cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture

Abstract. The use of wireless sensor networks in the measurement of soil parameters represents one of the least invasive methods available to date. Wireless sensors pose the least disturbance to soil structure and having fewer aboveground cables reduce the risk of undesired equipment damage and potential data loss. However, implementing wireless sensor networks in field studies usually requires advanced and costly engineering knowledge. This study presents a new underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring soil oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture. The process of system design, assembly, programming, deployment, and power management is presented. The system can be left underground for several years without the need for changing the battery. Emphasis was given on modularity so that it can be easily duplicated or changed if needed, and deployed without previous engineering knowledge. Data from this type of system have a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture and high-resolution modelling.
Who Doesn’t Start a Business in America? A Look at Pre-Entrepreneurship Leavers

Who doesn’t start a business? To understand barriers to entrepreneurship, it is useful to gain insight into who wants to, but does not, start a business — and why. Pre-entrepreneurship leavers are people who have not previously owned a business, have been deeply interested in starting a business within the last five years, and had a specific business idea in mind, but ultimately made a conscious decision not to do so or wait. This report details some key findings about pre-entrepreneurship leavers drawn from a nationally representative survey of adults in the United States between June and August 2020.
Comment on the Request for Information on Rulemaking Processes by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB Docket No. CFPB-2018-0009

On March 7, 2018, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, under Acting Director Mick Mulvaney, issued a Request for Information eliciting public comment on its rulemaking processes. This response expresses concern that under its new leadership, the Bureau is retreating from its commitment to fair, open, and data-driven rulemakings in response to industry pressure. The response argues that the Bureau must refrain from any actions that would undermine that commitment, including: (1) creating artificial obstacles to on-boarding quantitative data; (2) prohibiting the use of qualitative data and consumer anecdotes; (3) compromising the independence of its cost-benefit analyses; and (4) relying on new data, studies or reports after a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking appears without disclosing that reliance. The response further calls on the Bureau to strengthen its ex parte policy to ensure timely public posting of all ex parte communications involving rulemakings.
Diagnosis of congenital fetal abnormalities by sonography.

Sonographic examinations were performed on 13 patients whose fetuses had the following congenital malformations: anencephaly (4 cases), hydrocephaly (4), obstruction of the renal excretory system (3), iniencephaly (1), and sacrococcygeal teratoma (1). In 7 cases the initial diagnosis was made by sonography, in 6 cases by radiography. Sonography was valuable a) in the detection of discrepant growth between fetal chest and head and b) in the recognition of fetal soft tissue abnormalities. It is concluded that sonography is a valuable aid in the diagnosis of congenital fetal anomalies.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS’ CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PREFERENCES AND PRACTICES

This study investigated school psychologists’ continuing professional development (CPD) activities, topics, needs, motivations, financial expenditures, and opinions, as well as relationships between select demographic characteristics and certain CPD practices and preferences. A survey was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected Regular Members of the National Association of School Psychologists, resulting in the return of 510 completed surveys, a 51% response rate. Respondents expressed opinions about CPD that were positive, optimistic, and consistent with their high levels of engagement and investments of both time and financial resources. Most respondents reported engaging in 25 or more hours of CPD during the previous year. CPD topics in which they engaged most frequently were response to intervention and academic, behavioral, and social–emotional interventions, and academic screening and progress monitoring. Respondents reported a high level of need for more CPD in those same topic areas, but a low level of need for offerings in standardized assessment. Older school psychologists were less likely to have engaged in CPD relating to contemporary assessment practices and interventions and more likely to have engaged in activities related to standardized assessment. Almost half of the respondents had engaged in CPD through an online activity and reported a desire for more online opportunities. No relationship was found between age and usage of, or positive opinions about, online CPD.
Seamlessly engineering a smart environment

Developing technologies and systems for automated control of home and workplace environments is a challenging problem. We present a complete agent architecture for learning to automate a smart environment and discuss integration of AT and middleware technologies necessary to achieve the goals of this project. Results are demonstrated using the MavPad and MavLab intelligent environments.
Unexpectedly high concentrations of molecular chlorine in coastal air

The fate of many atmospheric trace species, including pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and some volatile organic compounds, is controlled by oxidation reactions. In the daytime troposphere, these reactions are dominated by photochemically produced OH radicals; at night and in polluted environments, NO3 radicals are an important oxidant1. Ozone can contribute to the oxidation of atmospheric species during both day and night1. In recent years, laboratory investigations2,3,4, modelling studies5,6,7, measured Cl deficits in marine aerosols8 and species-nonspecific observations9,10,11 of gaseous inorganic chlorine compounds other than HCl have suggested that reactive halogen species may contribute significantly to—or even locally dominate—the oxidative capacity of the lower marine troposphere. Here we report night-time observations of molecular chlorine concentrations at a North American coastal site during onshore wind flow conditions that cannot be explained using known chlorine chemistry. The measured Cl2 mixing ratios range from <10 to 150 parts per 1012 (p.p.t.), exceeding those predicted5 for marine air by more than an order of magnitude. Using the observed chlorine concentrations and a simple photochemical box model, we estimate that a hitherto unrecognized chlorine source must exist that produces up to 330 p.p.t. Cl2 per day. The model also indicates that early-morning photolysis of molecular chlorine can yield sufficiently high concentrations of chlorine atoms to render the oxidation of common gaseous compounds by this species 100 times faster than the analogous oxidation reactions involving the OH radical, thus emphasizing the locally significant effect of chlorine atoms on the concentrations and lifetimes of atmospheric trace species in both the remote marine boundary layer and coastal urban areas.
Amartya Sen’s Defense of Human Rights and the Challenge of Bentham

This essay explores the foundation problem in human rights theory by examining the criticism of Jeremy Bentham and the response of Amartya Sen. Unlike most defenders of human rights, Sen does not avoid Bentham and the foundation problem; nor does he retreat from the traditional theory that regards human rights as preexisting and universal. Furthermore, Sen also embraces other key aspects of the robust traditional theory, namely that human rights include the full range of positive welfare entitlements. Bentham, who famously denounced natural rights claims as "nonsense upon stilts," was unyielding in his insistence that rights must be legally enacted and enforceable by clearly named rights providers, such as governments. This essay analyzes the debate between these two philosophers and concludes that Bentham's criticisms remain cogent and prescient.
Mesocrack damage induced by a macrocrack in heterogeneous materials

Abstract A mesocrack is in scale much larger than a microcrack but still smaller than a macrocrack, which has already been known to significantly influence the macroscopic behavior of engineering materials in transferring the load. An accumulative damage model is proposed in this work to account for the continuous degradation of the elastic moduli due to mesocrack formation in the rock medium under an excessive amount of volumetric strain. A power law is proposed to relate the isotropic damage measure D to the volumetric strain and the damage parameters involved in the model are determined from the peak state in the uniaxial stress and strain curve. A macrocrack is introduced to illustrate the continuous accrual of damage in the strain history due to geometrical singularity. The special elements are implemented in the near-tip region in the finite element analysis and the elastic moduli involved in the analytical expressions are updated according to the mesocrack damage developed in the strain history. As a natural consequence of mesocrack damage, the crack tip stress relief, the damage evolution in the neighborhood of the macrocrack tip and the nonhomogeneous response of material damage by softening are discussed in detail.
Enclosing the Floodplain: Resource Conflict on the Illinois River, 1880–1920

In 1891, as Charles Tompkins rowed his boat in the bottomlands of the Illinois River, he "happened to look around" and, as he recalled, a fence "took me right under the jaw and knocked me off the seat into the boat." The fence had been constructed that year by the Pekin and Spring Lake Hunting and Fishing Club, enclosing a tract of about seven thousand acres of the floodplain of the Illinois River. Although Tompkins had helped build the fence, he had not yet become accustomed to the changes in the Illinois River floodplain, which it represented. "It was like you would stretch a wire across the path to your house and you would come in in the night and stumble over it without thinking about it," he explained. "I knew this fence was across the slough, but I had been there so long I didn't think it was there."' Tompkins's experience was emblematic of larger changes occurring on the Illinois River. For over half a century, residents of the floodplain had open access to its resources: fish and game, timber, ice, pasture, and navigation. The floodplain was a commons.2 By the end of the nineteenth century, landowners increasingly restricted public access to the resources of the Illinois River by enclosing the floodplain and claiming it as their exclusive property. Private hunting clubs and, later, drainage and levee districts, built fences and levees in the bottomlands of the Illinois River and appropriated the right to hunt, fish, and gather resources. During the period 1880-1920, the Illinois River became a battleground as the definitions of property, public rights, and the public interest were fought out.3 Just as enclosure movements of the past elicited resistance from people excluded from access to common property resources, the fishers, hunters, and other residents of the Illinois River floodplain fought enclosure of the bottomlands. As Tompkins reported, the fence that he ran into "didn't stay across the slough very long before it was torn down by somebody."4
Changes in Aggressive Interaction in Adjacently Territorial Convict Cichlids (Cichlasoma Nigrofasciatum): a Study of Habituation

Pairs of male Convict Cichlids (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum) were isolated from each other and then exposed in adjoining territories under one of two exposure conditions, either daily 20 minute exposure for 38-44 days or a massed continuous exposure for 24 or 28 hours. The incidence of biting and the duration of chin display for each fish was recorded. The duration of the chin display described a near uniform pattern of attenuation for both exposure conditions. The waning of the biting response was evident but it was more variable than the chin display. It was concluded that these behaviors both tend to habituate with repeated or constant exposure to the same stimulus source and that prolonged exposure facilitates the habituation of aggressiveness between territorial neighbors, thus promoting peace in a particular ecological niche.
Overset grid technology development at NASA Ames Research Center

The idea of overset grids arose from the need to model complex multi-component systems where an optimum body-fitted grid is used for each component. One of the main motivations behind the overset grid development work at NASA originated from the requirement to perform simulations involving multiple bodies in relative motion. This article traces the development of overset grid technologies at NASA Ames Research Center, including: data format and visualization software; and algorithms and software tools for surface grid generation, volume grid generation, domain connectivity, forces and moments calculation, and flow solution computation. Examples of the use of overset grids for NASA aerospace applications are given, and current and future work to improve overset grid technologies are summarized.
Criteria for the use of omics-based predictors in clinical trials: explanation and elaboration.

High-throughput ‘omics’ technologies that generate molecular profiles for biospecimens have been extensively used in preclinical studies to reveal molecular subtypes and elucidate the biological mechanisms of disease, and in retrospective studies on clinical specimens to develop mathematical models to predict clinical endpoints. Nevertheless, the translation of these technologies into clinical tests that are useful for guiding management decisions for patients has been relatively slow. It can be difficult to determine when the body of evidence for an omics-based test is sufficiently comprehensive and reliable to support claims that it is ready for clinical use, or even that it is ready for definitive evaluation in a clinical trial in which it may be used to direct patient therapy. Reasons for this difficulty include the exploratory and retrospective nature of many of these studies, the complexity of these assays and their application to clinical specimens, and the many potential pitfalls inherent in the development of mathematical predictor models from the very high-dimensional data generated by these omics technologies. Here we present a checklist of criteria to consider when evaluating the body of evidence supporting the clinical use of a predictor to guide patient therapy. Included are issues pertaining to specimen and assay requirements, the soundness of the process for developing predictor models, expectations regarding clinical study design and conduct, and attention to regulatory, ethical, and legal issues. The proposed checklist should serve as a useful guide to investigators preparing proposals for studies involving the use of omics-based tests. The US National Cancer Institute plans to refer to these guidelines for review of proposals for studies involving omics tests, and it is hoped that other sponsors will adopt the checklist as well.
Effects of Nd:YAG laser on the meniscus of the knee joint

The use of laser energy for arthroscopic surgery of the meniscus has been fraught with difficult problems which include excessive tissue penetration and the need for a gas medium. The use of the Neodynium : Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser offers better control of the penetration depth as well as the opportunity to operate the laser in a liquid medium. Twenty-two excised menisci and twenty cadaver knee menisci were exposed to contact Nd:YAG laser radiation of a power density at 1 .064 microns. The operating parameters included a range of power levels of 5 to 60 watts and exposure time of 0.5 to 1 0.0 seconds. The laser-induced dissection yielded reproducible layers of cavitation and necrosis, proportional to the power and duration of the beam. Carbonized debris was noted on the edge of the cut surface, particularly at the higher power setting. The more peripheral zone of coagulation remained at constant depth and width when tested within the parameters noted above. The Nd:YAG laser has been observed to section the meniscus cartilage in a very controlled, accurate and safe fashion. For the best tissue effect, impulses of 1 5 - 20 watts applied for 2-4 seconds offer the most efficacious combination for the knee menisectomy. While these findings are promising for the clinical utilization of Nd:YAG laser in arthroscopic surgery, additional work is required on both the technical aspects of the sapphire tip design as well as the longterm sequellae of the laser treated cartilage.
Exodontia: Tips and Techniques for Better Outcomes

This article reviews and highlights exodontia tips as well as new techniques to make simple and complex exodontia more predictable and efficient with improved patient outcomes. A discussion of a powered periotome that has been developed to aid in the atraumatic extraction of teeth and another new device, the piezosurgery, increasingly used for outpatient oral surgery procedures are included. Physics forceps, a new type of exodontia forceps, is also discussed in this article.
Nonequivalent Group Designs The Use of ANCOVA, Multiple Regression, Repeated ANOVA, and Effect Size

In pretest-posttest nonequivalent group designs, naive use of analysis of covariance or multiple regression can lead to Type I errors. In the evaluation of a Title IV-C, ESEA project, thorough analysis of the interaction term of a repeated model analysis of variance was shown to help identify areas of significant change. Meaningful differences were also supported by the standardized difference score, Effect Size. It was suggested that a two-fold increase of Effect Size from pretest to posttest might be an effective guide in the determination of meaningfully significant change.
Role of higher-order scattering in solutions to the forward and inverse optical-imaging problems in random media

From analytical and numerical solutions that predict the scattering of diffuse photon density waves and from experimental measurements of changes in phase shift θ and ac amplitude demodulation M caused by the presence of single and double cylindrical heterogeneities, we show that second- and higher-order perturbations can affect the prediction of the propagation characteristics of diffuse photon density waves. Our experimental results for perfect absorbers in a lossless medium suggest that the performance of fast inverse-imaging algorithms that use first-order Born or Rytov approximations might have inherent limitations compared with inverse solutions that use iterative solutions of a linear perturbation equation or numerical solutions of the diffusion equation.
Effects of stochastic noise on the evolution of canalization (Invited Paper)

Canalization is a form of network robustness found in genetic regulatory networks that results in a reduction of the variation of phenotypic expression relative to the complexity of the genome. Recently, it was discovered that canalization can evolve in a complex network through a self-organization of node (gene) behavior resulting from a competition of a network's nodes that selects for a diversity of behavior [K.E. Bassler, C. Lee, and Y. Lee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 038101 (2004)]. Previously, this "self-organized" mechanism for the evolution of canalization has been studied only in deterministic model systems. This paper considers the effects of stochastic noise in the signals exchanged between nodes on the self-organized evolution of canalization. We find that small levels of stochastic noise increase the amount of canalization produced. At higher levels of noise, the amount of canalization produced levels off and reaches a maximum value, before it reduces at large levels of noise.
Structural biology: Finding the wet spots.

The functions of proteins are critically coupled to their interplay with water, but determining the dynamics of most water molecules at protein surfaces hasn't been possible. A new spectroscopic method promises to change that.
Fabrication techniques for creating a thermally isolated TM-FPA (thermal microphotonic focal plane array)

A novel fabrication strategy has produced optical microring-resonator-based thermal detectors. The detectors are based on the thermo-optic effect and are thermally isolated from a silicon wafer substrate so as to maximize the temperature excursion for a given amount of incident radiation and minimize the impact of thermal phonon noise. The combination of high-Q, thermal isolation, and lack of Johnson noise offers thermal microphotonic detectors the potential to achieve significantly greater room temperature sensitivity than standard bolometric techniques. Several batch fabrication strategies were investigated for producing thermal microphotonic detectors using waveguide materials such as LPCVD Silicon Nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) on Oxide and Silicon on Insulator (SOI). Fabrication challenges and loss reduction strategies will be presented along with some initial infrared detection results.
Classification and treatment of coronary artery bifurcation lesions: putting the Medina classification to the test.

Abstract Background Coronary bifurcation lesions are common, difficult to treat, and associated with poorer outcomes compared to non-bifurcation lesions. The Medina classification has been widely adopted as the preferred system to classify bifurcation lesions, however there have been little efforts to characterize this metric. The objective of this study was to characterize the inter-observer variability of the Medina classification and examine its contribution to treatment selection strategy. Methods and materials We invited 150 interventional cardiologists from the United States and Europe to complete an online survey evaluating 12 freeze frame coronary angiograms of bifurcation lesions. Each respondent was asked to characterize the bifurcation lesions using the Medina classification and other metrics including side branch vessel size and angle. Respondents were asked to designate either a provisional (1 stent) or dedicated (2 stent) treatment strategy. ‘Complex’ lesions were defined as Medina scores 1.1.1, 0.1.1, or 1.0.1. Results A total of 49 interventional cardiologists responded. In 7 of the 12 angiograms evaluated, there was > 75% agreement regarding lesion classification using the Medina system. There was moderate inter-observer agreement when using Medina to classify lesions as ‘Complex’ vs. ‘non-Complex’. ‘Complex’ bifurcation designation and side branch size were predictive of selection of a dedicated treatment strategy, whereas side branch angle was not. Conclusions The Medina classification is a useful tool in characterizing coronary bifurcation lesions. For the majority of the angiograms evaluated there was good inter-observer agreement in lesion classification using the Medina system. ‘Complex’ bifurcation designation and side branch size were predictive of selection of a dedicated treatment strategy.
High-temperature stability of ternary nitrate molten salts for solar thermal energy systems

Abstract Molten salts that melt at low temperature and are stable at high temperature would be very useful for solar thermal energy applications. We have investigated the chemical stability of low-melting, ternary molten salt mixtures of NaNO 3 , KNO 3 and either Ca(NO 3 ) 2 or LiNO 3 and determined the types of decomposition products formed under equilibrium conditions. The initial decomposition reaction, nitrate ⇆ nitrite + oxygen, proceeds to approximately the same extent in ternary mixtures as in an equimolar binary mixture of NaNO 3 and KNO 3 . Decomposition at high temperature was due to reactions of nitrite and nitrate that yield oxide ions. The latter reactions were strongly dependent on the composition of ternary mixtures and it was found that mixtures containing lithium nitrate were more stable than those containing calcium nitrate. Although ternary mixtures are less stable than the binary mixture, they appear to be useable at relatively high temperatures.
Integrated and Fiber Optical Devices and Systems

A state of the art review is presented on fiber optic systems and integrated optical devices. Advantages of such systems, problem areas, and applications are discussed. (auth)
Human adrenocortical cell xenotransplantation: Model of cotransplantation of human adrenocortical cells and 3T3 cells in scid mice to form vascularized functional tissue and prevent adrenal insufficiency

To establish an experimental model for replacement of endocrine organ function by xenotransplantation, human adrenocortical cells from postnatal donors were transplanted beneath the kidney capsule of adrenalectomized scidmice together with mitomycin C-treated 3T3 cells that secrete FGF. Adrenocortical cells from seven donors, male and female, ranging from 6-50 years of age, were used. 12 of 13 animals survived > 16 days following surgery. After 50 days they were sacrified to allow assessment of the histology and ultrastructure of tissue formed from the transplanted cells. Only 1 of 23 adrenalectomized sham-operated animals survived > 16 days. In all surviving animals, vascularized adrenocortical tissue formed at the site of transplantation. Cortisol, the normal human glucocorticoid, was present in the plasma of these animals, replacing corticosterone, the mouse glucocorticoid. Some animals, but not most, had measurable aldosterone. The tissue formed from the transplanted cells showed histological and ultrastructural features of normal adrenal cortex. Mitochondria had tubulo-vesicular cristae and there were prominent microvilli between cells. Tissues had a well-developed vasculature, sometimes with large sinusoidal vessels. Proliferation in the transplant tissues was very low. These results show that tissue formed from transplanted human adrenocortical cells is able to replace the essential functions of the adrenal gland in scid mice. This demonstrates that transplanted human endocrine cells can functionally replace a surgically removed endocrine organ in a host animal.
Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Induced Release of Growth Hormone in Aging Male Rats: Dependence on Pharmacological Manipulation and Endogenous Somatostatin Release

These studies were designed to assess whether a decline in pituitary response to growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) contributes to the decline in amplitude of growth hormone (GH) pulses with age. A
In situ elevated‐temperature drift spectroscopyof γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane as a condensed phase and a coated film on silica surface

It is the purpose of this study to determine the structure of γ-amlnopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) on the surface of silica. Diffuse Reflectance spectroscopy (DRIFT) was employed to study the molecular structure of the partially condensed (APS) and Al's-coated silica at 90°C. The condensed APS and Al's-coated silica were prepared at the natural pH (10.3) of the APS and in the ambient environment. At room temperature, amino groups of the condensed APS and the APS-coated silica form the amine carbonate and amine bicarbonate salts. Upon heat treatment, the amino salt structures are eliminated, leaving the amino groups in non-bonded form.
The estimation of equilibrium molecular structures from zero-point rotational constants

Abstract The approximate equation I e = 2 I 8 - I 0 , where I e , I 8 , and I 0 are, respectively, the equilibrium, substitution and zero-point moments of inertia of a molecule, can be derived from a first order treatment of isotope effects, and is valid for linear, symmetric or asymmetric tops. By means of this equation it is possible to estimate the equilibrium structure of a molecule from the zero-point rotational constants of several isotopes. The advantage of this “mass-dependence” ( r m ) method over the conventional r e method is that it is insensitive to the perturbations and resonances that frequently affect excited vibrational states. The main disadvantages are that a large number of isotopic molecules may be necessary and that the above equation is not sufficiently accurate for hydrogen-deuterium isotope effects. A detailed comparison between r m and r e of CO shows that the slight difference of about 2 × 10 −4 A between the two bond lengths is due mainly to the difference in the contributions of the electrons. The r m method has also been applied to the triatomic molecules N 2 O, OCS, SO 2 and HCN. For N 2 O and SO 2 the results are in excellent agreement with the most recent r e structures. For OCS there is a significant difference between the r m structure and the present r e structure. This difference is as yet unexplained. The poor results for HCN confirm the general expectation that the r m method cannot be applied to hydrides without further modification.
Examination of SPT-Based Liquefaction Triggering Correlations

The differences between the liquefaction triggering correlations published by Seed et al. (1984) and those published more recently by Cetin et al. (2004) and those by Idriss and Boulanger (2004, 20...
Modification of the Gulf Stream through Strong Air–Sea Interactions in Winter: Observations and Numerical Simulations

Abstract The greatest fluxes of heat and moisture from the ocean to the atmosphere occur off the east coast of North America during winter when the Gulf Stream is vigorously cooled by strong cold air outbreaks that move off the continent. In this paper observational and numerical modeling methods are employed to investigate the response of the Gulf Stream to such strong cooling events. Both methods show that the surface mixed layer can deepen several tens of meters during a single strong outbreak and that the heat decrease within the upper layer of the Gulf Stream, 2.9 × 1013 J in the model and 3.2(±0.7) × 1013 J in observations (per meter alongstream) for one case study, is balanced closely by the amount of oceanic heat released to the atmosphere. Computations also show that the cross-stream circulation is dominated by Ekman-like, wind-driven motion with velocities on the order of 20 cm s−1. A vertical circulation cell within the Gulf Stream, with vertical velocities on the order of 0.1 cm s−1, is found ...
The influence of crystalline electric field on the low temperature properties of CeCd11

Abstract Low temperature heat capacity, magnetic susceptibility and ac resistivity were measured on CeCd 11 . Evidence is reported for the existence of a crystalline electric field (CEF) effect in CeCd 11 in these low temperature property measurements. The ground state of the Ce 3+ ion, 2 F 5 2 , is split by CEF of tetragonal symmetry into three doublets, with an energy equal to E 0 =0, E 1 =17.5 K and E 2 =80.2 K, respectively. The magnetic entropy up to 70 K was calculated from heat capacity data. The magnetic susceptibility follows a CEF modified Curie-Weiss behavior with an effective moment of p eff =2.57 μ B indicating that 4f-electrons of Ce 3+ ions are localized. Comparison of the ac resistivity of our sample with spin-disorder resistivity in presence of CEF is also discussed.
The general-gamma distribution and reaction times☆

Abstract The general-gamma distribution describes input-output times in a multistage process consisting of exponential components whose constants are all different. The distribution and its unique history are examined. A stochastic process that leads to it is presented. The conditional density (hazard) function is studied as a means for estimating parameters. Finally, the multistage process model is applied to simple reaction times in an effort to reveal underlying detection and response components.
Olivine/melt transition metal partitioning, melt composition, and melt structure—Melt polymerization and Qn-speciation in alkaline earth silicate systems

Abstract The two most abundant network-modifying cations in magmatic liquids are Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ . To evaluate the influence of melt structure on exchange of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ with other geochemically important divalent cations ( m -cations) between coexisting minerals and melts, high-temperature (1470–1650 °C), ambient-pressure (0.1 MPa) forsterite/melt partitioning experiments were carried out in the system Mg 2 SiO 4 –CaMgSi 2 O 6 –SiO 2 with ⩽1 wt% m -cations (Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , and Ni 2+ ) substituting for Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ . The bulk melt NBO /Si-range ( NBO /Si: nonbridging oxygen per silicon) of melt in equilibrium with forsterite was between 1.89 and 2.74. In this NBO /Si-range, the NBO /Si(Ca) (fraction of nonbridging oxygens, NBO , that form bonds with Ca 2+ , Ca 2+ – NBO ) is linearly related to NBO /Si, whereas fraction of Mg 2+ – NBO bonds is essentially independent of NBO /Si. For individual m -cations, rate of change of K D ( m −Mg) with NBO /Si(Ca) for the exchange equilibrium, m melt + Mg olivine ⇌ m olivine + Mg melt , is linear. K D ( m −Mg) decreases as an exponential function of increasing ionic potential, Z / r 2 ( Z : formal electrical charge, r : ionic radius—here calculated with oxygen in sixfold coordination around the divalent cations) of the m -cation. The enthalpy change of the exchange equilibrium, Δ H , decreases linearly with increasing Z / r 2 [Δ H = 261(9)–81(3)· Z / r 2 (A −2 )]. From existing information on (Ca,Mg)O–SiO 2 melt structure at ambient pressure, these relationships are understood by considering the exchange of divalent cations that form bonds with nonbridging oxygen in individual Q n -species in the melts. The negative ∂ K D ( m −Mg) /∂( Z / r 2 ) and ∂(Δ H )/∂( Z / r 2 ) is because increasing Z / r 2 is because the cations forming bonds with nonbridging oxygen in increasingly depolymerized Q n -species where steric hindrance is decreasingly important. In other words, principles of ionic size/site mismatch commonly observed for trace and minor elements in crystals, also govern their solubility behavior in silicate melts.
A coulometer for determination of residual sulfite following the dechlorination of water

Abstract The kinetics of dechlorination dictate that the measurement must be completed in neutral solutions. A portable, analog circuitry-based instrument with direct readout using constant current coulometry with amperometric end point detection was developed and evaluated. An optocoupler and separate power supplies were used for circuit isolation of the detector from the generator. A range of concentrations of 0.015–25 mg SO2−3/1 were determined with a relative standard deviation of 1–2%. Applications involved both iodine and bromine as intermediates. The instrument has also been applied to determinations of arsenic, mercaptans, thiosulfate, copper, cyanide and ammonia for a similar concentration range.
Infectious Disease as a Cause of Infertility: A Review

Diseases impairing reproduction strike at the fundamental operation of cattle husbandry. Heifers late in producing or never producing calves and cows producing calves at longer intervals than normal or never again producing calves, obviously fail to yield their entire potential profit. Fewer calves and lactations, prolonged lactations and dry periods, with maintenance costs constant or only moderately decreased, all contribute to the accumulated loss. Infectious diseases are productive of financial loss to the owner of affected cattle by interfering with coitus, by preventing conception temporarily or permanently, by interrupting pregnancy during any stage from fertilization to parturition, or by causing stillborn, moribund or feeble calves. The ability to reproduce may be temporarily impaired during the course of any systemic condition associated with general debility or increase in body temperature; in bulls, spermatogenesis may be affected and quantity and quality of semen markedly altered, non-pregnant females may become anestrous, and pregnant females may abort. Diseases that are primarily systemic, however, are not within the scope of this paper. Discussion herein will be confined to those infectious diseases detrimental to reproduction that involve invasion by pathogenic organisms of some portion of the genitalia of either or both sexes. These diseases, in so far as their relationship to the genital system and its reproductive functions are concerned, are either (a) unspecialized or (b) specialized. The former are sporadic infections, either non-contagious or only slightly contagious, caused by organisms capable of causing disease of any part of animal bodies. The latter are contagious infections caused by organisms characterized by their specificity for particular species of animals and their decided predilection for, and more or less definite pattern of involvement of, the genital system. Obviously, most genital infections do not result in absolute sterility. Some infections are of short duration and may leave no permanent effects. Other transient infections may leave lesions which impair or preclude reproduction. In bulls, malfunction of the testicles or accessory sex glands or occlusion of the tubular system may result. In females, extensive adhesions around the ovaries, occlusions of the oviducts, destruction of the functional lining of the uterus, and enlargement and distortion of the cervix all may occur. Some local infections may persist in the chronic stage and result directly in life-long, capricious fer-
Evolution of Environmental Conditions Preceding the Development of a Nocturnal Mesoscale Convective Complex

Abstract A large nocturnal mesoscale convective complex (MCC) developed on 4 June 1985 during the Oklaboma-Kansas Preliminary Regional Experiment for STORM-Central (PRE-STORM) field phase. It occurred near the climatological center of the nocturnal maximum in warm-season precipitation situated over the central United States. In this study special rawinsonde and surface mesonet data have been used to examine how the environmental conditions, which supported MCC development, evolved at night over this region. The MCC of interest was the fourth in a series of MCCS, three of which propagated east-northeastward, 100–300 km north of a quasi-stationary surface front. The region where the MCC experienced its most intensive growth was initially characterized by dry and hydrostatically stable conditions (associated with the passage of the previous MCC) above the shallow, wedge-shaped cold air mass. In less than 3 h, interaction between the diurnally varying low-level jet and the frontal boundary led to a local incr...
The Characteristics of Alternative Mutual Funds

﻿This study investigated the portfolio characteristics and investment performance of alternative mutual funds from April 1993 to March 2013, focusing on Bear Market mutual funds, Market Neutral mutual funds, and a sampling of traditional stock mutual funds. The results indicate that alternative mutual funds are, on average, younger and smaller in size than the average traditional fund. Alternative funds, however, have significantly larger expense ratios, larger portfolio turnover, and fewer portfolio holdings. Bear Market fund returns generally move in the opposite direction of the stock market, whereas Market Neutral funds and the average traditional fund returns rise and fall with the stock market. The two categories of alternative funds underperformed the traditional funds, with substantially greater variability of returns and larger tracking errors. Furthermore, Bear Market funds had a negative beta and were more volatile than the stock market, whereas Market Neutral funds had a near-zero beta, making them less volatile than the stock market. The performance of the average traditional fund was not significantly different from zero, and its beta did not differ significantly from unity.
The Policy of National Integration in Zaïre

National integration continues to be a matter of considerable debate and experiment among those concerned with the administration of Zaire, but has attracted little attention elsewhere, even within the country. It is not to be confused with another policy – or alleged policy – that of suppressing tribalism in favour of national solidarity. Although ‘tribalism’ and ‘regionalism’ are constantly denounced by President Mobutu Sese Seko and other officials, they are major sources of corruption which the Government, by its practice, actively encourages by frequently reassigning all personnel in the higher ranks of the public service, and making sure that an ethnic mix is maintained in every agency. Officers commonly complain that the only thing that matters is one's tribal designation, not one's ability or performance. Engineered ‘tribalism’ of this sort has nothing to do with ancestral traditions and communal habits.
Radiation-induced osteogenic sarcoma of c3h mouse: effects of corynebacterium parvum and wbi on its natural history and response to irradiation.

Abstract An osteogenic sarcoma, which appeared at 316 days following single dose 5000 rad to the leg of C 3 H mouse, has been studied as early generation F2 and F3 transplants in syngenic hosts with respect to local growth, pattern of spread, and response to local irradiation in normal, C. parvum treated, and whole body irradiated hosts. Mean survival of untreated mice was 126 days after transplantation. Grossly evident metastatic tumor appeared in 85% of these mice; in 47 of 48 animals metastases were seen in the lung. Corynebacterium parvum given intravenously as a single dose of 350 μg at 96 hr after tumor transplant retarded tumor growth: regression was observed in 10 of 19 tumors, 3 of 19 mice were cured of their osteosarcomas and mean survival was prolonged from 126 to 173 days , in one study where i.v. C. parvum was given when tumor was 5 mm, 1 of 13 mice was cured by C. parvum alone. Although 5000 rad resulted in 100% of tumor destruction in normal mice; 49% died of metastatic tumor to the lung. In C. parvum treatment mice only 16% died of metastatic tumor. The radiation doses which achieved control of half of the irradiated 8 mm diameter tumors were 4350 and 3600 rad for normal and C. parvum treated hosts, respectively. While body irradiation 600 rad given 24 hr prior to tumor transplant had an opposite effect to Corynebacterium parvum .
Evaluating Parameters for Characterization of Cracking in Asphalt Concrete

This study evaluates parameters derived from laboratory tests to characterize crack initiation and propagation within the semi-circular asphalt concrete samples in the laboratory. Asphalt samples are compacted using a Superpave gyratory compactor, and then sliced and notched using a laboratory saw. The notch acts to facilitate crack initiation. Notched samples are subjected to a strain controlled compressive load in three point bending. Crack opening displacements (CODs) and loads are recorded in real time using four linear variable displacement transducers. Ultimate load, COD at ultimate load, cracking potential, fracture load, crack velocity, and slope of the crack propagation curve are determined from laboratory test results and evaluated for their suitability in characterizing crack initiation and crack propagation. In essence, these parameters are evaluated through examining the effects of notch tip location, moisture condition, and void ratio on crack initiation and propagation. It is shown that crack initiation can be best characterized by the ultimate load. Crack velocity and slope of the crack propagation curve show promise in characterizing crack propagation in the notched asphalt samples.
DARPP-32 increases interactions between epidermal growth factor receptor and ERBB3 to promote tumor resistance to gefitinib.

Background & Aims Dopamine and adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate–regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32000 (DARPP-32), is overexpressed during gastric carcinogenesis. Gastric tumors can become resistant to gefitinib, an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We investigated the role of DARPP-32 in gastric tumor resistance to gefitinib. Methods Cell survival was determined by clonogenic survival and ATP-Glo Viability Assays. Apoptosis was assessed by Annexin-V and immunoblot analyses. The association between DARPP-32 and EGFR was evaluated by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Findings were validated in mice with gastric xenograft tumors. DARPP-32 expression was reduced using small hairpin RNAs in the human gastric cancer cell lines SNU-16 and MKN-45 cells. Results Overexpression of DARPP-32 in MKN-28 cells, which do not normally express DARPP-32, blocked gefitinib-induced apoptosis and increased the drug's IC 50 10-fold, compared to that of control cells ( P P Conclusions DARPP-32 promotes resistance of gastric cancer cells to gefitinib by promoting interaction between EGFR and ERBB3 and activating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase–AKT signaling.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis susceptibility results in 24 hours by using flow cytometry

Summary These results demonstrate that sus-ceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis can be accomplished rapidly by using a flow cytometer. Results of tests were readily available within 24 h after M. tuberculosis organisms were incubated with antimycobacterial agents. Our method also does not require multiplication of M. tuberculosis cells. These findings are important and greatly decrease the time for obtaining sus-ceptibility test results.
Automotive assessment of carbon-silicon composite anodes and methods of fabrication

Abstract To assess the potential of carbon silicon composite anodes for automotive applications, C–Si anodes were fabricated and certain improvements employed. The use of a PVDF buffer layer is demonstrated for the first time with a C–Si composite material. The buffer layer increases adhesion by 89%, and increases capacity by 50–80%. Also, a limited capacity range is employed to improve cycle life by up to 200%, and enable currents as high as 2 mA cm −1 . The combined use of a buffer layer and limited capacity range has not been reported before. A model is also presented for comparing C–Si performance with real-world automotive targets from USABC, including energy density, power density, specific energy, and specific power. The analysis reveals a capacity penalty that arises from pairing C–Si with a traditional cathode (NCA), and which prevents the cell from meeting all targets. Scenarios are presented in which a higher-capacity cathode (250 mAh g −1 ) allows all targets to be hypothetically met.
Achievement fantasy as a function of variations in self-rated competence.

This study investigated relationships between the nature and quantity of achievement fantasy and self-rated competencies with respect to the type of tasks portrayed in the picture cues used to elicit the fantasies. High school senior men responded to an experimental battery of pictures selected so that the type of competence required for the tasks portrayed was very clear. Self-ratings of competence were obtained in these same task areas. Results suggest that achievement fantasy concerned with long-term career achievement and with unique accomplishments occurs more frequently in stories written in response to pictures of tasks in which the individual perceives himself as highly competent. The achievement fantasies appearing in response to pictures accompanied by ratings of low competence tend to focus on concern about good performance with respect to the immediate routine aspects of the task portrayed. For high-ability Ss pictures reflecting cues from tasks in which an individual perceives himself to be h...
A certifying algorithm for the consecutive-ones property

We give a forbidden substructure characterization of set families that have the consecutive-ones property, and a linear time algorithm to find the forbidden substructure if a set family does not have the property. The forbidden substructure has size O(n), where n is the size of the domain. The PQ tree is a well-known data structure for representing all consecutive-ones orderings. We show that it is given by a substitution decomposition of arbitrary set families that has not been described previously. This observation gives a generalization of the PQ tree to arbitrary set families, and we give a linear-time algorithm to compute it.