cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient delivery of on-demand video streams to heterogeneous receivers

The number of video streams that can be serviced concurrently is highly constrained by the required real-time and high-rate transfers of multimedia data. Resource sharing techniques, such as Batching, Patching, and Earliest Reachable Merge Target (ERMT), can be used to address this problem by utilizing the multicast facility, which allows multiple requests to share the same set of server and network resources. They assume, however, that all clients have the same available download bandwidth and buffer space. We study how to efficiently support clients with varying available download bandwidth and buffer space, while delivering data in a client-pull fashion using enhanced resource sharing. In particular, we propose three hybrid solutions to address the variability in the download bandwidth among clients: Simple Hybrid Solution (SHS), Adaptive Hybrid Solution (AHS), and Enhanced Hybrid Solution (EHS). SHS simply combines Batching with either Patching or ERMT, leading to two alternatives: SHS-P and SHS-E, respectively. Batching is used for clients with bandwidth lower than double the video playback rate, and Patching/ERMT is used for the rest. In contrast, AHS and EHS classify clients into multiple bandwidth classes and service them accordingly. AHS employs a new stream type, called adaptive stream, and EHS employs an enhanced adaptive stream type to serve clients with bandwidth capacities ranging between the video playback rate and double that rate. AHS and EHS employ adaptive streams or enhanced adaptive streams in conjunction with Batching and Patching or ERMT, leading to four possible schemes: AHS-P, AHS-E, EHS-P, and EHS-E. Moreover, we consider the variability of the available buffer space among clients. Furthermore, we study how the waiting playback requests for different videos can be scheduled for service in the heterogeneous environment, capturing the variations in both the client bandwidth and buffer space. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions and analyze various scheduling policies through extensive simulation.
QCD sum rules andI=0 final state inD+ andF+ mesons semi-leptonic decays

QCD sum rules are used to give absolute bounds for the semi leptonic decay widths of the heavy mesonsD+ andF+ into η and η′. This method, very stable and reliable in those cases where a heavy mass scale is involved, does not rely on any quark gluon picture of the above decays. While theF+ decays may be important in relative value (if one relies on the present estimate of theF+ lifetime), the small fraction (less than 1%) obtained in theD+ case, where only the annihilation mechanism can be advocated, is in agreement with what one expects for a Cabibbo suppressed decay, and disfavors a special quantitative enhancement due to this particular mechanism.
Effect of bile acids and estradiol on thymidine incorporation into DNA in MCF-7 and MCF-10A breast cell lines

Bile acid conjugates are found in human breast cyst fluid in average concentrations about 50-fold greater than those in blood. Because epidemiologic studies have linked colon and breast cancer and aberrant bile acid profiles are associated with colon cancer risk, we decided to study the influence of bile acid conjugates (glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycodeoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid, and glycolithocholic acid) on thymidine incorporation into DNA in cancer (MCF-7) and noncancer (MCF-10A) human mammary cell lines. The two lines responded differently. In MCF-7, bile acids, except for glycolithocholic acid, stimulated thymidine incorporation. Estradiol caused even greater stimulation, an effect that was not influenced further by the addition of bile acids. Bile acids suppressed incorporation in MCF-10A cells. Estradiol at 1 nM had no effect, but 10 nM estradiol was stimulatory. In most cases bile acids appeared to diminish the incorporations observed with estradiol alone, but not significantly. The relevance of these studies to the possible impact of bile acids on the course of fibrocystic disease of the breast would require further investigation.
Physiological characterization and genetic engineering of Pseudomonas corrugata for medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesis from triacylglycerols.

Pseudomonas belonging to the rRNA-DNA homology group I produce medium-chain-length (mcl)-polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). We show that P. corrugata, a member of this group, accumulates 0.5–1.0 g of mcl-PHA/L of culture when grown on glucose (Gl) or oleic acid (Ol). The predominant monomers of Gl-PHA and Ol-PHA are β-hydroxydecanoate and β-hydroxyoctanoate, respectively. The molecular masses and polydispersity of P. corrugata PHAs are higher than those typically found with other Pseudomonas. We electrotransformed P. corrugata with a plasmid pCN51lip-1 carrying Pseudomonas lipase genes to generate strain III111-1. The recombinant strain grew on intact triacylglycerols (TAGs) to 1.9–2.7 g of cell-dry-weight/L of culture. The yields and the predominant repeat-units of PHAs obtained from the lard- and tallow-grown III111-1 were similar to those of Ol-PHA from wild-type cells. In contrast to other Pseudomonas species, P. corrugata III111-1 grown on TAGs at temperatures up to 36°C was not significantly affected with regard to cell yields, amounts of PHA produced, and the repeat unit compositions of the polymer.
Bulbocavernosus reflex testing in 100 consecutive cases of erectile dysfunction.

Abstract Electrophysiologic testing of the bulbocavernosus reflex is often part of the routine workup of erectile dysfunction. To assess how often prolonged or absent reflexes occur 100 consecutive males with erectile dysfunction, who had been referred to a hospital-based medical sexology program, were tested. Four per cent had prolonged latency times (> 43 msec), and an additional 5 per cent had an absent reflex. Bulbocavernosus reflex testing needs to be done in males where (1) penile revascularization, or (2) sex therapy, or both, are being considered as therapeutic options. An abnormal latency would contraindicate revascularization and should limit outcome expectations of sex therapy. It does not need to be a routine part of the diagnostic workup.
Management of undifferentiated thyroid cancer.

Management of thyroid carcinoma relies upon the tumour cells maintaining the differentiated functions that are typical of normal thyroid follicular cells, such as: dependence upon thyrotropin for growth, production of thyroglobulin and effective transport of iodine. Likewise, differentiated thyroid carcinomas often exhibit an auspicious clinical behaviour with a slow rate of growth and low potential for invasion and distant metastasis. These features permit therapy of disseminated tumour, effective follow-up surveillance and the assumption of a good prognosis. As each of these features are lost, the opportunities for both disease status assessment and therapeutic intervention diminish accordingly. A major obstacle is our failure to define effective systemic treatments to replace radioiodine therapy, whose loss is consonant with the loss of iodine transport and retention. The extreme of undifferentiated clinical behaviour is epitomized by anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, a rare, terminally dedifferentiated malignancy that is rapidly and invariably fatal. It is important to be attuned to clinical clues suggesting the presence of dedifferentiated tumour and related prognostic signs. This allows the application of currently limited therapeutic options and defines the need for research to develop new systemic treatments.
Microfluidic pressure sensing using trapped air compression.

We have developed a microfluidic method for measuring the fluid pressure head experienced at any location inside a microchannel. The principal component is a microfabricated sealed chamber with a single inlet and no exit; the entrance to the single inlet is positioned at the location where pressure is to be measured. The pressure measurement is then based on monitoring the movement of a liquid–air interface as it compresses air trapped inside the microfabricated sealed chamber and calculating the pressure using the ideal gas law. The method has been used to measure the pressure of the air stream and continuous liquid flow inside microfluidic channels (d ∼ 50 µm). Further, a pressure drop has also been measured using multiple microfabricated sealed chambers. For air pressure, a resolution of 700 Pa within a full-scale range of 700–100 kPa was obtained. For liquids, pressure drops as low as 70 Pa were obtained in an operating range from 70 Pa to 10 kPa. Since the method primarily uses a microfluidic sealed chamber, it does not require additional fabrication steps and may easily be incorporated in several lab-on-a-chip fluidic applications for laminar as well as turbulent flow conditions.
t-Butyl hydroperoxide alters fatty acid incorporation into erythrocyte membrane phospholipid

Abstract Because the ability of cells to replace oxidized fatty acids in membrane phospholipids via deacylation and reacylation in situ may be an important determinant of the ability of cells to tolerate oxidative stress, incorporation of exogenous fatty acid into phospholipid by human erythrocytes has been examined following exposure of the cells to t-butyl hydroperoxide. Exposure of human erythrocytes to t-butyl hydroperoxide (0.5–1.0 mM) results in oxidation of glutathione, formation of malonyldialdehyde, and oxidation of hemoglobin to methemoglobin. Under these conditions, incorporation of exogenous [9,10-3H]oleic acid into phosphatidylethanolamine is enhanced while incorporation of [9,10-3H]oleic acid into phosphatidylcholine is decreased. These effects of t-butyl hydroperoxide on [9,10-3H]oleic acid incorporation are not affected by dissipating transmembrane gradients for calcium and potassium. When malonyldialdehyde production is inhibited by addition of ascorbic acid, t-butyl hydroperoxide still decreases [9,10-3H]oleic acid incorporation into phosphatidylcholine but no stimulation of [9,10-3H]oleic acid incorporation into phosphatidylethanolamine occurs. In cells pre-treated with NaNO2 to convert hemoglobin to methemoglobin, t-butyl hydroperoxide reduces [9,10-3H]oleic acid incorporation into phosphatidylcholine by erythrocytes but does not stimulate [9,10-3H]oleic acid incorporation into phosphatidylethanolamine. Under these conditions oxidation of erythrocyte glutathione and formation of malonyldialdehyde still occur. These results indicate that membrane phospholipid fatty acid turnover is altered under conditions where peroxidation of membrane phospholipid fatty acids occurs and suggest that the oxidation state of hemoglobin influences this response.
Key developments in computer-aided geometric design

Abstract Computer-aided geometric design (CADG) is concerned with the mathematical and computational aspects of Computer-aided design (CAD). The word ‘geomeric’ reflects the major ingredient of CAD mathematics. Geometry is one of the oldest disciplines of mathematics; it is almost as old as mankind. Through the centuries up until the beginning of the 20th century, geometry had an excellent position among other mathematical fields. Unfortunately, in this century, scientists and teachers neglected the field for most part; geometry was not an active topic of research and the geometry curriculum was cut down to a minimum (if not to zero). Thanks to the advent of computers in engineering, a new applied geometry has emerged to underpin computer-aided design. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the subject was researched by (and known to) engineers and technical people only. In 1971, P J Davis proposed that there be a conference on ‘graphics and mathematics’. The University of Utah hosted the first conference in 1974 whose proceedings were entitled ‘Computer Aided Geometric Design’. Although this year can be considered as the ‘official’ birthday of CAGD, the development of CAGD techniques go back to the early 1960s when people started to work on CAD projects, and developed methods suitable for computer application. This survey attempts to summarize the most important techniques developed in the last 20–25 years. The ‘point system’ with which these methods were selected was based on the application and usefulness, and not on the beauty of mathematics involved.
Binding of the adenovirus VAI RNA to the interferon-induced 68-kDa protein kinase correlates with function.

Abstract In human cells infected with adenovirus, the virus-associated RNA VAI blocks the activation of the interferon-induced double-stranded-RNA-dependent 68-kDa protein kinase (p68) and maintains normal levels of protein synthesis at late times after infection. VAI antagonizes the kinase activity by binding to p68. The structure of VAI consists of two long, base-paired stems connected by a complex short stem-loop structure. Previous work using a series of adenovirus mutants showed that the structural determinants of the VAI RNA that are essential for function reside in the central complex short stem-loop structure and adjacent base-paired regions (functional domain); the long duplex regions were found to be dispensable for function. To determine whether binding of VAI to p68 correlates with function and whether the structural determinants that are essential for function are also essential for binding, we studied the interaction of wild-type and several mutant VAI RNAs with p68 in whole cells. The p68-VAI complexes from mutant- and wild-type-infected cells were immunoprecipitated by an anti-p68 monoclonal antibody. The mutant RNAs that functioned efficiently in the cells bound to p68 efficiently in the cells, whereas functionally impaired mutants failed to bind to p68, indicating that the binding of the VAI RNA to p68 correlates well with function. In vitro binding assays with immunopurified p68 confirmed these observations. Secondary-structure analysis of several mutant VAI RNAs suggests that the binding does not depend on the long duplex regions but requires all the elements of the functional domain. We propose that the functional domain and the p68-binding domain of the VAI RNA are identical.
The mechanism of mitochondrial membrane potential retention following release of cytochrome c in apoptotic GT1-7 neural cells.

The relationship is investigated between mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨM), respiration and cytochrome c (cyt c) release in single neural bcl-2 transfected cells (GT1-7bcl-2) or GT1-7puro cells during apoptosis induced by staurosporine (STS). Bcl-2 inhibited the mitochondrial release of cyt c and apoptosis. Three different cell responses to STS were identified in GT1-7puro cells: (i) neither ΔΨM nor cyt c were significantly affected; (ii) a decrease in ΔΨM was accompanied by a complete release of cyt c; or (iii) cyt c release occurred independently of a loss of ΔΨM. The endogenous inner membrane proton leak of the in situ mitochondria, monitored by respiration in the presence of oligomycin, was increased by STS by 92% in puro cells, but by only 23% in bcl-2 cells. STS decreased respiratory capacity, in the presence of protonophore, by 31% in puro cells and by 20% in bcl-2 cells. In the absence of STS, oligomycin hyperpolarized mitochondria within both puro and bcl-2-transfected cells, indicating that the organelles were net generators of ATP. However after 15 h exposure to STS oligomycin rapidly collapsed residual mitochondrial polarization in the puro cells, indicating that ΔΨM had been maintained by ATP synthase reversal. bcl-2 cells in contrast, maintained ΔΨM until protonophore was added. These results indicate that the maintenance of ΔΨM following release of cyt c may be a consequence of ATP synthase reversal and cytoplasmic ATP hydrolysis in STS-treated GT1-7 cells. Cell Death and Differentiation (2001) 8, 995–1003
Peritoneal Dialysis: Misperceptions and Reality

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) continues to be underutilized in the United States, even though it is less expensive, provides better quality of life and has better outcomes compared with hemodialysis. The reasons for low utilization of PD are influenced by complex psychosocial and economic factors, lack of physician training, physician bias and inadequate pre-end-stage renal disease care and education to the patients. Providing quality pre-end-stage renal disease education to patients and families and improving education and training of physician in PD, so that they become comfortable with the therapy, are of paramount importance to increase PD growth. Minimizing episodes of PD-related infections and noninfectious complications, preserving peritoneal membrane using more biocompatible solutions and drugs, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, and careful management of volume status can reduce the loss of PD patients to hemodialysis. Timely surgical interventions can prevent the malfunction and loss of PD catheters. Consolidating smaller PD facilities in a given geographical area into a single large PD center can further improve PD outcomes and PD growth. Finally, with the introduction of bundled payment for dialysis services, PD may emerge as a cost-effective therapy and rekindle interest in the dialysis community to consider PD as a better renal replacement therapy option.
HPLC Determination of a Vincristine, Doxorubicin, and Ondansetron Mixture in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection

Abstract A high performance liquid chromatography procedure has been developed for the assay of a vincristine, doxorubicin, and ondansetron mixture in 0.9% sodium chloride injection. The separation and quantitation are achieved on a phenyl column at ambient temperature using a mobile phase of 50:50 v/v 0.02 M phosphate buffer, pH 5.4-acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with detection of all three analytes at 233 nm. The separation is achieved within 15 min with sensitivity in the ng/mL range for each analyte. The method showed linearity for vincristine, doxorubicin, and ondansetron in the 0.36–3.6, 10.0–100, and 11.95–119.7μg/mL ranges, respectively. Accuracy and precision were in the 1–3% and 0.2–3.3% ranges, respectively, for all three compounds. The limits of detection for vincristine, doxorubicin, and ondansetron were 90, 200 and 200 ng/mL, respectively, based on a signal to noise ratio of 3 and a 20/L injection.
Adolescent metacognitive knowledge during the information search process

This poster reports the results of a case study that used naturalistic methods to investigate the metacognitive knowledge of adolescents as they searched for, selected and used information for a school-based, inquiry project on a topic related to the history of western civilization.
Synthesis of 4H-Cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene

Abstract A convenient synthesis of 4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene from acenaphthene is described. The method is suitable for relatively large scale preparation, making this hydrocarbon readily available as a starting compound for the synthesis of higher methylene-bridged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Twelve-year survival after multiple recurrences and repeated metastasectomies for renal cell Carcinoma

Background Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) presents a therapeutic challenge for clinicians because of the unpredictable clinical course, resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and the limited response to immunotherapy.
The Wages of Social Responsibility

Typical socially responsible investors tilt their portfolios toward stocks of companies with high scores on social responsibility characteristics and shun stocks of companies associated with tobacco, alcohol, gambling, firearms, and military or nuclear operations. Analyzing 1992–2007 returns of stocks rated on social responsibility, this study found that this tilt gave such investors an advantage over conventional investors. The study also found that shunning resulted in a disadvantage for such investors relative to conventional investors. The advantage from tilting toward stocks of companies with high social responsibility scores is largely offset by the disadvantage from the exclusion of stocks of shunned companies. Socially responsible investors can thus do both well and good by adopting the best-in-class method in constructing their portfolios: tilting toward stocks of companies with high scores on social responsibility characteristics but refraining from shunning stocks of any company.
Ethical dimensions of nuchal translucency screening

First-trimester screening for Nuchal Translucency (NT), when conducted according to accepted standards of quality, is a reliable diagnostic screen. There is no compelling beneficence-based argument opposed to offering it, and offering it is an important autonomy-enhancing strategy. Screening should be offered only in centers where high quality is available. In our view, the results of ongoing trials will enhance this position.
With Honor: Melvin Laird in War, Peace, and Politics – By Dale Van Atta

This is a remarkable book. From an academic point of view, it is not only solid, but provides new material on one of the political giants of American politics, while at the same time it reads like ...
Urban living alters moult dynamics in a passerine

Urbanization and habitat fragmentation can alter the timing of life history events, potentially leading to phenological mismatches, carryover effects, and fitness costs. Whereas urbanization and fragmentation are known to alter important aspects of breeding in many bird species, little is known about the effects of urbanization and habitat fragmentation on moult. To investigate the effects of urbanization and fragmentation on the annual moult, we compared the moult dynamics (onset, duration, and intensity) of urban, fragmented forest, and contiguous forest populations of the Carolina chickadee, a North American resident passerine that moults once per year immediately following the breeding season. Over three years, moult dynamics were similar in contiguous and fragmented forest populations, but wing moult started significantly earlier, and onset of moult varied less among years, in urban chickadees than in forest chickadees (fragmented and contiguous habitats pooled). Duration of wing moult did not differ between urban and forest populations, but urban birds moulted significantly fewer feathers simultaneously during peak moult, suggesting that individual feathers grew more rapidly. Our results show that urban living alters critical aspects of moult dynamics in a widespread songbird. Given the importance of moult dynamics for fitness during subsequent life history stages, and the large number of songbird species inhabiting urban areas, these results reveal previously unrecognized and potentially costly carryover effects of urban living on songbirds.
Microwave heating of endothermic catalytic reactions: Reforming of methanol

In an endothermic reaction, such as methanol-steam reforming, the reaction rate can be limited by the ability to supply heat to the reactor. Heat transfer from the reactor wall normally supplies the required energy in such processes. Drawbacks, such as operating temperature constraints and practical heat-transfer restrictions, limit this practice. In such situations, microwave heating could provide an effective and efficient method for transferring heat to the catalyst. To explore this possibility, the methanol-steam reaction performed by conventional heating and microwave heating was studied. Mathematical modeling was performed for 1-D heat transfer in a single catalyst pellet and for 2-D heat transfer in a tubular packed-bed reactor. The single catalyst pellet model indicated that productivity could increase significantly using microwave heating. The 2-D model showed that microwave heating could minimize radial heat-transfer effects. Conducting the methanol-steam reaction in a microwave-heated reactor experimentally verified the improved productivity.
Automotive night vision system

While human eyes are amazingly adaptable, they are not ideally designed for the task of driving at night. Among the most serious problems drivers face at night are not being able to see objects that are beyond the range of their headlamps and being blinded by headlamps of oncoming traffic. While only about one-quarter of vehicle miles are driven at night, over half of vehicle related fatalities occur at night. Having the goal of improving nighttime driving safety, Cadillac along with Raytheon Systems Company and Delphi-Delco Electronics have developed a night vision system consisting of a passive infrared sensor, a head-up display, and display controls. The night vision system will be offered as a production option on the 2000 Cadillac De Ville. This paper will describe the development of Cadillac's Night Vision.
Isolation and Recovery of 2-Aminoethanol, N-Methyl-2-Aminoethanol, and N,N-Dimethyl-2-Aminoethanol from a Copper Amine Aqueous Matrix and from Amine-Treated Sawdust Using Liquid—Liquid Extraction and Liquid—Solid Extraction Combined with Capillary Gas Chromatography—Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometry

An analytical method for the rapid isolation and recovery of the homologous series of 2-aminoethanols, a class of organic compounds of importance to wood preservative treatment, is successfully developed. The method is applied to an aqueous solution of copper amine (copper[II] hydroxide complexed monoethanolamine) and to copper-amine-treated sawdust. The method incorporates a gas chromatograph-ion-trap mass spectrometer. A discussion of the secondary equilibrium effects involved when ionizable analytes are extracted from an aqueous phase with respect to organic bases is presented. Using 2-propanol as the extractant coupled to a salt-saturated aqueous phase results in recoveries of 63% for 2-aminoethanol, 51 % for N,N-dimethyl-2aminoethanol, and 56% for N-methyl-2-aminoethanol for a single liquid-liquid extraction. The choice of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol as an internal standard is found to be quite suitable. A comparison of the precision and accuracy for an external versus an internal mode of instrument calibration demonstrates that the internal standard mode is preferable for this manual injection.
Decision Calculus of Protesters and Regimes: Eastern Europe 1989

In our analysis of mass protest in the nonreformist part of Eastern Europe 1989 we ask not only why people rebel, but how they rebel against highly repressive regimes. We show how the decisions of individual protesters concerning participation in protest activity are influenced by a set of assurance games that involve their own and other social groups. We also show how regime actors go through the reverse process of a "deassurance game" as their instruments of coercion are undermined.
Parent-child relations among minor females attending U.S. family planning clinics.

RESULTS: Many adolescents had talked to parents about sexual issues (50–80%, depending on the topic) and reported high levels of connectedness with parents (68%). A substantial minority (19%) perceived that parents disapprove of their both having sex and using birth control. The majority (60%) reported that a parent knew of their clinic visit; such reports were most common among those who had high levels of connectedness to parents and communication with parents about sexual issues, and those who did not perceive parents to disapprove of sex and birth control. Adolescents aged 15 and younger were more likely than 17-year-olds to indicate that a parent knew they were at the clinic and to report that a parent suggested the clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, minors attending family planning clinics have good relations with parents. The youngest adolescents may be at family planning clinics specifically because parents are involved in their reproductive health decisions.
ROSE: a repository of education-friendly open-source projects

Open-source project artifacts can be used to inject realism into software engineering courses or lessons on open-source software development. However, the use of open-source projects presents challenges for both educators and for students. Educators must search for projects that meet the constraints of their classes, and often must negotiate the scope and terms of the project with project managers. For students, many available open-source projects have a steep learning curve that inhibits them from making significant contributions to the project and benefiting from a "realistic" experience. To alleviate these problems and to encourage cross-institution collaboration, we have created the Repository for Open Software Education (ROSE) and have contributed three open-source projects intended for an undergraduate computer science or software engineering course. The projects in ROSE are education-friendly in terms of a manageable size and scope, and are intended to be evolved over many semesters. All projects have a set of artifacts covering all aspects of the development process, from requirements, design, code, and test. We invite other educators to contribute to ROSE and to use projects found on ROSE in their own courses.
Who profits from knowledge management?: a case of experience versus expertise

Although many organizations are implementing knowledge management systems (KMS), there is little empirical evidence about whether KMS use by varying levels of experience and expertise can improve individual and organization performance. In this study, we examined the impact of using a codification-based KMS on the sales performance of 1,340 sales representatives in a pharmaceutical firm. We found that KMS use was directly related to performance - the more knowledge assets that sales representatives read, the more likely they were to exceed their quota. Experience and expertise moderated this relationship. Inexperienced sales representatives who exceeded their sales quota in the previous year derived significantly greater benefit from KMS use than did other sales representatives. Experienced sales representatives who failed to reach their sales quota in the previous year derived significantly less benefit from KMS use than did other sales representatives.
The Back Pocket Map: Social Class and Cultural Capital as Transferable Assets in the Advancement of Second-Generation Immigrants

This article moves beyond current understandings of family- and school-related dynamics used to explain the educational and occupational success of low-income immigrant children to investigate the role of cultural capital acquired in the country of origin. Class-related forms of knowledge obtained prior to migration can become invaluable assets in areas of destination through the realization of what Pierre Boutdieu calls habitus, that is, a series of embodied dispositions deployed by individuals in their pursuit of set objectives. Although the concept has attracted prolonged attention, the mechanisms by which the habitus is fulfilled remain unspecified. Here, the author proposes and examines three of those mechanisms: (1) cognitive correspondence, (2) positive emulation, and (3) active recollection. This study shows that class-related resources, such as education, self-definition, and remembrance of nation and ancestry play an important function, shaping youthful expectations and behaviors, and protecting...
Variation in Tube Voltage for Adult Neck MDCT: Effect on Radiation Dose and Image Quality

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of peak kilovoltage on radiation dose and image quality in adult neck MDCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS. An anthropomorphic phantom with metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor detectors was imaged with a 64-MDCT scanner. The reference CT protocol called for 120 kVp, and images obtained with that protocol were compared with CT images obtained with protocols entailing 80, 100, and 140 kVp. All imaging was performed with automatic tube current modulation. Organ dose and effective dose were determined for each protocol and compared with those obtained with the 120-kVp protocol. Image noise was evaluated objectively and subjectively for each protocol. RESULTS. The highest organ doses for all protocols were to the thyroid, ocular lens, skin, and mandible. The greatest reductions in organ dose were for the bone marrow of the cervical spine and mandible: 43% and 35% with the 100-kVp protocol and 63% and 53% with the 80-kVp protocol. Effective dose...
An Application Of The Conceptual Model Of Service Quality To Independent Auditing Services

Auditing’s expectations gap has been documented over the last 35 years beginning with Liggio (1974) who initially coined and defined the term. Porter’s (1991) and Australian Education Research’s (2009) models explored this gap. However, these models don’t recognize the auditors’ three customer groups: auditees, the public, and regulatory agencies. Additionally, these models don’t consider communication’s role between auditors and their customer groups. The following discussion applies the service quality model (SERVQUAL) developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988 and 1991) to the audit expectation gap and makes recommendations for researching the components, causes, effects of and solutions to the auditing expectations. This model identifies expectation gaps between the service provider (the auditor) and its customers including the auditee, the financial statement user, and the regulatory agencies. Nyeck, Morales, Ladhari, and Pons (2002, p. 102) concluded in a review article of SERVQUAL research”. . .the SERVQUAL model remains the most complete attempt to conceptualize and measure service quality.”
Discretion Without Guidance: The Need to Give Meaning to 3553 after Booker and its Progeny

The exercise of the discretion accorded to a judge in determining the sentence of a convicted criminal offender bears directly on the coherence and the legitimacy of any criminal justice system. The United States federal criminal sentencing system has, at various points in time over the past century, employed schemes that have approached either the one extreme of unfettered judicial discretion or the other extreme of highly restricted judicial discretion. In January, 2005, the United States Supreme Court held in United States v. Booker that the mandatory federal sentencing guidelines, the source of the strict restriction on judicial discretion for the twenty years prior, were no longer mandatory, but merely advisory.Three years later, there is still significant confusion concerning the manner in which the federal sentencing statute, 18 U.S.C. 3553, should be applied to determine the appropriate sentence in a particular case. The cases decided by the Supreme Court this term, Gall and Kimbrough, and the decision last term in Rita all address different aspects of the relative weight of the advisory guidelines in sentencing and the appellate review of different levels of reliance on the guidelines. None of this litigation, however, concerns the inherent conflicts in the applicable statutory provisions, particularly the application of the parsimony requirement that the sentence be "sufficient but not greater than necessary" to achieve each of the four purposes of sentencing, each of which likely dictate a significantly different outcome and certainly invoke and likewise forbid consideration of different criteria in sentencing.This Article argues that for sentencing to be both reasoned and consistent, clear substantive meaning must be given to the application of the conflicting provisions of 18 U.S.C. 3553. Using an English statute as an example, the Article proposes that Congress remedy the confusion by prioritizing among the competing aims it articulates in 3553. After briefly suggesting why such action is unlikely, the Article assesses the current combination of elements of both indeterminate sentencing and mandatory guidelines schemes after this term's cases. It concludes that, putting purposes aside, an assessment of the current state of affairs in federal sentencing depends in large part upon one's normative view of the sentencing guidelines.
Witness to Abuse: Human Rights Abuses under the Material Witness Law since September 11

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, at least seventy men living in the United States — all Muslim but one — have been thrust into a Kafkaesque world of indefinite detention without charges, secret evidence, and baseless accusations of terrorist links. They have found themselves not at Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib but in America’s own federal prison system, victims of the misuse of the federal material witness law in the U.S. government’s fight against terrorism. Congress enacted the current material witness law in 1984 to enable the government, in narrow circumstances, to secure the testimony of witnesses who might otherwise flee to avoid testifying in a criminal proceeding. If a court agrees that an individual has information “material” to a criminal proceeding and will likely flee if subpoenaed, the witness can be locked up — but, in theory, only for as long as is necessary to have him testify or be deposed. Based on over one hundred interviews with witnesses, their lawyers, government officials, and a review of court documents, government and public accounts, this piece documents for the first time how since September 11, the U.S. Department of Justice has deliberately used the law for a very different purpose: to secure the indefinite incarceration of those it has wanted to investigate as possible terrorist suspects. It has used the law to cast men into prison without any showing of probable cause that they had committed crimes. It further found that the Justice Department has also refused to respect fundamental constitutional and human rights of detainees, including the rights to be notified of charges, to have prompt access to an attorney, to view exculpatory evidence, and to know and be able to challenge the basis for arrest and detention. This piece concludes that the misuse of the material witness law has been harmful for those who have been wrongly held and damaging to the law itself. Innocent people have become the hapless victims of the government’s zeal, because neither the Justice Department nor the courts have honored the letter and spirit of the material witness rules that protect everyone’s right to freedom. In evading the requirement of probable cause of criminal conduct, the government bypassed checks on the reasonableness of its suspicion. As a result, men were imprisoned who had little or no information about, much less links, to terrorism.
Moving Beyond Linearity

So far in this book, we have mostly focused on linear models. Linear models are relatively simple to describe and implement, and have advantages over other approaches in terms of interpretation and inference. However, standard linear regression can have significant limitations in terms of predictive power. This is because the linearity assumption is almost always an approximation, and sometimes a poor one. In Chapter 6 we see that we can improve upon least squares using ridge regression, the lasso, principal components regression, and other techniques. In that setting, the improvement is obtained by reducing the complexity of the linear model, and hence the variance of the estimates. But we are still using a linear model, which can only be improved so far! In this chapter we relax the linearity assumption while still attempting to maintain as much interpretability as possible. We do this by examining very simple extensions of linear models like polynomial regression and step functions, as well as more sophisticated approaches such as splines, local regression, and generalized additive models.
Oxidative Metabolism of Insect Fat Body

Oxidation of a variety of substrates by fat body of Periplaneta americana (L.) is described. The tissue fractions oxidize DPNH, sugar phosphates, isocitrate, succinate, ketoglutarate and hydroxybutyrate. The endogenous oxidation rate is relatively high and is apparently due to glycogen breakdown. Ketoglutarate oxidation was demonstrated in the fat body of four other species.
The Effect of Addition of Letrozole to GnRH Antagonist Regimens on In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Outcome in Patients with Low Ovarian Reserve

Objective:To evaluate the effect of addition of letrozole in GnRH antagonist regimens on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)outcome in patients with low ovarian reserve.Methods:It was a retrospective analysis.Letrozole(LZ)combined with low-dose gonadotropin(Gn)was used in 63 IVF cycles.High-dose Gn alone was used in 177 IVF cycles.In Gn+LZ group,letrozole 5 mg/d was given from day 2 of the menstrual cycle for five days.Gonadotropin 150-225 U/d was started from the fifth day of the cycle.In the Gnalone group,gonadotropin 300-450 U/d was started from the second day of the cycle.Cetrotide 025 mg/d was prescribed from the seventh day of the cycle until the day of HCG administration in both groups.Results:The rate of cycle cancellation was significantly higher in Gn+LZ group than in Gnonly group(P=0005).The number of oocytes retrieved in the Gn+LZ group was significantly lower than Gnonly group(P=0000).However,the implantation rate was much higher in Gn+LZ group than in Gnonly group(P=0006).The pregnancy rate,the clinical pregnancy rate and the ongoing pregnancy rate were similar between two groups(P005).The amount of total Gn dose used was much lower in Gn+LZ group than in Gnonly group(P=0000).Conclusions:Addition of letrozole in GnRH antagonist regimens in patients with poor ovarian reserve can improve the implantation rate and obtain similar outcome with those with high dose of Gn protocol,and reduce the Gn dose for IVF treatment.
Impact of Large Scale Wind Farm Integration on Power System Transient Stability

Impact of large scale wind farm integration on power system transient stability is studied in this paper.The transient stability mechanism of wind turbines based on doubly-fed induction generator(DFIG)is analyzed theoretically.Then the dynamic model of wind turbines based on DFIG is used to study the impact of wind power integration on the transient stability of the grid,and the comparison of different impacts on the grid transient stability is conducted between the wind turbines based on DFIG and the substituted synchronous generator with same capacity in the same connection point.The digital simulations verify the theoretical analysis.It is concluded in the paper that the wind farm integration based on DFIG into the power system is better than that of synchronous generation units at a same point in the power system as far as system transient stability is concerned.
Hostile interpretation bias in depression.

Abstract Background Research suggests an important relationship between interpretation bias, hostility and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Extant literature has yet to examine hostile interpretation bias in clinically depressed samples; the current studies sought to fill this gap. Method Study 1 participants included undergraduates who met criteria for MDD (n=36) or no anxiety or mood diagnosis (n=35). Each participant completed a structured clinical interview along with measures of depression, hostile interpretation bias, and trait hostility. In Study 2, a sample of treatment-seeking individuals with elevated trait anger completed measures of depression, hostile interpretation bias, and trait anger. Results Study 1 demonstrated that, relative to the non-depressed group, individuals with depression displayed greater hostile interpretation bias but comparable levels of trait hostility. In Study 2, greater hostile interpretation bias was associated with greater depressive symptoms, and this relationship was independent of co-occurring trait anger. Limitations The correlational nature of these studies precludes interpretation of causal relationships between constructs. Additionally, replication of these results should be sought in a larger, more diverse sample. Conclusion Overall, the findings suggest hostile interpretation bias may play a unique role in depression and could be a treatable feature of interpersonal mechanisms maintaining MDD.
Investigation of Magnetoplasmon-Phonon Type Surface Polaritons on n-InSb

The coupled magnetoplasmon-phonon type surface polaritons at n-InSb/air interfaces are studied optically using the ATR method in the configuration with a magnetic field oriented perpendicular to the sagittal plane. These data are in good agreement with theory showing non-reciprocal behavior and virtual excitation modes. Differences between theory and experiment are attributed to the effect of surface damage on the free carrier plasma.
Spinsters Re-Drawing Rooms in Gaskell’s Cranford

The labels of’ spinster’ and ‘old maid’, in Victorian rhetoric, indicated much more than years and marital status. To fail to marry was to be relegated to an almost-invisible social position, to face the trials of often-straitened economic circumstances, and to be excluded from what was increasingly seen as woman’s sole purpose: providing domestic comfort to others.3 This chapter considers how Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford series, published in Household Words from December 1851 to May 1853, takes up the cause of the spinster, welcoming mid-Victorian readers into untraditional homes that had heretofore been barred from view. Gaskell used the venue of Charles Dickens’ Household Words, a magazine that capitalized on popular tropes of normative middle-class domesticity, to offer a more inclusive view of the inhabitants and the function of the drawing room and the parlor. The Cranford stories can be understood as reformist simply by virtue of Gaskell’s placement of unmarried old women at the center of the Victorian domestic interior and her attention to this location as a site of story. Because these women within their homes are the subject of her narrative, when Gaskell accesses these ‘under cover’ stories, she radically shifts the narrative terrain exemplified by her literary predecessor Mary Russell Mitford, whose sketches of village life focus on public arenas that marginalize elderly women.
Anisotropic Tuning of Graphite Thermal Conductivity by Lithium Intercalation

Understanding thermal transport in lithium intercalated layered materials is not only important for managing heat generation and dissipation in lithium ion batteries but also the understanding potentially provides a novel way to design materials with reversibly tunable thermal conductivity. In this work, the thermal conductivity of lithium–graphite intercalation compounds (LixC6) is calculated using molecular dynamics simulations as a function of the amount of lithium intercalated. We found that intercalation of lithium has an anisotropic effect on tuning the thermal conductivity: the thermal conductivity in the basal plane decreases monotonically from 1232 W/m·K of pristine graphite to 444 W/m·K of the fully lithiated LiC6, while the thermal conductivity along the c-axis decreases first from 6.5 W/m·K for graphite to 1.3 W/m·K for LiC18 and then increases to 5.0 W/m·K for LiC6 as the lithium composition increases. More importantly, we provide the very first atomic-scale insight into the effect of lithium...