haarzyklus erscheinen, ist bisher unbekannt gewesen. Helle dendritische Zellen im ruhenden Haarkeim, welche an der Haarpapilla liegen, die sich wahrend der fruhen Anagen teilen und wahrend Anagen III–IV Farbkorperchen hervorbringen, sind augenscheinlich die Vorlaufer der Haarmelanozyten.
Microfluidic extraction, stretching and analysis of human chromosomal DNA from single cells

We describe a microfluidic device for the extraction, purification and stretching of human chromosomal DNA from single cells. A two-dimensional array of micropillars in a microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane channel was designed to capture a single human cell. Megabase-long DNA strands released from the cell upon lysis are trapped in the micropillar array and stretched under optimal hydrodynamic flow conditions. Intact chromosomal DNA is entangled in the array, while other cellular components are washed from the channel. To demonstrate the entrapment principle, a single chromosome was hybridized to whole chromosome paints, and imaged by fluorescence microscopy. DNA extracted from a single cell and small cell populations (less than 100) was released from the device by restriction endonuclease digestion under continuous flow and collected for off-chip analysis. Quantification of the extracted material reveals that the microdevice efficiently extracts essentially all chromosomal DNA. The device described represents a novel platform to perform a variety of analyses on chromosomal DNA at the single cell level.
Discrepancies Between Crime Reports and Crime Surveys

The absence of strong zero-order associations between victimization and official crime rates for cities has been a puzzle for social scientists since the data for making such comparisons became available. Using the 26 large central cities for which data on both types of rates are available, we analyze the extent to which discrepancies between the rates can be accounted for by aspects of urban social structure that differ from city to city. After introducing such structural controls, we find a much closer correspondence between the two types of rates for motor vehicle theft, robbery, burglary, and forcible rape, but not for aggravated assault and larceny-theft. These results are explained by citing evidence that we have identified some critical “suppressor” variables for the former crimes (i.e., variables that are positively associated with one type of rate and negatively associated with the other). By contrast, the heterogeneous nature of the phenomena subsumed by the latter two crime categories may preclude identification of a similarly parsimonious list of suppressors. One implication of these conclusions is that cross-sectional analyses of intercity variation in official rates may produce results that are in reasonably close correspondence with what would be obtained with victimization rates for certain index crimes, provided that sufficient structural control variables are utilized.
DNA–based molecular cytology for bladder cancer surveillance

Surveillance strategies for urothelial cancer (UC) recurrence have historically relied on the diagnostic combination of cystoscopy and conventional urinary cytology. In this review, results of studies evaluating the role of the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay in bladder cancer surveillance are critically examined. The published research on FISH compared with conventional cytology and cystoscopy for bladder cancer was identified using a Medline search and was critically analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity data were tabulated and compared. FISH outperformed conventional cytology across all stages and grades in all published reports, and it detected malignancy before the development of lesions visible by cystoscopy. Although overall sensitivity was 48% for cytology and 74% for FISH, its greatest advantage was in the detection of high-grade UC, including carcinoma in situ (CIS). Cumulative data from comparative studies showed the sensitivity of cytology compared with FISH was 19% versus 58% for grade 1, 50% versus 77% for grade 2, and 71% versus 96% for grade 3. Similar findings occurred by stage, where cytology compared with FISH sensitivity was 35% versus 64% for Ta, 66% versus 83% for T1, and 76% versus 94% for muscle-invasive carcinoma. Notably, cytology detected only 67% of CIS versus 100% detection by FISH. Specificity data were comparable. Unlike conventional urinary cytology and cystoscopy, which depend on subjective visible microscopic or macroscopic changes, FISH allows identification of chromosomal abnormalities associated with malignant development before phenotypic expression of those alterations. Use of morphologic cellular changes allows more rapid detection of such alterations, combining the benefits of conventional cytology with molecular diagnostics. It is apparent that we are in the early phases of realizing the potential of molecular diagnostics.
Three recommender approaches to interface controls reduction

Interface Controls Reduction is the design task of generating simplified interface controls for setting a larger, more complex set of controls. We explore three different empirical approaches to the task: preset sharing, point clustering, and principal component analysis. All three draw on the experience of lead users to recommend simplified controls for others. A case study where they were applied as part of an iterative development cycle with hundreds of users reveals the advantages and challenges of each approach.
Novel Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels from Silylated PEGs

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and Pluronic® F-127 (PF127) were silylated with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane to synthesize PEG-based hydrogels by sol-gel transition of silane. Silanes on different PEG molecules formed covalent bonds by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and condensation. Addition of monosilylated PEG resulted in the incorporation of dangling PEG chains, which increased the swelling ratio of the hydrogels slightly. PEG hydrogels in microspheres were prepared by emulsifying aqueous silylated PEG solution in oil followed by curing. Crosslinked PF127 hydrogels displayed inverse thermosensitivity. The previously swollen PF127 hydrogels shrank immediately at high temperatures (e.g., 6000), but the welling of shrunken hydrogels at low temperature (e.g., 5°C) took much longer. The release of fluorescein from the PF127 hydrogels was dependent on the temperature of the environment. The release of fluorescein from the PF127 hydrogels was faster at 45°C than at 5°C. This was most likely due to shrinking of t...
Review of "Performing Policy: How Contemporary Politics and Cultural Programs Redefined U.S. Artists for the Twenty-First Century," by Paul Bonin-Rodriguez

New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, 232 pages, ISBN 978-113-735-6499, $90.00Bonin-Rodriguez's Performing Policy carries the reader through two decades of innovative responses to the 1990s culture w...
High-Energy Synchrotron Study of In-Pile-Irradiated U-Mo Fuels

Abstract Here synchrotron scattering analysis results on U–7wt.%Mo fuel specimens irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor to three burnup levels (3.0, 5.2, and 6.3 × 10 21 fission/cm 3 ) are reported. Mature fission gas bubble superlattice was observed to form at intermediate burnup. The superlattice constant was determined to be 11.7 and 12.0 nm by wide-angle and small-angle scattering respectively. Grain sub-division takes place throughout the irradiation and causes the collapse of the superlattice at high burnup. The bubble superlattice expands the U–Mo lattice and acts as strong sink for radiation-induced defects. The evolution of dislocation loops was, therefore, suppressed until the bubble superlattice collapsed.
Rethinking Wrongful Discharge: A Continuum Approach

Over two hundred articles have been written critiquing employment at-will and wrongful discharge since 1985. However, little radical change has occurred in state courts on this issue in some time. In spite of strong judicial resistance to modify employment at will, wrongful discharge scholarship is still saturated with normative criticism of the doctrine. Scholarship in this area can deliver a valued benefit if it focuses on understanding wrongful discharge systematically as a coherent body of law. This article adopts a descriptive-continuum approach that organizes wrongful discharge law into five distinct and interrelated categories. This article also provides a sequential, systematic method for classifying employer discharges within the broad continuum of wrongful discharge law. Finally, this article uses a case study to highlight the benefits of the descriptive-continuum approach for courts, employers and employees alike.
Progressive Insurance: Multivariable Testing

This case describes a 21-factor, 56-recipe multivariable test (MVT) conducted by Progressive Insurance with the help of QualPro, a leading MVT consulting firm. The object of the test was to improve Progressive's direct-mail retention campaign. The results of the test are available in a spreadsheet for students to analyze (UVA-S-M-0762.xls).
Art of the possible or fool's errand? Diffusion of large-scale management innovation

Organizations are continually challenged to increase efficiency and improve performance despite frequent cuts to personnel and budgets. These challenges force organizations to identify, develop, and diffuse various management innovations. Diffusion efforts are often met by resistance, reluctance, or ambivalence, resulting in what many consider to be a fool's errand. While management innovation may not be the forte of large, bureaucratic organizations, we present a case study of a U.S. Air Force maintenance, repair, and overhaul organization that has recently, and successfully, diffused a large-scale management innovation. Results from the case study support the development of a diffusion of innovation framework that identifies important mechanisms associated with the acceptance, routinization, and assimilation of management innovation. The framework informs leaders of the diffusion process, while the recommended actions of relentless leadership, deliberate development of personnel, and enterprise involvement drive diffusion efforts and help leaders achieve desired results in innovation diffusion and associated performance improvement. Overall, we assert that the pursuit of management innovation is not necessarily beyond the art of the possible for business leaders.
Trapping Studies with Dermestid Sex Pheromones 1

The effectiveness of dermestid sex pheromone-baited traps as tools for the survey and detection of insect populations, was evaluated at 3 locations in Milwaukee, WI. Traps were constructed of single-backed corrugated paper and were treated with malathion. The pheromones used were megatomoic acid, the sex pheromone of the black carpet beetle, Attagenus megatoma (F.), and the Z -alcohol component of the Trogoderma inclusum LeConte pheromone. Traps treated with the pheromones caught significantly more target insects when compared to control traps.
"Ultracold" neutral plasmas at room temperature.

We report a measurement of the electron temperature in a plasma generated by a high-intensity laser focused into a jet of neon. The 15 eV electron temperature is determined using an analytic solution of the plasma equations assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium, initially developed for ultracold neutral plasmas. We show that this analysis method accurately reproduces more sophisticated plasma simulations in our temperature and density range. While our plasma temperatures are far outside the typical "ultracold" regime, the ion temperature is determined by the plasma density through disorder-induced heating just as in ultracold neutral plasma experiments. Based on our results, we outline a pathway for achieving a strongly coupled neutral laser-produced plasma that even more closely resembles ultracold neutral plasma conditions.
A Miniaturized Screen of a Schistosoma mansoni Serotonergic G Protein-Coupled Receptor Identifies Novel Classes of Parasite-Selective Inhibitors

Schistosomiasis is a tropical parasitic disease afflicting ~200 million people worldwide and current therapy depends on a single drug (praziquantel) which exhibits several non-optimal features. These shortcomings underpin the need for next generation anthelmintics, but the process of validating physiologically relevant targets (‘target selection’) and pharmacologically profiling them is challenging. Remarkably, even though over a quarter of current human therapeutics target rhodopsin-like G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), no library screen of a flatworm GPCR has yet been reported. Here, we have pharmacologically profiled a schistosome serotonergic GPCR (Sm.5HTR) implicated as a downstream modulator of PZQ efficacy, in a miniaturized screening assay compatible with high content screening. This approach employs a split luciferase based biosensor sensitive to cellular cAMP levels that resolves the proximal kinetics of GPCR modulation in intact cells. Data evidence a divergent pharmacological signature between the parasitic serotonergic receptor and the closest human GPCR homolog (Hs.5HTR7), supporting the feasibility of optimizing parasitic selective pharmacophores. New ligands, and chemical series, with potency and selectivity for Sm.5HTR over Hs.5HTR7 are identified in vitro and validated for in vivo efficacy against schistosomules and adult worms. Sm.5HTR also displayed a property resembling irreversible inactivation, a phenomenon discovered at Hs.5HTR7, which enhances the appeal of this abundantly expressed parasite GPCR as a target for anthelmintic ligand design. Overall, these data underscore the feasibility of profiling flatworm GPCRs in a high throughput screening format competent to resolve different classes of GPCR modulators. Further, these data underscore the promise of Sm.5HTR as a chemotherapeutically vulnerable node for development of next generation anthelmintics.
Is Anyone Paying Attention to Physician Report Cards? The Impact of Increased Availability on Consumers' Awareness and Use of Physician Quality Information.

Objective To determine if the release of health care report cards focused on physician practice quality measures leads to changes in consumers’ awareness and use of this information. Primary Data Sources Data from two rounds of a survey of the chronically ill adult population conducted in 14 regions across the United States, combined with longitudinal information from a public reporting tracking database. Both data were collected as part of the evaluation for Aligning Forces for Quality, a nationwide quality improvement initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Study Design Using a longitudinal design and an individual-level fixed effects modeling approach, we estimated the impact of community public reporting efforts, measured by the availability and applicability of physician quality reports, on consumers’ awareness and use of physician quality information (PQI). Principal Findings The baseline level of awareness was 12.6 percent in our study sample, drawn from the general population of chronically ill adults. Among those who were not aware of PQI at the baseline, when PQI became available in their communities for the first time, along with quality measures that are applicable to their specific chronic conditions, the likelihood of PQI awareness increased by 3.8 percentage points. For the same group, we also find similar increases in the uses of PQI linked to newly available physician report cards, although the magnitudes are smaller, between 2 and 3 percentage points. Conclusions Specific contents of physician report cards can be an important factor in consumers’ awareness and use of PQI. Policies to improve awareness and use of PQI may consider how to customize quality report cards and target specific groups of consumers in dissemination.
Protonation of the Hydroperoxo Intermediate of Cytochrome P450 2B4 Is Slower in the Presence of Cytochrome P450 Reductase Than in the Presence of Cytochrome b5

Microsomal cytochromes P450 (P450) require two electrons and two protons for the oxidation of substrates. Although the two electrons can be provided by cytochrome P450 reductase, the second electron can also be donated by cytochrome b5 (b5). The steady-state activity of P450 2B4 is increased up to 10-fold by b5. To improve our understanding of the molecular basis of the stimulatory effect of b5 and to test the hypothesis that b5 stimulates catalysis by more rapid protonation of the anionic ferric hydroperoxo heme intermediate of P450 (Fe3+OOH)− and subsequent formation of the active oxidizing species (Fe+4═O POR•+), we have freeze-quenched the reaction mixture during a single turnover following reduction of oxyferrous P450 2B4 by each of its redox partners, b5 and P450 reductase. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the freeze-quenched reaction mixtures lacked evidence of a hydroperoxo intermediate when b5 was the reductant presumably because hydroperoxo protonation and catalysis occurred within...
Quantifying the Impact of Seasonal and Short-term Manure Application Decisions on Phosphorus Loss in Surface Runoff

Agricultural phosphorus (P) management is a research and policy issue due to P loss from fields and water quality degradation. Better information is needed on the risk of P loss from dairy manure applied in winter or when runoff is imminent. We used the SurPhos computer model and 108 site-years of weather and runoff data to assess the impact of these two practices on dissolved P loss. Model results showed that winter manure application can increase P loss by 2.5 to 3.6 times compared with non-winter applications, with the amount increasing as the average runoff from a field increases. Increased P loss is true for manure applied any time from late November through early March, with a maximum P loss from application in late January and early February. Shifting manure application to fields with less runoff can reduce P loss by 3.4 to 7.5 times. Delaying manure application when runoff is imminent can reduce P loss any time of the year, and sometimes quite significantly, but the number of times that application delays will reduce P loss is limited to only 3 to 9% of possible spreading days, and average P loss may be reduced by only 15% for winter-applied manure and 6% for non-winter-applied manure. Overall, long-term strategies of shifting manure applications to low runoff seasons and fields can potentially reduce dissolved P loss in runoff much more compared with near-term, tactical application decisions of avoiding manure application when runoff is imminent.
The Nature of Coercion

Many philosophers regard “coercion” as lexically normative. This understanding of “coercion,” however, places too great a restriction upon its use. Furthermore, it gravely complicates our understanding of the term insofar as we would be expected to endorse a particular ethical evaluation prior to its use. For instance, if a definition of “coercion” contains expressions like “the wrongful use of” or “the unfair application of power over,” then we must be prepared to identify instances of what is to count as wrongful or unfair before we can identify an instance of coercion. To the extent that identifying and distinguishing what is wrongful and not wrongful or what is fair and unfair plunges us into the demanding intricacies of ethical theory, then so too would using a lexically normative definition of “coercion.” Whoever asserts that something is an instance of coercion would be expected to defend the lexically entailed claim that it is, among other things, wrong or unfair.
Intracranial Arterial Dolichoectasia.

Abstract An increased diameter (ectasis) and/or long and tortuous course (dolichosis) of at least one cerebral artery define intracranial arterial dolichoectasia (IADE). IADE could be detected incidentally or may give rise to an array of neurological complications including ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, or compression of surrounding neural structures. The basilar artery is preferentially affected and has been studied in more detail, mainly due to the presence of accepted diagnostic criteria proposed by Smoker and colleagues in 1986. Criteria for the diagnoses of dolichoectasia in other cerebral arteries have been suggested. However, they lack validation across studies. The prevalence of IADE is approximately 0.08–6.5% in the general population, while in patients with stroke, the prevalence ranges from 3% and 17%. Variations among case series depend on the characteristics of the studied population, diagnostic tests used, and diagnostic criteria applied. In rare instances, an underlying hereditary condition, connective tissue disorder, or infection predispose to the development of IADE. However, most cases are sporadic and associated with traditional vascular risk factors including advanced age, male gender, and arterial hypertension. The link between this dilative arteriopathy and other vascular abnormalities such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, coronary artery ectasia and cerebral small vessel disease suggest and underlying diffuse vascular process. Further understanding is needed on the physiopathology of IADE and how to prevent its progression and clinical complications.
Fostering prosocial behavior and empathy in young children

There is increasing interest in understanding ways to foster young children's prosocial behavior (i.e. voluntary acts to benefit another). We begin this review by differentiating between types of prosocial behavior, empathy, and sympathy. We argue that sympathy and some types of prosocial behaviors are most likely intrinsically motivated, whereas other types of prosocial behaviors may be extrinsically motivated. Next, we highlight work focusing on the socialization practices that have been found to predict individual differences in young children's prosocial behavior and concern for others. Although work in the area is limited, we also review some intervention programs that have shown effectiveness in improving young children's positive social behaviors. We conclude with areas for future research.
Targeted drug delivery using iRGD peptide for solid cancer treatment

Many solid tumor types, such as pancreatic cancer, have a generally poor prognosis, in part because the delivery of a therapeutic regimen is prohibited by pathological abnormalities that block access to tumor vasculature, leading to poor bioavailability. The recent development of the tumor-penetrating iRGD peptide that is covalently conjugated on the nanocarriers' surface or co-administered with nanocarriers becomes a popular approach for tumor targeting. More importantly, scientists have unlocked an important tumor transcytosis mechanism by which drug-carrying nanoparticles directly access solid tumors (that seems to be independent to leaky vasculature), thereby allowing systemically injected nanocarriers to more abundantly distribute at the tumor site with improved efficacy. In this focused review, we summarize the design and implementation strategy for iRGD-mediated tumor targeting. This includes the working principle of such a peptide and discussion on a patient-specific iRGD effect in vivo, commensurate with the level of key biomarker (i.e. neuropilin-1) expression in tumor vasculature. This highlights the necessity to contemplate the use of a personalized approach when iRGD technology is used in the clinic.
Phylofactorization - theory and challenges

Data from biological communities are composed of species connected by the phylogeny. A greedy algorithm - 9phylofactorization9 - was developed to construct an isometric log-ratio transform whose balances correspond to edges along which traits arose, controlling for previously made inferences. In this paper, the general theory of phylofactorization is presented as a graph partitioning algorithm. A special case - regression phylofactorization - chooses coordinates based on sequential maximization of objective functions from regression on "contrast" variables such as an isometric log-ratio transform. The connections between regression phylofactorization and other methods is discussed, including matrix factorization, hierarchical regression, factor analysis and latent variable models. Open challenges in the statistical analysis of phylofactorization are presented, including criteria for choosing the number of factors and approximating null-distributions of commonly used test-statistics and objective functions. As a graph-partitioning algorithm, cross-validation of phylofactorization across datasets requires graph-topological considerations, such as how to deal with novel nodes and edges and whether or not to control for partition order. Overcoming these challenges can accelerate our analysis of phylogenetically-structured data and allow annotations of edges in an online tree of life.
Obstacle Avoiding Robot: A Lego EV3 Robot

George Bekey in Autonomous Robots defines Robot as a machine that senses, thinks, and acts. Robot can be made capable of operating in the real world environment without any form of external control for an extended period of time. A robot with cognitive capabilities include perception processing, attention allocation, anticipation, planning, complex motor coordination, reasoning about other agents and perhaps even about their own mental states. Robotic cognition embodies the behavior of intelligent system in the physical world. Ultimately the robot must be able to act in the real world. In our project, a robot was built to sense any obstacle in its path avoids it and resumes its running involving the pre-computation of an obstacle free path. The robot utilizes ultrasonic sensor to identify its target by taking advantage of the robot’s hard wire morphology.
Weapons (Inscription, Destruction, Deconstruction)

ABSTRACTIf writing has been understood as a supplement to a primary orality and a full presence, such is also true of tools or instruments, similarly conceived as secondary and derivative, suppleme...