cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Welfare effects of increased train noise: A comparison of the costs and benefits of train whistle use at highway–railway crossings

Abstract A US Federal Railroad Administration rule requires trains to sound their whistles while approaching and entering public highway–rail crossings. In an attempt to assess the likely impact of this policy change, we investigate the tradeoff between housing values and railroad safety due to the use of train whistles in Wisconsin. We find that even using the highest estimates of the benefits, the costs imposed by the increased train noise are likely to be greater by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the costs are borne by homeowners, while the benefits accrue to commuters. Where commuters come largely from outside the political jurisdiction policy-makers are more likely to apply for an exception to prevent the new rule from taking effect.
Practical abduction: characterization, decomposition and concurrency

Abstract Abductive inferences seem to be ubiquitous in cognition, and cognitive agents often solve complex abduction tasks very rapidly. However, abduction characterized as ‘inference to the best explanation’ is in general computationally intractable. This paper describes three related ideas for understanding how intelligent agents might efficiently perform abduction tasks. First, we recharacterize the abduction task as inference to a confident explanation, where a confident explanation is internally consistent, parsimonious, distinctly more plausible than alternative explanations, and explains as much of the data as possible with high confidence. Second, we describe a decomposition of the task of synthesizing a confident explanation into several subtasks so that the synthesis starts from islands of relative certainty and then grows opportunistically. This decomposition helps in controlling the computational cost of accommodating interactions among explanatory hypotheses, especially incompatibility intera...
Recent developments in the VACIS gamma radiography systems

The VACIS-I prototype system, which has been used at U.S.- Mexico POEs for cargo truck and railroad freight-car inspections, has served as a seedbed for other vehicle inspection systems that are cost-effective, transportable, high- speed, reliable, and utilize very low level radiation exposure. The STAR (stolen automobile recovery) system has been developed and successfully tested at Miami, Florida. Its status and further developmental possibilities are discussed. VACIS-II, the high-resolution (0.5 inches versus 2 inches for VACIS-I) system that scans the entire cargo truck, including the van, is capable of conducting normal as well as oblique scans in 1 1/2 minutes. Railroad VACIS, dubbed SENTINEL, which will scan railroad cars entering the U.S. at about 5 mph is now under development. It has the option of utilizing a Co-60 source for inspecting heavier cargoes. In addition, MOBILE VACIS is in the planning stage. As presently envisioned, it will be mounted on a small vehicle with an extendable detector tower and deployable gamma-ray source to scan a suspect vehicle, either a passenger car or cargo truck, for contraband. The state of development of these systems, as well as some of the options and concerns, are presented.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurements of relative humidity-dependent bounce and density for atmospheric particles using the DMA-impactor technique

The dependence of particle bounce on relative humidity in an inertial impactor was measured for atmospheric aerosols in Meadview, AZ, and Minneapolis, MN. An aerosol composed of 0.25 μm atmospheric particles, selected by a differential mobility analyser, was drawn through a single stage of a MOUDI impactor having an aerodynamic cut point of 0.112 μm. The impactor collection efficiency was determined by using two condensation nucleus counters to simultaneously count particles upstream and downstream of the impactor. Bounce measurements were done using uncoated aluminum substrates, and provision was made to control relative humidity of the sampled aerosol. We found that for both locations bounce increased sharply as relative humidities decreased below 60–70%, but little bounce occurred when the relative humidity was maintained above 70 or 80%. Because errors caused by particle bounce and flow-induced relative humidity changes are minimal for relative humidities from 70 to 80%, this is the optimal range for atmospheric sampling with cascade impactors having uncoated stages. Surface loading was found to have a negligible effect on particle bounce for atmospheric particles. A similar apparatus was also used to measure densities of particles in the 0.06–0.18 μm diameter range using the technique described by Kelly and McMurry (Aerosol Sci. Technol.17, 199–212, 1992). We found that the average density varied between 1.60 and 1.79 gcm−3 (typical uncertainty 4%), and tended to decrease with increasing relative humidity. Measured dry particle densities' exceeded the value of 1.48 gcm−3 that was estimated from size-resolved chemical composition measured with MOUDIs.
Detection and identification of sulfhydryl conjugates of p-benzoquinone in microsomal incubations of benzene and phenol

The glutathione and cysteine conjugates of rho-benzoquinone are detected and conclusively identified in microsomal incubations of benzene and phenol using liquid chromatography/electrochemistry (LCEC). Identification of the compounds is based on retention time, electrochemical behavior and acid hydrolysis. The fact that both of these compounds can be detected easily in a benzene incubation provides further evidence that rho-benzoquinone or the corresponding semiquinone is a product of benzene metabolism in vivo. The conjugation of rho-benzoquinone with glutathione is predominantly a non-enzymatic process. This is illustrated by the fact that the addition of cytosolic glutathione-S-transferases do not significantly increase the amount of glutathione conjugate produced in a phenol incubation containing glutathione. The kinetic constants for phenol metabolism to hydroquinone by microsomal protein are calculated. As suspected, the rate of metabolism of phenol is significantly higher than the rate of benzene metabolism. The Vmax for phenol metabolism was calculated to be 7.1 nmol/min/mg protein and the KM was found to be 0.38 mM. The further oxidation of hydroquinone to rho-benzoquinone appears to be primarily an enzymatic process. Incubations of just hydroquinone with glutathione at 37 degrees C produced only a small amount of the glutathione conjugate. The addition of cytosolic protein increases the amount of rho-benzoquinone produced about 10-fold. This could be due to the peroxidases found in that medium. The addition of microsomal protein and NADPH increases the amount of glutathione conjugate produced to over 100-fold of that produced non-enzymatically. This indicates that a microsomal enzyme is responsible for the oxidation of hydroquinone to rho-benzoquinone in vitro and the subsequent covalent binding to macromolecules.
Evolution of carotid stenting: indications.

While carotid angioplasty and stenting has been clearly established as a minimally invasive alternative to endarterectomy for patients with carotid occlusive disease, its indications continue to evolve, being refined as more controlled data of large studies are being accumulated. The purpose of this article is to review the current evidence supporting the application of the tecnique in certain subsets of patients, and the relative contraindications for its use.
Optical-flow estimation for multichannel video sequences

This paper presents a technique for multichannel optical flow estimation. We combine the brightness constancy constraint with the relationship between optical flow fields and disparity fields in estimating optical flow fields by solving systems of linear equations. In this formulation, the so-called round-about compatibility constraint is used to ensure the coherence between optical flow fields and to pin down the tangential components of optical flow vectors which are undiscernible form the first order intensity derivatives. Since disparity information is used to assist optical flow estimation here, a reliable disparity field estimator is required. The disparity fields are recovered using a disparity space image technique. We also discuss the sensitivity of this technique when the essential parallel- axes camera configuration assumption is violated. Experiments show that the technique is very promising for practical applications.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Environment-controlled switching between cyclic hexamer and helical conformations of a water chloride cluster: An old compound viewed in a new perspective

Abstract On extrusion of a water molecule from the nano-channels created by the packing of [ cis -α-(trien)CoCl 2 ]Cl · 3H 2 O, an unprecedented dehydration transition occurs that cause the guest water–chloride hexameric clusters to rearrange into a helical modification. The reverse process is achieved by the introduction of an additional water molecule.
Thermal annealing activates amplified photoluminescence of germanium metabolically doped in diatom biosilica

There is significant interest in the fabrication of germanium (Ge) doped silica for optoelectronic device applications. In this study, highly photoluminescent Ge centers, metabolically doped into diatom biosilica, are activated by thermal annealing in air. Diatoms are single celled photosynthetic algae that make silica shells called frustules. These frustules possess intricate features and patterns on the nano- and micro-scale. A two-stage photobioreactor cultivation strategy is used to biologically fabricate diatom biosilica doped with Ge, ranging from 0.24 to 0.96 weight percent Ge. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron diffraction show that a mixture of amorphous germanium dioxide (GeO2) and germanium oxide (GeO) is doped into the frustule structure. Annealing in air thermally converts the amorphous GeO2 to GeO, commensurate with an enhancement in the photoluminescence. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and photoluminescence of annealed biosilica with and without Ge confirm that the photoluminescence originates from GeO photoluminescent centers, and not from the inherent photoluminescence of the biosilica. This is the first study to thermally activate and characterize highly photoluminescent Ge centers metabolically doped into diatom biosilica.
Turning Assistive Machines into Assistive Robots

For decades, the potential for automation in particular, in the form of smart wheelchairs to aid those with motor, or cognitive, impairments has been recognized. It is a paradox that often the more severe a person's motor impairment, the more challenging it is for them to operate the very assistive machines which might enhance their quality of life. A primary aim of my lab is to address this confound by incorporating robotics autonomy and intelligence into assistive machines turning the machine into a kind of robot, and offloading some of the control burden from the user. Robots already synthetically sense, act in and reason about the world, and these technologies can be leveraged to help bridge the gap left by sensory, motor or cognitive impairments in the users of assistive machines. This paper overviews some of the ongoing projects in my lab, which strives to advance human ability through robotics autonomy.
Correlation of heart rate to body weight in apparently normal dogs.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the correlation between heart rate and body weight in the apparently healthy dog. Animals Sixty dogs weighing between 2 and 80 kg. Methods Heart rate was evaluated with a 24-h ambulatory electrocardiogram. Minimum, average, maximum heart rate, ventricular premature complex (VPC) number and supraventricular premature complex (SVC) number were tabulated for each dog. Results Minimum, maximum and average heart rate did not correlate to body weight. For all dogs, the median minimum heart rate was 42 bpm (beats per minute), median average heart rate was 73 bpm, and median maximum heart rate was 190. The median number of VPCs and SVC was zero. Conclusions The present study does not support a correlation between heart rate and body weight in apparently healthy dogs.
The thermal conductivity of a hard sphere solid

Abstract The thermal conductivity of an f.c.c. hard sphere solid has been evaluated by molecular dynamics computation. From near close-packing to melting, the results are in virtual agreement with the Enskog theory. The dominant potential contribution yields nearly the Enskog value, while the kinetic and cross terms deviate less than 20 per cent, in opposite direction, from the predicted values. The deviations of the heat-flux autocorrelation function from an exponential are discussed.
Resistance in the land of molecular cancer therapeutics

The fusion tyrosine kinase Bcr-Abl plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Imatinib, a potent inhibitor of Bcr-Abl, has shown impressive clinical activity in CML patients. However, primary and acquired resistance occurs in many patients and is associated with reactivation of Bcr-Abl in primary leukemia cells. Studies reported over the past year have begun to elucidate the molecular basis of imatinib resistance, which may involve amplification of BCR-ABL or, more commonly, mutations that introduce amino acid substitutions into the Bcr-Abl kinase. Biochemical analysis and molecular modeling indicate that these mutant proteins retain kinase activity but are less sensitive to inhibition due to structural changes that perturb drug binding. These studies establish a paradigm for elucidating resistance to targeted therapeutics.
Role-based cascaded delegation

We propose role-based cascaded delegation, a model for delegation of authority in decentralized trust management systems. We show that role-based cascaded delegation combines the advantages ofrole-based trust management with those of cascaded delegation. We also present an efficient and scalable implementation of role-based cascaded delegation using Hierarchical Certificate-Based Encryption, where the authentication information for an arbitrarily long role-based delegation chain is captured by one short signature of constant size. This implementation also provides strong privacy protection for delegation participants.
Applying the light : nutrient hypothesis to stream periphyton

The light:nutrient hypothesis (LNH) states that algal nutrient content is determined by the balance of light and dissolved nutrients available to algae during growth. Light and phosphorus gradients in both laboratory and natural streams were used to examine the relevance of the LNH to stream periphyton. Controlled gradients of light (12-426 mol photons m{sup -2} s{sup -1}) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP, 3-344 {mu}g L{sup -1}) were applied experimentally to large flow-through laboratory streams, and natural variability in canopy cover and discharge from a wastewater treatment facility created gradients of light (0.4-35 mol photons m{sup -2} day{sup -1}) and DRP (10-1766 {mu}g L{sup -1}) in a natural stream. Periphyton phosphorus content was strongly influenced by the light and DRP gradients, ranging from 1.8 to 10.7 {mu}g mg AFDM{sup -1} in the laboratory streams and from 2.3 to 36.9 {mu}g mg AFDM{sup -1} in the natural stream. Phosphorus content decreased with increasing light and increased with increasing water column phosphorus. The simultaneous effects of light and phosphorus were consistent with the LNH that the balance between light and nutrients determines algal nutrient content. In experiments in the laboratory streams, periphyton phosphorus increased hyperbolically with increasing DRP. Uptake then began leveling offmore » around 50 {mu}g L{sup -1}. The relationship between periphyton phosphorus and the light: phosphorus ratio was highly nonlinear in both the laboratory and natural streams, with phosphorus content declining sharply with initial increases in the light: phosphorus ratio, then leveling off at higher values of the ratio. Although light and DRP both affected periphyton phosphorus content, the effects of DRP were much stronger than those of light in both the laboratory and natural streams. DRP explained substantially more of the overall variability in periphyton phosphorus than did light, and light effects were evident only at lower phosphorus concentrations ({approx}< 25 {mu}g L{sup -1}) in the laboratory streams. These results suggest that light has a significant negative effect on the food quality of grazers in streams only under a limited set of conditions.« less
Magnetic resonance imaging features of complex Chiari malformation variant of Chiari 1 malformation

Complex Chiari malformation is a subgroup of Chiari 1 malformation with distinct imaging features. Children with complex Chiari malformation are reported to have a more severe clinical phenotype and sometimes require more extensive surgical treatment than those with uncomplicated Chiari 1 malformation. We describe reported MR imaging features of complex Chiari malformation and evaluate the utility of craniometric parameters and qualitative anatomical observations for distinguishing complex Chiari malformation from uncomplicated Chiari 1 malformation. We conducted a retrospective search of the institutional imaging database using the keywords “Chiari” and “Chiari 1” to identify children imaged during the 2006–2011 time period. Children with Chiari 2 malformation were excluded after imaging review. We used the first available diagnostic brain or cervical spine MR study for data measurement. Standard measurements and observations were made of obex level (mm), cerebellar tonsillar descent (mm), perpendicular distance to basion-C2 line (pB-C2, mm), craniocervical angle (degrees), clivus length, and presence or absence of syringohydromyelia, basilar invagination and congenital craniovertebral junction osseous anomalies. After imaging review, we accessed the institutional health care clinical database to determine whether each subject clinically met criteria for Chiari 1 malformation or complex Chiari malformation. Obex level and craniocervical angle measurements showed statistically significant differences between the populations with complex Chiari malformation and uncomplicated Chiari 1 malformation. Cerebellar tonsillar descent and perpendicular distance to basion-C2 line measurements trended toward but did not meet statistical significance. Odontoid retroflexion, craniovertebral junction osseous anomalies, and syringohydromyelia were all observed proportionally more often in children with complex Chiari malformation than in those with Chiari 1 malformation. Characteristic imaging features of complex Chiari malformation, especially obex level, permit its distinction from the more common uncomplicated Chiari 1 malformation.
Industrial Concentration and Regional Growth: Evidence from the Prefectures

In this paper, we estimate the impact of dynamic externalities, using direct measures of total factor productivity (TFP) growth at the regional level. We find that, at the one-digit level, significant dynamic externalities exist for the finance, services, and wholesale and retail trade industries, but-contrary to the findings of most previous research-these externalities do not exist for the manufacturing industry.
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

Talk Like TED is not the kind of book normally reviewed in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, nor should it be. This is a trade book published for a nonacademic audience, not for scholars of rhetoric...
Biosynthesis of Fatty Acids by a Soluble Extract From Developing Soybean Cotyledons

Fractionation of developing soybean cotyledons into cellular components demonstrates that most of the activity necessary to incorporate acetate-1-(14)C into lipid remains in the supernatant from a 198,000g spin for 1 hr. The system studied is dependent upon ATP, CoA, and CO(2). Concentrations of ATP greater than 4 x 10(-3)m are inhibitory, while 1 x 10(-4)m CoA is needed for optimal activity. Avidin inhibition of acetate incorporation into lipid could be reversed by biotin. Studies indicated that NADPH is a better source of reducing power than NADH. The system studied is inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid and this inhibition can be reversed by an excess of GSH. The system studied shows maximum activity in tris buffer at pH 8.6 or in glycine buffer, pH 9.4.The distribution of acetate into the various fatty acids is greatly influenced by the temperature of incubation. Cooler incubation temperatures favor the distribution of acetate into the more unsaturated fatty acids.
The use of logistic regression for modelling risk factors: with application to non-melanoma skin cancer.

Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of basal and squamous skin cancer for such factors as cumulative lifetime solar exposure, age, complexion, and tannability. In previous reports, a subject's exposure was estimated indirectly, by latitude, or by the number of sun days in a subject's habitat. In contrast, these results are based on interview data gathered for each subject. A relatively new technique was used to estimate relative risk by controlling for confounding and testing for effect modification. A linear effect for the relative risk of cancer versus exposure was found. Tannability was shown to be a more important risk factor than complexion. This result is consistent with the work of Silverstone and Searle.
Closed-form solution of the first-order Transport-Driven Diffusion approximation

The paper presents a closed-form solution of the first-order Transport-Driven Diffusion (TDD) proposed by Picca and Furfaro (2014). The solution is rigorously derived for two source configurations (i.e. Dirac’s delta and rectangular source) to explicitly describe the contribution of the uncollided component and the collided diffuse term. The results are employed to compare the solution of first-order Transport-Driven Diffusion (TDDT with T = 1) with the analytical diffusion approximation as well as to validate numerical solution of the TDD1. The comparison with higher-order TDD (i.e., (TDDT with T > 1) is also reported.
Digital subtraction radiography for diagnosis of periodontal bone lesions with simulated high-speed systems

Standardized radiographs were obtained of the molar and premolar areas of dry human mandibles before and after small lesions were induced in the alveolar bone crest. The radiographs were digitized, and various amounts of random noise were added to simulate images produced by more efficient, low-radiation-dose systems. Subtraction images were produced from these noise-degraded radiographs. The diagnostic performance of human observers from these images was then compared with that obtained from both subtraction images made from nondegraded radiographs and from the original, conventional images. The diagnostic accuracy obtained with subtraction images, even if they were made from severely noise-degraded images, was equal or superior to that obtained with the conventional radiographs. This indicates that structured noise, which is reduced by the subtraction procedure, is a predominant, limiting factor in the diagnosis of small periodontal bone lesions. It also suggests that the application of a subtraction technique for the detection of such changes occurring over a period of time can make possible the use of significantly faster imaging systems than those currently employed.
Neighboring optimal trajectories for aeroassisted orbital transfer under uncertainties

A neighboring optimal guidance scheme is presented for a nonlinear dynamic system in the presence of modeling and measurement uncertainties as applicable to fuel optimal control of an aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle (AOTV). Here the vehicle is expected to follow a desired reference path with minimum error. The measurements considered include tracking of altitude and altitude rate. The solution approach is based on nonlinear control optimization, deterministic perturbation, stochastic state estimation, and linearized stochastic control that leads to a closed-loop control law. The reference state trajectory and control trajectory are precomputed by solving a two-point boundary-value control problem. Numerical results show that the actual (true) state trajectory is kept near its ideal (reference) state trajectory at the expense of increasing the total cost.
Randomized Comparison of Megestrol Acetate Versus Dexamethasone Versus Fluoxymesterone for the Treatment of Cancer Anorexia/Cachexia

PURPOSE: Previous double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that both corticosteroids and progestational agents do partially alleviate cancer anorexia/cachexia. Pilot information suggested that an anabolic corticosteroid might also improve appetites in patients with cancer anorexia/cachexia. The current trial was developed to compare and contrast a progestational agent, a corticosteroid, and an anabolic corticosteroid for the treatment of cancer anorexia/cachexia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients suffering from cancer anorexia/cachexia were randomized to receive either dexamethasone 0.75 mg qid, megestrol acetate 800 mg orally every day, or fluoxymesterone 10 mg orally bid. Patients were observed at monthly intervals to evaluate weight changes and drug toxicity. Patients also completed questionnaires at baseline and at monthly intervals to evaluate appetites and drug toxicities. RESULTS: Fluoxymesterone resulted in significantly less appetite enhancement and did not have...
Room temperature terahertz detection based on electron plasma resonance in an antenna-coupled GaAs MESFET

Plasma resonance of electrons was observed in an antenna-coupled GaAs metal-semiconductor-field-effect-transistor (MESFET) by sweeping bias voltages. This resonant absorption was used to realize a room temperature terahertz detector.
Innovative design-for-test techniques in a dynamic development environment

The personal computer industry has experienced unprecedented market pressures in the last few years. These pressures helped reshape the processes by which products are architected, implemented, and manufactured to contain cost, maintain quality, and provide fast time-to-market. This paper presents the design-for-test techniques that are essential in such an environment. >
Guidance and Navigation System Design For a Ship Self Defense Missile

This paper describes the design and performance evaluation of a ship self defense missile. The missile airframe characteristics and the guidance and navigation system requirements needed to accomplish the mission are discussed. A missile guidance law design that achieves the objectives of small miss distance and a required terminal impact angle is demonstrated. The IMU and navigation system requirements necessary to guarantee a high probability of target acquisition by a strapdown, narrow field-of-view, infrared seeker are determined. It is shown that an accurate GPS-aided IMU system on the ship can transfer alignment and calibrate out navigation initialization errors for the missile before launch. As a result, a low cost Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) IMU from the Army Common Guidance development program is shown to be adequate for the missile. The study determines that the more accurate DIGNU-3 IMU can meet all missile requirements even under conservative navigation error assumptions. If required, GPS in-flight navigation updates could be used to allow successful missile operation with much less accurate IMUs.
A GIS application for assessing, mapping, and quantifying the social values of ecosystem services

Abstract As human pressures on ecosystems continue to increase, research involving the effective incorporation of social values information into the context of comprehensive ecosystem services assessments is becoming more important. Including quantified, spatially explicit social value metrics in such assessments will improve the analysis of relative tradeoffs among ecosystem services. This paper describes a GIS application, So cia l V alues for E cosystem S ervices (SolVES), developed to assess, map, and quantify the perceived social values of ecosystem services by deriving a non-monetary Value Index from responses to a public attitude and preference survey. SolVES calculates and maps the Value Index for social values held by various survey subgroups, as distinguished by their attitudes regarding ecosystem use. Index values can be compared within and among survey subgroups to explore the effect of social contexts on the valuation of ecosystem services. Index values can also be correlated and regressed against landscape metrics SolVES calculates from various environmental data layers. Coefficients derived through these analyses were applied to their corresponding data layers to generate a predicted social value map. This map compared favorably with other SolVES output and led to the addition of a predictive mapping function to SolVES for value transfer to areas where survey data are unavailable. A more robust application is being developed as a public domain tool for decision makers and researchers to map social values of ecosystem services and to facilitate discussions among diverse stakeholders involving relative tradeoffs among different ecosystem services in a variety of physical and social contexts.
The ORNL plasma fueling program

Advanced plasma fueling systems for magnetic confinement devices are under development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The general approach is to produce and accelerate frozen hydrogen-isotope pellets at speeds ranging from 1 to 2 km/s and higher. Recently, ORNL provided pneumatic-based pellet fueling systems for two of the world's largest tokamak experiments, the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) and the Joint European Torus (JET). A new, versatile, centrifuge-type injector is being installed on the Tore Supra tokamak. Also, a new, simplified, eight-shot injector has been developed, and injectors based on this design are operating on the Princeton Beta Experiment (PBX) and the ORNL Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF). In addition to these confinement-physics-related activities, ORNL is pursuing advanced technologies to achieve pellet velocities significantly in excess of 2 km/s, and has carried out a tritium proof of principle experiment in which the fabrication and acceleration of tritium pellets were demonstrated. These ongoing activities are described. >
The Threefold Self and the Four Options Self Monitoring One s Daily Emotional Spin Cycle

A simplified general theory of self-change was presented in written instructions to college students that gave them a systematic and objective way of perceiving and monitoring their negative mental states in common daily situations of their own choosing. The theory describes a mental “bridge technique” consisting of speaking selfregulatory verbalizations that counteract the negative emotions and thoughts. A key aspect of the self-change technique is to view one’s mental state as comprising three distinct domains of experience and activity: affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor. This is called the “threefold-self”. Success in crossing the bridge from negative to positive thoughts and emotions depends on engaging all three domains. Several samples are given to show how the students related to the theory and the task. All students were able to understand and follow the theory and self-modification procedures. Student reports indicated acceptance of the theory and enthusiasm at the effectiveness of the approach. Additional research is needed to determine how long the change lasts.
Increased Vascular Adrenergic Vasoconstriction and Decreased Vasodilation in Blacks: Additive Mechanisms Leading to Enhanced Vascular Reactivity

Blood pressure reactivity is enhanced in young black subjects through mechanisms that are poorly understood. We compared alpha-adrenergic-mediated vasoconstrictor and ss-adrenergic vasodilator sensitivity and their relation to sympathetic activity in blacks and whites. Ten healthy black (age, 29.9+/-2.4 years) and 10 white (age, 28.3+/-1.9 years) men were studied. Forearm blood flow was measured with strain-gauge plethysmography after the intrabrachial artery administration of phenylephrine (1.25 to 20 microgram/min) and isoproterenol (60 and 400 ng/min) after application of lower-body negative pressure and after a cold pressor test. Forearm and systemic norepinephrine spillover were measured with a radioisotope dilution technique. alpha-Adrenergic vasoconstriction was markedly increased (ANOVA P=0.008) and ss-adrenergic vasodilation decreased (ANOVA P=0.02) in blacks. Phenylephrine (10 microgram/min) decreased forearm blood flow by 58.0+/-2.5% in blacks but only by 26.6+/-6.0% in whites (P<0.001). Vasoconstrictor response to endogenous norepinephrine, stimulated by a cold pressor test, resulted in a higher forearm vascular resistance in blacks than in whites (107.3+/-13 versus 64.8+/-13 mm Hg. mL(-)(1). 100 mL(-)(1), P=0.03). There were no significant ethnic differences in basal or stimulated forearm or systemic norepinephrine spillover. Increased vasoconstrictor and decreased vasodilator responses in blacks were not correlated. Increased sympathetically mediated vascular tone caused by enhanced vasoconstriction and attenuated vasodilation, effects that would be additive, and not increased sympathetic activity could enhance vascular reactivity and may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension in blacks.
A Study on the Structure-Piezoresponse Property of a ZnO Nanobelt by In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

The coupled piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of the NWs and NBs accommodate charge creation, accumulation, and discharge processes. Here, we report the mechanically triggered generation of piezoresponse in the uniaxially compressed piezoelectric ZnO nanobelts. In order to correlate the structure-piezoresponse property of a nanobelt, we conducted structural imaging simultaneously with the piezoresponse measurements using a Nanoindentor (NI) /TEM system (capacitance < 3 pF) with a conducting probe. These nanobelts self-ignites electrically once subjected to an externally applied uniaxial compressive load without any external bias.
Radiation trapping in rubidium optical pumping at low buffer-gas pressures

We have made a systematic study of rubidium optical pumping in a simple cylindrical cell geometry with a high-power $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{W}$ diode laser array, low magnetic fields, and buffer-gas pressures of less than $50\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{torr}$. We have determined rubidium polarizations experimentally for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, He, and Ar buffer gases, with Rb number densities from ${10}^{12}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{10}^{13}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Comparison to a relatively simple optical pumping model allows us to extract useful information about radiation trapping and quenching effects.
Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education

Faculty satisfaction is considered an important factor of quality in online courses. A study was conducted to identify and confirm factors affecting the satisfaction of online faculty at a small research university, and to develop and validate an instrument that can be used to measure perceived faculty satisfaction in the context of the online learning environment. The online faculty satisfaction survey (OFSS) was developed and administered to all instructors who had taught an online course in fall 2007 or spring 2008 at a small research university in the USA. One hundred and two individuals completed the web‐based questionnaire. Results confirm that three factors affect satisfaction of faculty in the online environment: student‐related, instructor‐related, and institution‐related factors.
Optimum Bivariate Step-Stress Accelerated Life Test for Censored Data

A step-stress accelerated life test for two stress variables is developed. The time to failure follows the Weibull distribution, and the test is subject to termination at a predetermined time, leading to censored failure data. An optimum test plan is developed to determine the test interval for each combination of stress levels. The scale parameter of the Weibull distribution for each combination of stress levels is defined as a log linear function of the stress levels. The optimal criterion is defined to minimize the asymptotic variance of the maximum likelihood estimator of the life for a specified reliability
The 'Highly Qualified Teacher' Trope: Democratic Professionalism and Educational Policy in the Face of Risk, Uncertainty, and Blame

The descriptor, 'highly qualified teacher,' serves as a trope in educational reform rhetoric that invites interrogation if it is to be vaunted as a key signifier of utopian thinking about improving American education in our times. Such interrogation may be furthered by informed awareness of the past, critical attentiveness to the present, and engaged openness for a future that reaches towards democratic aspiration as its guiding ethos. A trilateral orientation of historical awareness, policy critique, and democratic educative theory are linked to interrogate how ‘quality’ as a construct is constrained and distorted in talk about ‘21 st century skills’ and teacher quality as guarantors of global economic competitiveness. Of primary concern is how the distortion manifests in the face of risk and uncertainty as features of a ‘culture of blame’ under a neo-liberal logic that replaces democracy with corporatist control. The ‘highly qualified teacher’ trope is interrogated and subverted as it is contrasted with a ‘democratic conception of professionalism’ and ‘wide-awakeness’ in ‘the nightmare that is the present’.
Success of a Lactation Education Program on NICU Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes

ABSTRACT Objectives To test an educational intervention designed to improve lactation knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of NICU nurses and to improve their intentions to provide mothers with lactation support. Design Quasi-experimental, time-series pretest/posttest. Setting NICU of a Midwestern, free-standing, tertiary-care children's hospital. Participants Convenience sample of 64 NICU nurses and 2 separate convenience samples of mothers of infants hospitalized in the NICU ( n =19 and 13, respectively). Methods Nurses were measured on study outcomes at multiple time points, beginning with 2 weeks before and ending at 3 months after attendance to a 4-hour educational program. Mothers were sampled before and 3 months after the intervention. Main Outcome Measure(s) Nurses' lactation knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intentions to support lactation and mothers' perceptions of lactation support in the NICU. Results Findings suggest that this educational intervention was effective for improving NICU nurses' lactation knowledge and attitudes, and that these improvements were maintained over time. Further, the supportive atmosphere for lactation in this NICU significantly improved following the implementation of the educational intervention for nurses. Conclusion Intermittent, short educational programs which include practical how-to's and motivational encouragement for staff may provide the empowerment nurses need in order to be supportive of lactation.
Degradation kinetics of polymers in solution : Dynamics of molecular weight distributions

Polymer degradation occurs when macromolecular chains are broken under the influence of thermal, mechanical or chemical energy. Chain-end depolymerization and random- and midpoint-chain scission are mechanisms that have been observed in liquid-phase polymer degradation. Here we develop mathematical models, unified by continuous-mixture kinetics, to show how these different mechanisms affect polymer degradation in solution. Rate expressions for the fragmentation of molecular-weight distributions (MWDs) govern the evolution of MWDs. The governing integrodifferential equations can be solved analytically for realistic conditions. Moment analysis for first-order continuous kinetics shows the temporal behavior of MWDs. Chain-end depolymerization yields monomer product and polymer molecular-weight moments that vary linearly with time. In contrast, random- and midpoint-chain scission models display exponential time behavior. The mathematical results reasonably describe experimental observations for polymer degradation. This approach, based on the time evolution of continuous distributions of chain length or molecular weight, provides a framework for interpreting several types of macromolecular degradation processes, particularly how bimodal MWDs can evolve during degradation.
Unacceptable height correlation coefficients and the quasi-specular component in rough surface scattering

The purpose of this note is to put to rest once and for all the use of an erroneous result derived from the linear (or exponential) height correlation coefficient in the physical optics formulation of rough surface scatter. The form of the correlation coefficient near the origin must be quadratic so that the physical optics integral can be evaluated asymptotically. Hence, the theoretical shape of the quasi-specular component for backscatter is not due to the nature of the correlation coefficient but to the form and behavior of the probability density function for the surface slopes evaluated for tilts near their mean values, the horizontal.
Student Perceptions of Hate Crimes

Estimates indicate hate crimes are a growing concern in the United States. This paper addresses how criminal justice students perceive victims of hate crimes. Survey findings show subjects are less likely to define certain groups of people as victims of hate crimes. Suggestions are made as to how criminal justice departments can heighten awareness of hate crime victims, multiculturalism, and gender diversity among criminal justice students.
SEMANTIC INTEGRATION AND KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

Environmental research and knowledge discovery both require extensive use of data stored in various sources and created in different ways for diverse purposes. We describe a new metadata approach to elicit semantic information from environmental data and implement semanticsbased techniques to assist users in integrating, navigating, and mining multiple environmental data sources. Our system contains specifications of various environmental data sources and the relationships that are formed among them. User requests are augmented with semantically related data sources and automatically presented as a visual semantic network. In addition, we present a methodology for data navigation and pattern discovery using multi-resolution browsing and data mining. The data semantics are captured and utilized in terms of their patterns and trends at multiple levels of resolution. We present the efficacy of our methodology through experimental results.
Applications of power electronics-based systems in vehicular technology: state-of-the-art and future trends

Power electronics-based systems and components have been increasingly used in land, air, and sea vehicles over the past decade. This has turned the vehicular products into a primary market for power electronics applications. Moreover, the existing trend in more electrification of the vehicles represents an even bigger potential for an increase in the existing demand. Although the primary incentive for introduction of multiconverter systems into vehicular technologies was to enhance fuel economy and environmental issues associated with vehicles; today, improvement of fault tolerance, cost, and compactness have boost the motivation for development of the more electric vehicles. The use of numerous converters has an impending impact on the overall system. The multiconverter system is highly prone to interaction within and between subsystems, varied source and load profiles, reduced power quality, degraded static and dynamic behavior of the system, and in some cases effect system stability. Traditionally, converters have been designed and analyzed on standalone basis using conservative approaches. However, in the context of multiconverter systems such approaches can lead to devastating consequences in terms of irreparable collapse of the entire system. Thus, it is inevitable to set new approaches that address issues of system dynamic and large signal perturbations. Existing work to address these issues is reviewed in this paper. In addition, a testbed is presented to provide a resource for the community to test design scenarios.
Transaction-cost Economics in Real Time

This paper attempts to place the theq of the boundaries of thejirm within the context of the passage of time. More precisely, it resurrects and places in a modem frame some of the insights of the chsical and Marshallian theories of organization. The modem reinterpretation of those theories centers around the 'capabilities' view of the jirm. Taken together with governance costs, the capabilities ofjirm and market determine the boundaries of the jirm in the short run. Ovw time, capabilities change as firms and markets learn, which implies a kind of information or knowledge cost-the cost of trandewing the firm's capability to the market w vice versa. These 'dynamic' governance costs are the costs of persuading, negotiating and coordinating with, and teaching others. They arise in the face of change, notably txchnological and organizational innovation. In fit, they are the costs of not having the capabilities you need when you need them. Dynamic transaction costs provide an explanation for vertical integration that is arguably more general than those dominant in the literature. In the face of uncertainty and divwgent views ofthe future, common ownership of multiple stages of production is a supwior institutional arrangement for coordinating systemic change. Asset-specrfity is neither necessary nor suffient for this to be true. Dynamic governance costs may also affIt internal organization. It may sometimes be costly-in 3 terms of persuasion, negotiation and teaching-to create within the firm capabilities _ readily available on the market. Indeed, in cases in which systemic coordination is not 4 the issue, the market may turn out to be the superior institution of coordination. In E 2 genwal, the capabilities view of the jirm suggests that we look atfim2 and market as alternative-and sometimes overlapping-institutions of learning. $ 1. Transaction costs in the long rzln and the short 9 X Classical and neoclassical perspectives
Targeting IL4/IL4R for the treatment of epithelial cancer metastasis.

While progress has been made in treating primary epithelial tumors, metastatic tumors remain largely incurable and still account for 85–90 % of all cancer-related deaths. Interleukin-4 (IL4), a Th2 cytokine, and the IL4/IL4 receptor (IL4R) interaction have well defined roles in the immune system. Yet, IL4 receptors are over-expressed by many epithelial cancers and could be a promising target for metastatic tumor therapy. The IL4/IL4R signaling axis is a strong promoter of pro-metastatic phenotypes in epithelial cancer cells including enhanced migration, invasion, survival, and proliferation. The promotion of breast cancer growth specifically is also supported in part by IL4-induced glutamine metabolism, and we have shown that IL4 is also capable of inducing glucose metabolism in breast cancer cells. Importantly, there are several types of FDA approved medications for use in asthma patients that inhibit the IL4/IL4R signaling axis. However, these approved medications inhibit both the type I IL4 receptor found on immune cells, and the type II IL4 receptor that is predominantly expressed by some non-hematopoietic cells including epithelial cancer cells. This article reviews existing therapies targeting IL4, IL4R, or IL4/IL4R signaling, and recent findings guiding the creation of novel therapies that specifically inhibit the type II IL4R, while taking into consideration effects on immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Some of these therapies are currently in clinical trials for cancer patients, and may be exploitable for the treatment of metastatic disease.