cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of an Educational Unit About Lesbian Identity Development and Disclosure in a Social Work Methods Course

This article describes an investigation of the effects of a short-term educational intervention on graduate social work students’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, their knowledge about lesbian identity development and disclosure, and their anticipated professional behavior with lesbian clients. The author describes the importance of reducing homophobia among social work students and presents a theoretical framework for the educational intervention used in this study. Although knowledge acquisition significantly increased among students in both of the study’s treatment groups relative to the comparison group, and although students from one treatment group showed significant improvement in their attitudes toward gay men relative to the comparison group, neither treatment group significantly improved in their attitudes toward lesbians or their anticipated professional behavior with lesbian clients relative to the comparison group.
An Unusual Turbidity Maximum

Turbidity maxima develop upstream from an arrested salt-wedge and near the limit of salinity intrusion under partially-mixied conditions in Sungai Selangor, a tropical, mesotidal estuary in Malaysia. The TM has peak surface suspended sediment concentrations of 300 mg./l. on neap tides and > 2,000 mg./l. on spring tides. The TM occurs in a “muddy reach” where discontinuous “fluid mud” patches form on the bottom during neap tides. Tidal range and current speed determine the amount of sediment entrained, but the vertical density gradient, which varies greatly with changes in freshwater discharge and tidal range, determines the amount of sediment that reaches the surface layer. A “lag” in sediment transport associated with the vertical density gradient needs to be considered in modelling sediment transport in estuaries.
Comparison of minirhizotron and soil core methods for quantifying root biomass in a temperate alley cropping system

A study was carried out in southern Indiana, USA with the objective of comparing soil core sampling and the minirhizotron technique in quantifying fine root biomass and root distribution patterns in an alley cropping system with black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and maize (Zea mays L.). Spatial variation in tree rooting pattern was investigated prior to planting maize. Tree fine root biomass was quantified at distances of 0, 1.1, 2.3, 3.5, and 4.3 m where 0 m represents the tree row and 4.3 m represents the middle of the alley. Root samples were collected to a depth of 90 cm using a hydraulic auger. Maize rooting pattern was determined 65 days after planting to the same depth. Using plexiglass access tubes installed near the actual soil core locations and a minirhizotron camera root images were recorded on a VHS tape. These images were later analyzed using a raster based GIS software (ERDAS-IMAGINE). Regression analysis revealed significant relationships between root surface area measurements from minirhizotron observations and fine root biomass data from soil coring for all species. Predicted fine root biomass data were also in close agreement with actual fine root biomass for all species examined. Maize root biomass was slightly, but not significantly, underestimated by the minirhizotron technique in the top 30 cm soil layer. No significant underestimation or overestimation of root biomass in surface or deeper soil layers was observed for the tree species. The results indicate that minirhizotron can be used in quantifying fine root biomass if site and species specific predictive models can be developed.
Rainfall and river currents retrieved from microwave backscatter

Since October of 2002, eight CW microwave sensors have been operating on a bridge over the Cowlitz River in western Washington State in the USA. These sensors measure the river surface velocity via Doppler shifts at eight locations across the river; a ninth unit pointing upwards measures scattering from rain drops.
Winton Dean, Handel's Operas, 1726–1741

In Handel's Operas, 1726–1741, the long-awaited sequel to Handel's Operas 1704–1726, 1 Winton Dean has contributed yet another monumental book to the canon of scholarship on Handel. The original pl...
A depth‐averaged two‐dimensional model for flow, sediment transport, and bed topography in curved channels with riparian vegetation

[1] A depth-averaged two-dimensional numerical model has been developed to simulate flow, sediment transport, and bed topography in river channels with emergent and submerged rigid vegetation and large woody debris. The effect of helical flow in bends is considered by adopting an algebraic model for the dispersion terms in the depth-averaged two-dimensional momentum and suspended-sediment transport equations and by adjusting the bed load transport angle. The governing equations are discretized using the finite volume method on a nonstaggered, curvilinear grid. Model validity has been assessed using experimental data observed in both fixed- and movable-bed laboratory flumes and a natural channel with submerged and emergent rigid vegetation. In general, mean flow velocities, sediment transport rates, and changes in bed topography predicted by the model agree well with the experimental observations. For laboratory and field cases, root-mean-square relative errors for velocities were less than about 13% and 44%, respectively, and about 50% of errors for changes in bed topography were less than 14.5% and 8% of the flow depth, respectively.
Rape, money, and the psychology of taboo

Policy and legal decision making sometimes requires difficult assessments about how to translate the harm of sexual assault into dollar amounts. A web-based experiment (n = 743) was designed to test the psychology of taboo theory in this important context. The experiment included two unique features. First, subjects were randomly assigned to assess vignettes in either a dollar metric, a 7-point harm scale metric, or a years-in-jail metric. Second, subjects were given the opportunity, but not required, to provide a comment when making their assessment. Assignment to the dollar metric treatment group resulted in subjects freely expressing significantly more constitutive incommensurability comments. The effect was most pronounced when the level of sexual assault in the vignette was greatest.
Low voltage test in place of fast clock in DDSI delay test

By testing the CUT at lower supply voltages, the CUT slows down and thus slow, low-cost testers can be used to perform DDSI (defect detection within slack intervals) tests. Apart from this, because the delay fault size is known in a DDSI test, this information can be further used to diagnose the causing mechanism behind the delay faults. Experimental results are presented to investigate the potential of the method.
Entropy: An Inherent, Non-statistical Property of any System in any State

Entropy is the distinguishing and most important concept of our efforts to understand and regularize our observations of a very large class of natural phenomena, and yet, it is one of the most contentious concepts of physics. In this article, we review two expositions of thermodynamics, one without reference to quantum theory, and the other quantum mechanical without probabilities of statistical mechanics. In the first, we show that entropy is an inherent property of any system in any state, and that its analytical expression must conform to eight criteria. In the second, we recognize that quantum thermodynamics: (i) admits quantum probabilities described either by wave functions or by nonstatistical density operators; and (ii) requires a nonlinear equation of motion that is delimited by but more general than the Schrodinger equation, and that accounts for both reversible and irreversible evolutions of the state of the system in time. Both the more general quantum probabilities, and the equation of motion have been defined, and the three laws of thermodynamics are shown to be theorems of this equation. An initial version of this paper was published in July of 2006 in the proceedings of ECOS’06, Aghia Pelagia, Crete, Greece.
Collagen-mimetic hydrogels promote human endothelial cell adhesion, migration and phenotypic maturation

This work evaluates the response of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) to thromboresistant collagen-mimetic hydrogel coatings toward improving the biocompatibility of existing "off-the-shelf" small-caliber vascular grafts. Specifically, bioactive hydrogels - previously shown to support α1/α2 integrin-mediated cell adhesion but to resist platelet activation - were fabricated by combining poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with a 120 kDa, triple-helical collagen-mimetic protein(Scl2-2) containing the GFPGER adhesion sequence. Analysis of HAECs seeded onto the resulting PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels demonstrated that HAEC adhesion increased with increasing Scl2-2 concentration, while HAEC migration rate decreased over this same concentration range. In addition, evaluation of HAEC phenotype at confluence indicated significant differences in the gene expression of NOS3, thrombomodulin, and E-selectin on the PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels relative to PEG-collagen controls. At the protein level, however, only NOS3 was significantly different between the PEG-Scl2-2 and PEG-collagen surfaces. Furthermore, PECAM-1 and VE-cadherin expression on PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels versus PEG-collagen controls could not be distinguished at either the gene or protein level. Cumulatively, these data indicate the PEG-Scl2-2 hydrogels warrant further investigation as "off-the-shelf" graft coatings. In future studies, the Scl2-2 protein can potentially be modified to include additional extracellular matrix or cytokine binding sites to further improve endothelial cell responses.
Leucine Activates Pancreatic Translational Machinery in Rats and Mice through mTOR Independently of CCK and Insulin

Feeding stimulates pancreatic digestive enzyme synthesis at the translational level, and this is thought to be mediated by hormones and neurotransmitters. However, BCAAs, particularly leucine, stimulate protein synthesis in several tissues. We investigated whether BCAA stimulated the translational machinery in murine pancreas and whether their effects were independent of hormones. Rats and mice were administered (i.g. gavage) individual BCAA at 1.35 mg/g (body weight) and rat isolated pancreatic acini were incubated with BCAA under different conditions. Activation of translation initiation factors and total protein synthesis were analyzed. BCAA gavage stimulated the phosphorylation of the initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) and the ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K), with leucine being the most effective. Leucine also increased the association of the initiation factors eIF4E and eIF4G, but did not affect the activity of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B, nor total protein synthesis. BCAA acted independently of insulin signaling on isolated pancreatic acini from diabetic rats. The ability of leucine to promote phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and S6K as well as enhance the assembly of the eIF4F complex was unimpaired in CCK-deficient mice. Finally, rapamycin (0.75 mg/kg) administered to rats 2 h before leucine gavage inhibited the phosphorylation of S6 and 4E-BP1 induced by leucine. We conclude that leucine may participate, as a signal as well as a substrate, in activating the translational machinery in pancreatic acinar cells independently of hormonal effects and that this action is through the mTOR pathway.
¿La casa dividida?: Dinámica de los procesos de construcción de identidades nacionales en Estados Unidos

Resumen es: Este trabajo se aleja de la nocion de identidad nacional como un concepto fijo, asumiendo a todas las identidades colectivas como procesos palimpsesticos...
Mass spectrometric tracer pulse chromatographic investigations of eluent sorption with bonded RPLC packings.

The experimental technique of mass spectrometric tracer pulse chromatography was used to investigate the uptake of RPLC eluents by a C18-bonded packing. The experiments were carried out with eluents consisting of binary aqueous mixtures with acetonitrile, methanol, and tetrahydrofuran over the full range of eluent composition at 25 °C. The primary experimental data obtained were excess volumes of sorption for the eluent components. The excess volume data were then used to determine the absolute volume of each eluent component in the stationary phase as a function of composition. The absolute volumes were calculated by utilizing a series of strategies specific to limited eluent composition range. The linear inflection region of the excess volume isotherms was used to calculate the volume and composition of the eluent in the stationary phase for organic-rich eluents. Three different assumptions were used and evaluated for the water-rich eluent compositions. The assumptions were (i) constant volume of the so...
Cardiac Metabolism and its Interactions With Contraction, Growth, and Survival of Cardiomyocytes

The network for cardiac fuel metabolism contains intricate sets of interacting pathways that result in both ATP-producing and non-ATP-producing end points for each class of energy substrates. The most salient feature of the network is the metabolic flexibility demonstrated in response to various stimuli, including developmental changes and nutritional status. The heart is also capable of remodeling the metabolic pathways in chronic pathophysiological conditions, which results in modulations of myocardial energetics and contractile function. In a quest to understand the complexity of the cardiac metabolic network, pharmacological and genetic tools have been engaged to manipulate cardiac metabolism in a variety of research models. In concert, a host of therapeutic interventions have been tested clinically to target substrate preference, insulin sensitivity, and mitochondrial function. In addition, the contribution of cellular metabolism to growth, survival, and other signaling pathways through the production of metabolic intermediates has been increasingly noted. In this review, we provide an overview of the cardiac metabolic network and highlight alterations observed in cardiac pathologies as well as strategies used as metabolic therapies in heart failure. Lastly, the ability of metabolic derivatives to intersect growth and survival are also discussed.
An atom-probe tomographic study of freckle formation in a nickel-based superalloy

Freckles are misoriented defects formed during the solidification of single-crystal (SC) nickel-based superalloys, which are used for turbine blades in jet engines and power generators. Freckles can cause degradation in a turbine blade’s mechanical properties at high temperatures, and their elimination is of prime technological importance. Employing atom-probe tomography (APT), analytical transmission electron microscopy and dual-beam focused ion-beam microscopy, the chemical compositions of dendritic cores and inter-dendritic regions for both the freckles and the base material in a multicomponent Ni-based alloy are analyzed. The densities of four liquid-compounds with the same compositions measured using APT are calculated, and it is demonstrated that the inter-dendritic liquids have considerably smaller densities than liquids with compositions the same as the dendritic cores. The latter serves as a quantitative measure for the likelihood of freckle formation.
Fatal accidents following changes in daylight savings time: the American experience.

Objective: This study examines specific hypotheses that both sleep loss and behavioral changes occurring with the time shifts for Daylight Savings Time (DST) significantly effect the number of fatal traffic accidents in the United States of America.Background: It has been reported that there is a significant increase in the number of automobile accidents in the spring shift to DST due to the loss of 1 h of sleep. But the extra hour gained at night with the shift from DST in the fall has been variably reported to be associated with increases and decreases in the number of automobile accidents which may reflect either behavioral anticipation with an extended late night prior to the change or the benefit of extra sleep after the change.Methods: Data from 21 years of United States' fatal automobile accidents were gathered. The mean number of accidents on the days at the time of the shifts (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) was compared to the average of the corresponding mean number of accidents on the matching day of the weeks preceding and following the shift. This was repeated for each DST shift. The number of accidents for a particular shift was also correlated with the year of the accidents.Results: There was a significant increase in accidents for the Monday immediately following the spring shift to DST (t=1.92, P=0.034). There was also a significant increase in number of accidents on the Sunday of the fall shift from DST (P<0.002). No significant changes were observed for the other days. A significant negative correlation with the year was found between the number of accidents on the Saturdays and Sundays but not Mondays.Conclusions: The sleep deprivation on the Monday following shift to DST in the spring results in a small increase in fatal accidents. The behavioral adaptation anticipating the longer day on Sunday of the shift from DST in the fall leads to an increased number of accidents suggesting an increase in late night (early Sunday morning) driving when traffic related fatalities are high possibly related to alcohol consumption and driving while sleepy. Public health educators should probably consider issuing warnings both about the effects of sleep loss in the spring shift and possible behaviors such as staying out later, particularly when consuming alcohol in the fall shift. Sleep clinicians should be aware that health consequences from forced changes in the circadian patterns resulting from DST come not only from physiological adjustments but also from behavioral responses to forced circadian changes.
Evidence that Rap1 carboxylmethylation is involved in regulated insulin secretion.

Protein carboxylmethylation is a reversible posttranslational modification that regulates protein function. We examined the carboxylmethylation of small GTP-binding proteins in a pancreatic beta-cell line (beta TC cells). In vitro assays showed that carboxylmethylation of a membrane 23-kDa protein was induced by guanine nucleotides, best demonstrated by the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog, guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S). GTP gamma S also induced translocation of this 23-kilodalton (kDa) protein from cytosol to particulate fractions. Immunoblotting with antiserum sc-65 raised against Rap1 identified the carboxyl-methylated 23-kDa protein as Rap1. 1) The 23-kDa carboxyl-methylated protein separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis overlapped with the 23-kDa protein detected by immunoblotting. 2) GTP gamma S, in the presence of cytosol, increased the amount of detectable membrane-associated Rap1. Studies in intact beta TC cells demonstrated the carboxylmethylation of the 23-kDa protein in res...
GAPs in growth factor signalling

Approximately 2% of genes predicted by the sequenced human genome encode small GTPases and their regulators, highlighting the biological significance of regulated GTPase activity. Among the key GTPase regulators are the GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), which function to down-modulate active GTPases. Of the numerous identified GAPs, several have been implicated in signal transduction downstream of growth factors. In particular, GAPs for the Ras and Rho GTPases, which mediate a variety of receptor-transduced signals, appear to play an essential role in growth factor dependent GTPase regulation. Experimental studies of several of the GAPs have begun to elucidate mechanisms by which GAP activity is influenced by growth factor signaling, including direct phosphorylation, sub-cellular redistribution and protein degradation. Here, some of these mechanisms of GAP regulation in the context of signaling responses to growth factors are reviewed.
Guidelines for Using Technology in the Social Studies Classroom

(2005). Guidelines for Using Technology in the Social Studies Classroom. The Social Studies: Vol. 96, No. 1, pp. 38-40.
Gains and Losses of Sugar Program Policy Options

High domestic sugar prices supported by U.S. sugar policy have induced a significant substitution of corn sweeteners for sugar. Recognizing the close relationship between sugar and corn sweeteners, this study applies a general equilibrium approach to evaluate the distributional effects of three different policy options (i.e., quota, tariff, and deficiency payment) on sugar related interest groups. The results show that the current quota policy, intended ostensibly to protect domestic sugar producers, have hurt foreign exporters. It will harm domestic sugar producers if the trend continues. Additionally, the quota program is the most expensive of the options considered.
Chronic pain and depression: toward a cognitive-behavioral mediation model

Although considerable attention has recently been devoted to explaining why depression is a frequent concomitant of chronic pain, little empirical work has been conducted to test predictions based on these models. The present study was designed to test a cognitive-behavioral mediation model of pain and depression that proposes perceived reduction in instrumental activities along with a decline in perceptions of control and personal mastery are necessary prerequisites for the development of depressive symptomatology in pain patients. According to this model, in contrast to alternative models, the presence of pain is not sufficient condition for the subsequent development of depression. This model was tested and confirmed through the application of structural modeling with latent variables. Specifically, the direct link between pain and depression was found to be non-significant, however, measures of perceived life interference and self-control were found to be significant intervening variables between pain and depression. These results provide the first empirical demonstration that psychological mediators may be involved in the development of depression secondary to chronic pain. The findings of this study are contrasted with single-factor models that postulate both chronic pain and depression as resulting from a common cause.
Fatigue Response of New Graphite/Epoxy-Concrete Girder

A new graphite/epoxy/concrete (G/E/C) cross section was developed and tested under fatigue loading with constant amplitude for one million cycles. The cross section consisted of a G/E box element, a G/E channel element, a concrete slab, and a concrete box formed by the walls of the G/E elements. Epoxy resin and vertical steel stirrups provided shear connection between G/E elements and the concrete slab. The results showed that the epoxy interface slipped after 150,000 cycles of fatigue loading. Softening of the girder continued for another 350,000 cycles of loading, after which the stiffness and strains stabilized. The failure testing of the girder after fatigue loading showed that the load and displacement capacities were only moderately reduced by fatigue loading.
MYCOTIC FALSE ANEURYSM OF THE AORTA FOLLOWING AORTIC VALVULAR PROSTHESIS; A CASE REPORT.

A case of a mycotic false aneurysm of the ascending aorta and aortic sinus caused by coagulase-negative staphylococcal endocarditis following the placement of a Starr-Edwards prosthesis for rheumatic aortic stenosis is reported. The formation of the aneurysm caused aortic insufficiency, and terminally the prosthesis was torn from the aorta. The occurrence of mycotic aneurysms in the aorta and their etiology and pathogenesis are discussed. Cases of postoperative false-aneurysm formation of the ascending aorta are reviewed.
Observations on possible metabolic and enzymic reactions of α-Ketoglutaric semialdehyde: Conversion to Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate by glutamic dehydrogenase☆

Abstract 14C-α-Ketoglutaric semialdehyde was prepared from 14C- d -glucose through chemically-synthesized d -glucarate. The labeled semialdehyde was used to examine the possibility that it might be a significant precursor of proline in the intact rat or in rat-liver preparations, or might participate in transamination reactions. No evidence was obtained for these reactions, nor for the possible formation of α-ketoglutaric semialdehyde from α-ketoglutarate. α-Ketoglutaric semialdehyde is reductively aminated with glutamic dehydrogenase to yield Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate. Failure to demonstrate conversion of α-ketoglutaric semialdehyde to proline in homogenates, minces, or in vivo suggests that the glutamic dehydrogenase reaction lacks metabolic significance.
Challenging control: inclusive teachers' and teaching assistants' discourse on students with challenging behaviour

Describing students with disabilities as presenting ‘challenging behaviour’ is common in US schools. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the discourse utilised by teachers in order to understand their beliefs and practices surrounding young students considered to present challenging behaviour. This study examines teachers’ language in four ways: which discourses they draw from, the consequences of engaging in the discourse on practice, what maintains the use of such discourse and finally the possibilities for change. The critical discourse analysis unpacked that teachers begin labelling the students as challenging, not the behaviour. Consequences of this thinking emerged as teachers excluded the students, or what they consider ‘the problems’ from the classroom. Exclusion was found to be the ‘necessary’ response when control is prioritised in the classroom. In sum, the discourse of control is available for shaping how teachers understand and support students. Developing a relationship with students empo...
Biophysics applications of free-electron lasers

There has been a significant financial effort poured into the technology of the Free Electron Laser (FEL) over the last 15 years or so. Much of that money was spent in the hopes that the FEL would be a key element in the Strategic Defense Initiative, but a small fraction of money was allocated for the Medical FEL program. The Medical FELs program was aimed at exploring how the unique capabilities of the FEL could be utilized in medical applications. Part of the Medical FEl effort has been in clinical applications, but some of the effort has also been put into exploring applications of the FEL for fundamental biological physics. It is the purpose of this brief text to outline some of the fundamental biophysics I have done, and some plans we have for the future. Since the FEL is (still) considered to be an avant garde device, the reader should not be surprised to find that much of the work proposed here is also rather radical and avant garde.
Ectomycorrhizal fungal traits reflect environmental conditions along a coastal California edaphic gradient

Multispecies mutualisms, such as the association between trees and ectomycorrhizal fungi, are often shaped by environmental context. Here, we explored the functional mechanisms underlying this environmental filtering. Using a single population of Pinus muricata (Bishop pine) growing along a strong edaphic gradient, we examined how environmental stress affected ectomycorrhizal fungi. The gradient spans c. 400 000 years of soil age, and reduced nutrient availability and increased water stress dwarf trees on older sites. Fungal community composition shifted with nutrient and water availability and with the stature of the P. muricata host trees. Not only did pygmy trees host a taxonomically different fungal subset as compared to nonpygmy trees, but associated fungal communities also differed in life history strategies: trees in more stressful conditions hosted fungi with more carbon-intensive foraging strategies. Our results indicate a link between environmental controls of host nutritional status and turnover in the ectomycorrhizal fungal community. The transition to more energy-intensive strategies under nutrient stress may allow for close recycling of recalcitrant nutrient pools within the root zone and facilitate transport of nutrients and water over long distances. These results highlight the value of life history data to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of species distributions.
Macroscopic anatomical, histological and magnetic resonance imaging correlation of the lateral capsule of the knee.

Purpose The objective of the present study was to correlate macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the lateral capsule of the knee joint with high-quality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with a hypothesis that a distinct lateral capsular ligament would be inconsistently observed via surgical dissection and that high-quality MRI imaging would correlate to findings from dissection.
Constellation X mission and its optics

The Constellation-X mission has seen significant evolution in its concept over the previous two years. These evolutions yield a mission concept that achieves all of the originally proposed science goals, while meeting launch vehicle constraints. The most obvious change to the mission concept has been to reduce the number of satellites in the mission from six to four, while increasing the size of the optics to maintain the effective area. In a parallel evolution, the telescope focal lengths have increased from 8.4 to 10m to maintain approximately the same energy response from the optics. This paper will summarize the current designs and some of the issues associated with the optics for its two telescope systems.
The Bollywood in Indian and American Perceptions A Comparative Analysis

This analysis compares Indian and US perceptions of Bollywood. It is the first to provide such a comparison. Overall, the authors found that both Indian and US perceptions of Bollywood are positive and negative. On some dimensions, Indian and US perceptions differ sharply from each other; on other dimensions, a few similarities become apparent. Overall, Indian perceptions of Bollywood are both negative and positive. While their concept of Bollywood is perceived as demeaning, stereotyping of the Muslim culture, and alienating economically and culturally marginalised audiences, it is also recognised as treasuring India’s national identity, portrayal of women in some circles (e.g., alcoholics attempting to become accepted into the chic and alluring society), Hindi traditional lifestyles, and lighthearted humor. While the Bollywood phenomenon has permeated many cultures worldwide, these cultures still differ in the way they perceive this rising Indian movie industry. Not only does this analysis serve to demon...
Why a poor governance environment does not deter foreign direct investment: The case of China and its implications for investment protection

Abstract It is widely believed that countries with a poor governance environment (e.g., weak laws and rampant corruption) do not attract foreign direct investment (FDI); however, our study suggests otherwise. Using China as a case study, this article argues that the prevailing theory that a good governance environment begets FDI is incomplete. When faced with a poor governance environment, investors choose direct investment over indirect (portfolio) investment because the former can be better protected by private means. In fact, China attracts a large amount of FDI because of, rather than despite, its lack of a good governance environment. In conclusion, this article offers strategies to better protect investments and to chart through the pitfalls resulting from rapid changes in the governance environment.
Optical multicarrier source for orthogonal time/frequency division multiplexing

We investigate an electro-optically generated optical multicarrier source for optical orthogonal time/frequency domain multiplexing (OTFDM), aiming for ultrafast and high-spectral-efficient transmission. Impact of spectral ripple of the multicarrier to 160-Gb/s OTFDM-QPSK signal is also investigated.
As originally published in 1990: superior vena caval reconstruction using autologous pericardium. Updated in 1998 by

Tumor involvement of the superior vena cava can occur either by direct extension of the primary tumor or by invasion of superior mediastinal lymph nodes. Removal of a portion of the caval wall may be required to allow adequate margins of resection. The technique described involves placement of an intraluminal shunt and resection of the involved caval wall with reconstruction using autologous pericardium.
Cooperative Approaches .to Faculty Development

Community colleges must address the negative effects of rapidly advancing technology and diminishing resources on teaching per­ formance. Industrial technology is changing so rapidly that faculty find it difficult to stay abreast of developments. College equipment may become outmoded within a few years. Opportunities for teachers to have practical experience with state-of-the-art technology are limited. One result is a hiatus between occupational instruction and the demands of the workplace. Reduced numbers of full-time students, the curtailment of public funds, and inflation have had a negative impact on teaching in almost all programs. Once able to move from one college to another or grow professionally through participation in conferences and in-service workshops, faculty now find opportunities severely limited. This situation is alarming, because if faculty cannot find ways to regenerate themselves, their teaching may become routine and spirit­ less. Faced with more part-time students and diminishing resources, community colleges have hired more part-time staff.l While part­ time faculty enhance flexibility for coping with sudden shifts in enrollment, they have earned fewer graduate degrees or credits and have less teaching experience than full-time.instructors.2 Profession­ al development activities must be found to improve their teaching ef­ fectiveness. As technology threatens to outdate the skills of many faculty and as full- and part-time faculty seek opportunities for professional de­ velopment, the financial condition of colleges militates against traditional approaches. Community coilege educators worry that' overall quality of instruction will deteriorate if effective approaches to faculty development are not found. This article proposes three ap­ proaches to professional development-all of which seem promising if faculty and administrators are willing to explore cooperative ar­ rangements.
Pediatric bed fall computer simulation model: Parametric sensitivity analysis

Falls from beds and other household furniture are common scenarios that may result in injury and may also be stated to conceal child abuse. Knowledge of the biomechanics associated with short-distance falls may aid clinicians in distinguishing between abusive and accidental injuries. In this study, a validated bed fall computer simulation model of an anthropomorphic test device representing a 12-month-old child was used to investigate the effect of altering fall environment parameters (fall height, impact surface stiffness, initial force used to initiate the fall) and child surrogate parameters (overall mass, head stiffness, neck stiffness, stiffness for other body segments) on fall dynamics and outcomes related to injury potential. The sensitivity of head and neck injury outcome measures to model parameters was determined. Parameters associated with the greatest sensitivity values (fall height, initiating force, and surrogate mass) altered fall dynamics and impact orientation. This suggests that fall dynamics and impact orientation play a key role in head and neck injury potential. With the exception of surrogate mass, injury outcome measures tended to be more sensitive to changes in environmental parameters (bed height, impact surface stiffness, initiating force) than surrogate parameters (head stiffness, neck stiffness, body segment stiffness).
A Versatile Gas Uptake Inhalation System Used in Pharmacokinetic and Metabolic Studies of Volatile Organic Compounds

This paper describes an automated gas uptake system for pharmacokinetic research with volatile organic compounds, designed to operate within the parameters maintained during conventional whole-body inhalation exposures according to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) guidelines. Benefits are twofold: (1) to ensure that animals are tested under the same widely accepted guidelines, and (2) to minimize the number of animals required to perform a study, by allowing direct comparison of results from gas uptake studies with results from other inhalation toxicology studies and use of animals from gas uptake experiments for postexposure toxicological testing. Other features implemented in the chamber design improve the ease of use and productivity of the system. These include provisions to adapt the apparatus for use in different pharmacokinetic experimental protocols, automation of data acquisition and oxygen control during exposures, and automated calculation of exposure summary statistics and graphics using a ...
Efficient meta-level control in bounded-rational agents

An important issue for complex agents operating in open real-time environments is how to sequence execution and computation actions without consuming too many resources. An empirical approach to this meta-level control problem is presented. We show that explicit meta-level control leads to significant improvement in agent performance.
Cancellation of Laser Dither Modulation From Optical Frequency Standards

We demonstrate the removal of the dither modulation from an iodine-stabilized He–Ne laser by using a frequency-modulated acousto-optic modulator and feed-forward techniques. This procedure reduces the linewidth of the beat between this laser and a flywheel He–Ne laser from 6 MHz to 8 kHz, the undithered beat linewidth being ∼7 kHz. Dither suppression greatly reduces counter errors during beat measurements from stroboscopic effects between the counter’s gate and the frequency of the dither modulation and increases the utility of the already formidable array of dithered laser frequency standards by making locking to them an easier task.
Supramolecular Aggregates of Azobenzene Phospholipids and Related Compounds in Bilayer Assemblies and Other Microheterogeneous Media: Structure, Properties, and Photoreactivity1

A number of phosphatidyl choline derivatives containing trans-azobenzene units in the fatty ester backbone have been synthesized and studied in aqueous dispersions both pure and in the presence of saturated and unsaturated phospholipids. The structures of the assemblies formed have been investigated by microcalorimetry, dynamic light scattering, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, and reagent entrapment. While many of the mixed phospholipid dispersions give evidence for the formation of small unilamellar vesicles, the aqueous dispersions of pure azobenzene phospholipids (APL's) give evidence for several different structures, including relatively large plates in at least one case. The azobenzenes show strong evidence of “H” aggregate formation both in the pure and mixed dispersions. The aggregation number has been estimated for several of the APL's and found to be typically 3 or a multiple thereof. On the basis of simulations and studies with similar stilbene phospholipids as well as on the strong induc...
Attractin: cautionary tales for therapeutic intervention in molecules with pleiotropic functionality.

First discovered as a circulating secreted molecule expressed by activated T lymphocytes, attractin was examined as a potential marker of immune activity. The discovery that a transmembrane form not only controls neuropeptide regulation of hair pigmentation in animals but also affects basal metabolism led to proposals that attractin may also be an extracellular target amenable for the development of obesity-regulating drugs. Examination of several animal mutants used as models of juvenile-onset neurodegeneration revealed mutations at the attractin locus as the cause, and the reassessment of earlier attractin mutants demonstrated that neurodegeneration, alterations in pigmentation regulation, and basal metabolic rate were common to all the allelic variants. The presentation and severity of the symptoms differ depending upon the mutation, and some may be variably penetrant even within an allelic line. In this report, we review our rapidly altering perception of the functional activity of attractin with each further addition to its sphere of physiological involvement. We further reappraise our concepts of the subcellular location of attractin, leading to a new proposal that provides a unifying mechanism for attractin's pleiotropic activities. Progress in elucidating each new aspect of attractin function provides a case study in the evolution of possible therapeutic interventions as well as illuminating some of the pitfalls of studying molecular pathways isolated from the whole organism physiology.
Origins of human cancer revisited.

The explosion of scientific enquiry into the molecular genetics of cancer has centered around activated cellular oncogenes .The number of such genes and their normal homologs is probably well above the hundred mark by now .However,it appears that only a handful of these «oncogenes» are important in human cancer,and that the vast majority of growth-regulatory genes relevant to human neoplasia remain to be identified .
Transient radial movement of a confined leaky aquifer due to variable well flow rates

The present paper investigates aquifer horizontal movement driven by hydraulic forces. New analytic solutions are found for the velocity and displacement fields describing aquifer radial transient movement caused by well discharge and recharge within a confined leaky aquifer. The development of the new solutions is based on linear momentum of bulk mass flux, mass conservation of bulk mass flux, the Darcy-Gersevanov law, and the analytic hydraulic drawdown. If the Hantush-Jacob, Carslaw-Jaeger, and Theis analytic drawdowns are applied respectively, a corresponding aquifer transient movement is found within the new solutions. Three sets of simplified solutions based on the Carslaw-Jaeger drawdown have been applied to three schemes of well flow rates that are power, periodic and exponential functions of time. For all three schemes, the dimensionless relations of aquifer displacement versus radial distance show the zones and locations where possible tensile stress may occur and cause potential earth fissuring. For the well flow rates varying as a power or periodic function, tensile stress may be generated when inertial forces change directions based on the dimensionless relations of aquifer velocity versus time. Analysis of effects that vertical leaky flow have on aquifer horizontal movement shows that the vertical water flow plays a significant role in aquifer radial movement, and that aquifer radial velocity is much more responsive to the vertical flow than is aquifer displacement.
Workstage repair policies for sequential manufacturing systems

Dynamic stage repair policies where the stage repair probabilities are determined by the number of items in the buffer are examined through a model of a manufacturing system with two unreliable workstages connected by a minimal intermediate storage buffer. Definitions for workstage availability and line balance are extended for sequential manufacturing systems with dynamic repair policies. A measure for stage repair inputs and a general form of dynamic stage repair policies are presented. The steady-state probabilities of the resultant state-inhomogeneous Markov chain are computed by an efficient solution procedure. Insights obtained from extensive numerical studies are illustrated and discussed.
The penetration of 1-naphthol-2-sulphonate indophenol, o-chloro phenol indophenol and o-cresol into Valgnia ventricosa J. Aghard. No. XIII

1. Two oxidation-reduction indicators, o-chloro phenol indophenol and o-cresol indophenol penetrate through the protoplasm into the sap ofValonia ventricosa J.Aghard. 2. The rate of penetration is dependent upon the pH of the external solution, being faster from an acid solution than from an alkaline one. 3. In the case of phosphate buffers the equilibrium concentration of dye in the sap is 1/4 of that in the external solution; with borate buffers the corresponding ratio is 1/8. 4. When phosphate and borate buffers of pH 8.0 are added to sea water, different final pH values result. 5. Spectrophotometric analyses of the expressed sap ofValonia plants placed for some time in solutions of these dyes show that although the dyes penetrate in the reduced form, they are otherwise unchanged. 6. 1-naphthol-2-sulphonate indophenol does not within 24 hours penetrate the sap ofValonia at any external pH value used.
Implementation of Quality Management of Hot-Mix Asphalt with Seismic Methods

Existing practices for field quality management of hot-mix asphalt layers rely on the adequacy of parameters such as thickness, air voids, and density. Because mechanistic—empirical pavement design is primarily based on the modulus of the pavement layers, methods of measuring the asphalt modulus in the field shortly after construction may lead to the more reliable implementation of the design. Seismic methods of modulus-based quality management may be more beneficial than traditional techniques because they are nondestructive, they can be performed rapidly, results are obtained immediately, and the material is tested in its natural state. The approach presented here includes a six-step procedure that combines design, laboratory, and field quality management processes. To evaluate the proposed method, 10 new construction sites were investigated to corroborate its usefulness and convenience. On the basis of the information collected, transportation organizations can implement the method along with their tra...
Solid state coordination chemistry of oxovanadates: hydrothermal syntheses and structures of two novel copper vanadate ribbons, β-[Cu(2,2′-bipyridine)V2O6] and β-[Cu(2,2′∶6′,2″-terpyridine)V2O6]

The hydrothermal reaction of CuSO4·5H2O, Na3VO4, methylphosphonic acid, 2,2′-bipyridine, and H2O in the mole ratio 1.22 ∶ 1.30 ∶ 3.63 ∶ 1.00 ∶ 2250 at 150 °C for 43 h yielded β-[Cu(bpy)V2O6] (1). The structure of 1 is a one-dimensional ribbon constructed of {V6O18}6− clusters linked by a binuclear subunit of edge sharing {Cu(bpy)O3} square pyramids. Similarly, the reaction of Cu2O, Na3VO4, 2,2′∶6′,2″-terpyridine, selenous acid, and water, in a mole ratio 1.52 ∶ 1.00 ∶ 2.02 ∶ 9.31 ∶ 2130 at 200 °C for 67.5 h yielded β-[Cu(tpy)V2O6] (2). The structure of 2 is comprised of an undulating chain of corner sharing vanadium oxide tetrahedra, with {Cu(tpy)}2+ subunits spanning the adjacent crests and troughs.