cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Mid-Infrared Diffuse Reflection of Occupational Wood Dust Exposures

Occupational exposure to airborne wood dust has been implicated in the development of several symptoms and diseases, including nasal carcinoma. However, the assessment of occupational wood dust exposure is usually performed by gravimetric analysis, which is non-specific. In this study, a mid-infrared (mid-IR) diffuse reflection method was adapted for direct on-filter determination of wood dust mass. The cup from the diffuse reflection unit was replaced with a horizontal translational stage and a filter with wood dust was set thereon. Diffuse reflection (DR) spectra were collected from filters with six different diameters in order to average the signal from the most filter surface. Two absorption bands around 1595 and 1510 cm−1, attributed to lignin, were monitored for quantitative analysis. Calibration curves were constructed for standard extrathoracic red oak and yellow pine (aerodynamic particle diameters between 10 and 100 μm). Calibration of DR intensity versus known wood dust mass on the filter using the Kubelka–Munk function showed a nonlinear dependence for mass of less than 10 mg of wood dust. The experimental data and small-thickness samples indicate that Kubelka–Munk conditions are not obeyed. Alternatively, the pseudo-absorption function log(1/R), for which R is the relative reflectance, while still giving nonlinear dependence against mass, is closer to a linear dependence and has been preferred by other researchers. Therefore, we consider the use of the log(1/R) function for mid-infrared DR analysis of neat, small-thickness wood dust samples. Furthermore, we suggest the use of a silver metal membrane filter for direct on-filter analysis of wood dust rather than the glass fiber filters that have been used previously.
Naïve Learning in Social Networks and the Wisdom of Crowds

We study learning in a setting where agents receive independent noisy signals about the true value of a variable and then communi cate in a network. They naively update beliefs by repeatedly taking weighted averages of neighbors' opinions. We show that all opinions in a large society converge to the truth if and only if the influence of the most influential agent vanishes as the society grows. We also identify obstructions to this, including prominent groups, and pro vide structural conditions on the network ensuring efficient learn ing. Whether agents converge to the truth is unrelated to how quickly consensus is approached. (JEL D83, D85, Z13)
A method for the detailed assessment of the appropriateness of medical technologies.

The standard way to assess medical technologies is to conduct a randomized clinical trial. Patients are randomly assigned to groups receiving alternative treatments, and outcomes are monitored over a long period of time. For example, some victims of left main coronary artery disease may undergo coronary artery bypass surgery, and others may receive medical treatment with nitroglycerine and beta blockers. Comparison of five-year mortality and morbidity in the two groups helps to determine the relative appropriateness of the two procedures. In addition, information about quality of life and cost can also be collected and compared.
Niche market strategy in the textile and apparel industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine how the textile and apparel industry can utilize a niche market strategy in order to compete with lower priced imports.Design/methodology/approach – The research design used for this study was an in‐depth case study method. The sample consisted of selected companies from the fiber, textile, apparel, and auxiliary sectors who are considered leaders in the US textile and apparel industry.Findings – Results indicated that firms can approach a niche strategy from either a market or a product perspective. Findings also indicated variables that are used by firms for both approaches. The most important factor in which a firm needs to focus is understanding the consumer.Research limitations/implications – Because of the limited sample size of US textile and apparel firms, the results can only be generalized to those companies that participated in the study and not the entire textile and apparel industry.Practical implications – This research study showed that a ni...
Electrochemical capacitors utilizing low surface area carbon fiber

The performance of electrochemical capacitors containing different commercial carbon fibers is reviewed. High specific capacitance (ca. 300 F/g) is obtained with low surface area carbon fiber (<1 m/sup 2//g) using a proprietary activation process. Capacitance is primarily achieved through pseudocapacitance resulting from surface functional groups. The performance of these devices is dependent on the type of carbon fiber, its carbon content, aspect ratio and microstructure. These devices can achieve high cycle life (ca. 100 k) without significant loss in capacitance.
A practical approach for magnetic core-loss characterization

A practical approach for magnetic core loss characterization up to a few megahertz is presented. An error analysis is performed, revealing that corrections are needed to compensate for errors introduced by extra phase shifts inherent in a measurement setup, and by shunt parasitic capacitance associated with an inductive device under test. A simple technique is proposed to control the error, so as to satisfy prescribed tolerances. Extensive meassurements done on a TDK PC40 core yield results which support the analysis. Several sample cores are then characterized at a few megahertz. >
The entropy of traffic streams in ATM virtual circuits

The authors model an ATM virtual circuit as a tandem queueing system. At each queue, transmission of the virtual circuit traffic is interrupted by cross traffic, causing the scattering and coalescing of cells. They study this phenomenon using entropy as a traffic descriptor. They compute the entropy of traffic streams produced in simulation, via an estimation technique based on the Lempel-Ziv universal data compression method. The estimator modifies the Lempel-Ziv method to compute entropy rather than compress data. They show that the entropy of virtual circuit traffic at successive queues can either increase or decrease depending upon the types of input traffic. Even when bursty input is scattered, its entropy does not achieve maximum entropy within a reasonable number of queues. They also define a distance metric to compare the correlation structures of two output processes and observe this metric at successive queue outputs. >
MULTIVARIATE PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION DESCRIBING THE EVOLUTION OF A GAUSSIAN PROCESS

If {X(t), t ≥ 0} is a Gaussian process, the diffusion equation characterizes its marginal probability density function. How about finite-dimensional distributions? For each n ≥ 1, we derive a system of partial differential equations which are satisfied by the probability density function of the vector (X(t1), …, X(tn)). We then show that these differential equations determine uniquely the finite-dimensional distributions of Gaussian processes. We also discuss situations where the system can be replaced by a single equation, which is either one member of the system, or an aggregate equation obtained by summing all the equations in the system.
The Filtered Nearest Neighbor Method for Generating Low-Discrepancy Sequences

We introduce the filtered nearest neighbor method for generating low-discrepancy random-number sequences. Simulations show that these sequences have lower discrepancy than either pseudo random or quasi random numbers when used to generate small samples ( N = 300) in high dimensions ( p = 24). They are therefore useful for approximating high-dimensional expectation integrals when function evaluation is expensive.
Cross-Neutralization of 1918 and 2009 Influenza Viruses: Role of Glycans in Viral Evolution and Vaccine Design

New strains of H1N1 influenza virus have emerged episodically over the last century to cause human pandemics, notably in 1918 and recently in 2009. Pandemic viruses typically evolve into seasonal forms that develop resistance to antibody neutralization, and cross-protection between strains separated by more than 3 years is uncommon. Here, we define the structural basis for cross-neutralization between two temporally distant pandemic influenza viruses—from 1918 and 2009. Vaccination of mice with the 1918 strain protected against subsequent lethal infection by 2009 virus. Both were resistant to antibodies directed against a seasonal influenza, A/New Caledonia/20/1999 (1999 NC), which was insensitive to antisera to the pandemic strains. Pandemic strain–neutralizing antibodies were directed against a subregion of the hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding domain that is highly conserved between the 1918 and the 2009 viruses. In seasonal strains, this region undergoes amino acid diversification but is shielded from antibody neutralization by two highly conserved glycosylation sites absent in the pandemic strains. Pandemic HA trimers modified by glycosylation at these positions were resistant to neutralizing antibodies to wild-type HA. Yet, antisera generated against the glycosylated HA mutant neutralized it, suggesting that the focus of the immune response can be selectively changed with this modification. Collectively, these findings define critical determinants of H1N1 viral evolution and have implications for vaccine design. Immunization directed to conserved receptor binding domain subregions of pandemic viruses could potentially protect against similar future pandemic viruses, and vaccination with glycosylated 2009 pandemic virus may limit its further spread and transformation into a seasonal influenza.
Quantization Without Quantization

Appropriate to a single classical degree of freedom, completely general, two-parameter ``coherent states`` are defined without the use of any group or any {ital c}-number to {ital q}-number transformation and in such a way that the classical phase space inherits a generically symmetry-free geometry. A coherent-state path integral provides a quantization prescription for a classical system that gives a new dimension to the generality of such a procedure. In addition, sets of coherent states may be designed so that each set is invariant under time evolution by a Hamiltonian chosen from an infinite set of distinct Hamiltonian operators. The extension of these ideas to multiple degree-of-freedom systems is indicated. {copyright} 1995 Academic Press, Inc.
Endocrine and reproductive dysfunction in men associated with occupational inorganic lead intoxication.

ABSTRACT In an attempt to define a postulated effect of lead on male endocrine function, seven men with symptomatic occupational lead intoxication (maximum whole blood lead levels 66–139 μg/dl) underwent in-patient endocrine evaluation at the time of diagnosis. Defects in thyroid function, probably of central origin, were present in three patients. Six patients had subnormal glucocorticoid production measured by 24-hr urinary 17-hydroxy-corticosteroids and plasma cortisol responses to vasopressin- and/or insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Although serum testosterone concentration was normal in six patients, five had defects in spermatogenesis, including two with ologospermia and two with azoospermia. Repeat examinations after chelation therapy showed only partial improvement. It is concluded that heavy occupational exposure to lead, sufficient to cause clinical poisoning, may be associated with diffuse disturbances of endocrine and reproductive functions in men which are not rapidly reversible with standard tr...
Functional Deactivation of the Major Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor Caused by Nicotine and a Protein Kinase C- Dependent Mechanism

The effect of nicotine on the major human neuronal nicotinic receptor (alpha 4 beta 2 subtype) was studied in permanently transfected HEK 293 cells. Prolonged exposure to low concentrations of nicotine (1 microM) increased epibatidine binding but functionally deactivated the nicotinic receptor, abolishing Ca2+ influx in response to an acute nicotine challenge. Deactivation could also be caused by down-regulating protein kinase C (PKC) activity with 0.5 microM phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate or briefly incubating cells with the PKC inhibitor NPC-15437. Recovery from receptor deactivation caused by either nicotine treatment or PKC inhibition occurred slowly (4-6 hr). Reversal of nicotine-induced deactivation was accelerated by the addition of inhibitors of protein phosphatases 2A and 2B. These data suggest a hypothetical mechanism of nicotine-induced deactivation that involves dephosphorylation of nicotinic receptors at PKC phosphorylation sites.
Geobiological analysis using whole genome‐based tree building applied to the Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya

We constructed genomic trees based on the presence and absence of families of protein-encoding genes observed in 55 prokaryotic and five eukaryotic genomes. There are features of the genomic trees that are not congruent with typical rRNA phylogenetic trees. In the bacteria, for example, Deinococcus radiodurans associates with the Gram-positive bacteria, a result that is also seen in some other phylogenetic studies using whole genome data. In the Archaea, the methanogens plus Archaeoglobus form a united clade and the Euryarchaeota are divided with the two Thermoplasma genomes and Halobacterium sp. falling below the Crenarchaeota. While the former appears to be an accurate representation of methanogen-relatedness, the misplacement of Halobacterium may be an artefact of parsimony. These results imply the last common ancestor of the Archaea was not a methanogen, leaving sulphur reduction as the most geochemically plausible metabolism for the base of the archaeal crown group. It also suggests that methanogens were not a component of the Earth’s earliest biosphere and that their origin occurred sometime during the Archean. In the Eukarya, the parsimony analysis of five Eukaryotes using the Crenarchaeota as an outgroup seems to counter the Ecdysozoa hypothesis, placing Caenorhabditis elegans (Nematoda) below the common ancestor of Drosophila melanogaster (Arthropoda) and Homo sapiens (Chordata) even when efforts are made to counter the possible effects of a faster rate of sequence evolution for the C. elegans genome. Further analysis, however, suggests that the gene loss of ‘animal’ genes is highest in C. elegans and is obscuring the relationships of these organisms.
Application of chip-level EMC in automotive product design

Integrated circuits (ICs) are often the source of the high-frequency noise that drives electromagnetic emissions from electronic products. A case study is presented where emissions from a printed circuit board containing an automotive microcontroller are reduced significantly through analysis of the coupling mechanisms from the chip to the board and attached cables. Noise generated by the IC is explored through measurements in a semi-anechoic chamber and TEM cell, through near-field scans, and through modifications to the printed circuit board. Noise is driven by the IC through both power and I/O connections. Results show that a ferrite in series with I/O power in this application reduced emissions by 10 dB or more at critical frequencies. Possible causes for emissions from the IC and modifications that might reduce these emissions are discussed.
Candidate Occupations and Voter Information Shortcuts

Voters in low-information elections frequently rely on heuristics or information shortcuts when making their decisions of whom to support. While existing research on these shortcuts has examined many candidate characteristics, it has largely overlooked the potential of candidate occupational cues. This article uses experimental survey data conducted by the Los Angeles Times Poll in the 1994 statewide elections in California to analyze whether candidates' occupational ballot designations influence voters' choices. Specifically, it hypothesizes that voters use candidate occupational labels to infer candidates' competence or qualifications for the office in question. As the analysis demonstrates, candidate occupational cues have two simultaneous effects on voting behavior: they help voters make a decision in races where they otherwise might not have, decreasing abstention; and in races in which voters infer one candidate to have a qualification advantage, the addition of occupational designations makes voter...
Characterization of halogen-free package materials using cavity resonators

Dielectric properties of substrate materials have a significant impact on electrical performance of packages including signaling power loss, propagation delay and crosstalk. With the focus on halogen-free (HF) package substrates, it is critical to understand the impact of this material change on high-speed signal integrity. In this paper, a closed rectangular cavity resonator and an open Fabry-Perot cavity resonator are proposed to characterize package materials over 2 GHz - 28 GHz range. The paper first studies the metrology repeatability and sensitivity to sample positioning and sample thickness. Then the proposed metrologies are used for electrical characterization of both HF and halogenated (H) package core materials. Finally, the impact of the core material change on the high-speed signaling performance is investigated through a modeling study for a typical differential input/output (IO) interface.
Mailing Strategies and Costs of Recruiting Heavy Smokers in CARET, a Large Chemoprevention Trial

Recruitment costs represent a major portion of the budget for large clinical trials during the initial years of the study. Further, the rate of recruitment affects allocation of resources in future years. To learn about the costs and yields of recruiting from different populations and under different mailing strategies, we monitored recruitment yields of eligible heavy smokers for the Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) at the Portland Study Center. Yields from the mailings, measured by response rate, percent of potential participants randomized, and related costs per randomization varied both by mailing strategy and by population targeted. Yield and cost varied significantly across population sources. Less variation was observed among various mailing strategies. Tracking the recruitment process yield provided useful information that allowed us to adjust recruitment approaches and achieve our randomization goals quickly and economically.
Seasonal Thermogenesis of Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys Volans)

Abstract Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) are small sciurid rodents that reside in deciduous forests of eastern North America. G. volans consumes primarily seeds and fruits, and is active year-round. During winter when food is sparse, flying squirrels conserve energy by forming aggregations in nest-lined cavities of trees. We compared seasonal changes in resting metabolic rate (RMR), nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), body temperature, and body mass of G. volans nesting communally residing in an outdoor enclosure to squirrels nesting singly housed in an outdoor laboratory. Flying squirrels were tested monthly from November 1997 to November 1998. Average RMR was highest in winter (1.14 ml O2 g−1 h−1) and lowest in summer (0.73 ml O2 g−1 h−1); minimal differences occurred among group and solitary nesters. Average RMR ranged from 33% (single) to 38% (communal) lower than predicted by body mass. Average NST was lowest in summer (1.62 ml O2 g−1 h−1) and peaked in winter (4.70 ml O2 g−1 h−1), demonst...
Effect of high-pressure hot-water washing treatment on fruit quality, insects, and disease in apples and pears Part I. System description and the effect on fruit quality of 'd'Anjou' pears

A manually operated high-pressure hot-water washing system consisting of a boiler, hot-water mixing tank, contact loop, heat exchanger, spray mixing tank, high-pressure hot-water washing manifold, low-pressure fresh water rinse manifold, and pressure pump was constructed and installed in a packingline. The system developed 20–50 ◦ C washing water at pressures up to 980 kPa. ‘d’Anjou’ pears (Pyrus communis L.), shortly after harvest, and after storage for 3 and 4 months in regular air (RA) or for 4, 7 and 8 months in controlled atmosphere (CA) at −1 ◦ C were washed through the packingline with different wetting agents (0.1% Silwet, 0.01 and 0.1% Defoamer, and water), water pressures (regular and high-pressure (210–980 kPa)), water temperatures (control (tap water, 4–22 ◦ C), 40 ◦ C, and 50 ◦ C), and brushes (soft and firm), respectively. The effect of the washing conditions on fruit quality was investigated after 1 month of storage at −1 ◦ Ct o simulate shipping condition, and then again after 1 week at 20 ◦ C to simulate marketing condition. Hot-water caused severe heat scald. When nozzle temperature was 50 ◦ C, the incidence of heat scald increased to over 50% for the fruit stored in RA for 3 months. Combined with hot-water, 540 kPa high-pressure washing increased the incidence of friction discoloration. There were lower incidences of friction discoloration and heat scald for fruit stored in CA for 7 months, in comparison to that in RA for 3 months. However, those fruit did not ripen properly as indicated by a high extractable juice content. Fruit washed at harvest had minor incidences of friction discoloration regardless of different brushes, water pressures, and wetting agents. Fruit washed after storages in either 4 months RA or 4 or 8 months CA suffered a high incidence of friction discoloration including scuffing symptoms and pressure marking. The firm brushes caused a higher incidence of friction discoloration mainly because of scuffing symptoms. However, no differences were found between different water pressures and wetting agents with respect to friction discoloration. Fruit stored for 4 months RA suffered 26–28% friction discoloration in comparison to 16–18% in CA stored fruit with firm brush washing. Extended CA storage increased friction discoloration even with soft brush washing. The results suggest that a washing system with high-pressure spray, <30 ◦ C warm water, wetting agent Defoamer and rotating soft brushes were significantly effective in removing surface pests and decay control without causing internal or external damage of fruit.
High-Temperature Component Evaluation of Commercial Flash Memory and Capacitors for Enhancement of Geothermal Tool Development

Environments relevant to geothermal energy exploration frequently exceed the temperatures and pressures commonly experienced by downhole tools in the oil and gas industry. As such, pushing the boundaries with geothermal tool development can often necessitate exceeding manufacturer specifications for temperature and pressure of individual circuit components. High-temperature circuit designers often must dedicate considerable time and resources to determine if a component exists that they may be able to knead performance out of to meet their requirements. In light of this difficulty, Sandia National Laboratories has initiated a program funded by the Geothermal Technologies Office at the US Department of Energy to compile and make available an empirically determined, practical dataset of select high-temperature component performances beyond specification. Detailed here are the efforts surrounding geothermal temperature characterization of commercially available HT-Flash memory modules made by Texas Instrumen...
Eugen von Hippel and Arvid Lindau

An autosomal dominant familial cancer syndrome, von Hippel–Lindau (vHL), affects numerous organs, most prominently the central nervous system (angiomas and hemangioblastomas), the ear (endolymphatic sac tumors), the pancreas (cysts, microcystic adenomas, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors), the adrenal glands (pheochromocytomas), and the kidneys (cysts and renal cell carcinoma). For over a century, our understanding of this disease has evolved from observational and linkage analysis to a more complete genetic and molecular picture of the pathogenesis of the syndrome. Recommendations for screening (clinical, imaging, and genetic) and management have evolved and new agents are being developed and are the subject of clinical trials. With all these advances, it is important to understand how this inherited cancer syndrome was first recognized and to appreciate the physicians whose astute observations laid the foundation for our current approaches and advances.
Future Trends in Judicial Ethics: The Influence of Cyberspace

The field of judicial ethics currently faces many challenges. This Article attempts to address one of these challenges and identify trends that I believe will be very influential during the twenty-first century. Extraordinary challenges are presented by cyberspace, particularly the explosion of interest in the Internet and social media. I conclude that the cyberspace challenges faced in the field of judicial ethics during the first half of the twenty-first century are very different than those encountered during the second half of the twentieth century. In the coming years, there will be a compelling need to address new circumstances with creativity, greater attention to rigorous analysis of judicial ethics provisions (particularly appearance of impropriety) by state high courts in deciding judicial misconduct cases, and an increased emphasis on judicial education.
Sampling on lattices with free boundary conditions using randomized extensions

Many statistical physics models are defined on an infinite lattice by taking appropriate limits of finite lattice regions, where a key consideration is how the boundaries are defined. For several models on planar lattices, such as 3-colorings and lozenge tilings, efficient sampling algorithms are known for regions with fixed boundary conditions, where the colors or tiles around the boundary are pre-specified [14], but much less is known about how to sample when these regions have free boundaries, where we want to include all configurations one could see within a finite window. We introduce a method using randomized extensions of a lattice region to relate sampling problems on regions with free boundaries to a constant number of sampling problems on larger regions with fixed boundaries. We demonstrate this principled approach to sample 3-colorings of regions of Z2 and lozenge tilings of regions of the triangular lattice, building on arguments for the fixed boundary cases due to Luby et al. [14]. Our approach also yields an efficient algorithm for sampling 3-colorings with free boundary conditions on regions with one reflex corner, the first such result for a nonconvex region. This approach can also be generalized to a broad class of mixed boundary conditions. Sampling for these families of regions is significant because it allows us to establish self-reducibility, giving the first algorithm to approximately count the total number of 3-colorings of rectangular lattice regions.
Biosystematic Studies in India—Progress, Prospects and Constraints

Increasing interaction among specialists in the field of biosystematics so as to facilitate better identification services is suggested, taking into consideration the increasing intraspecific diversity resulting in recognizable “biotypes”. The need for a more comprehensive idea of intraspecific diversity in different insect groups is also indicated.
Upscaling sorption/desorption processes in reactive transport models to describe metal/radionuclide transport: a critical review.

Models are a mainstay of the environmental sciences; they allow for both deeper understanding of process knowledge and, to a limited extent, predictive capabilities of current day inputs on the future. Mathematical codes have become increasingly complex with explicit inclusion of many processes that could not be accounted for using simpler solving techniques. And yet, for metal/radionuclide transport in subsurface systems, the inclusion of smaller scale processes in a numerical solver do not always lead to better descriptions of larger scale behavior. The reasons for this are many, but included in this review are the following: unknowable conceptual model errors, discrepancy in the scale of model discretization relative to the scale of the chemical/physical process, and omnipresent chemical and physical heterogeneities. Although it is commonly thought that larger, more complex systems require more complex models to gain insight and predictive capability, there is little to no experimental evidence support...
Topografischer Stopper für Zylinderkopfdichtungen

Weit uber die Halfte aller heutigen Zylinderkopfdichtungen verfugen uber eine sogenannte Stopperzone entlang der Brennkammer. Dieses Designelement sichert die dauerhafte Abdichtpressung in allen Betriebssituationen und erhoht die Dauerfestigkeit der Funktionslagen in Mehrlagenstahl-Dichtungen. Vor allem der anhaltende Trend zum Dieselmotor und die generell immer hoher werdenden Anforderungen des Motorbetriebs erfordern neue Losungen beim Stopperdesign. Federal-Mogul hat existierende Stopperarten untersucht und verglichen. Die Erkenntnisse fuhrten zur Entwicklung des lasergeschweisten, topografischen Stoppers. Dichtungen mit dieser Stoppertechnik sind bei einem grosen europaischen Fahrzeughersteller vorgestellt und befinden sich im Stadium weit fortgeschrittener motorischer Erprobung.
Binding specificity and thermodynamics of cellulose-binding modules from Trichoderma reesei Cel7A and Cel6A.

In this work, Family 1 cellulose binding modules CBMCel7A and CBMCel6A were heterologously expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, and the binding properties between these CBMs and cellulose ...
Chromotrope silver methenamine stain of glomerular lesions.

A staining method for glomeruli incorporates silver methenamine and chromotrope 2R stains. The effects of the pH of the chromotrope 2R staining solution and of the tissue were evaluated. Chromotrope 2R stains deposits best at a pH of about 1.0. Factors affecting the staining intensity and selectivity are discussed. The method is useful for detecting proteinaceous deposits in the glomeruli and possibly in other locations.
Electromagnetic Properties and Structures of BiPbSrCaCuO Superconducting Wires

High-Jc silver-sheathed BiPbSrCaCuO superconducting wires were fabricated through the solid reaction method. These wires showed the maximum Jc of 2.5X 104 A/cm2 (77. 3K) in a zero magnetic field and 1.2X104 A/cm2 at 0.1 Tesla. Key factors for high-Jc wires are: dominant high-Tc phase, highly oriented structures, good bonding at grain boundaries and fine dispersion of non- superconducting phases. When the wire was immersed in liquid helium, maximum Jc of 3.8X104 A/cm2 at 23 Tesla was achieved. 50cm length conductors were fabricated. These conductors were tested and proved to have Ic of practical levels; 170 A at 77.3K and 1000 A at 4.2K. These results show the promising potential of silver-sheathed BiPbSrCaCuO superconducting wires.
Toxicological Assessment on Prepared IgY Safety

To evaluate the edible safety of prepared IgY. Some tests of acute oral toxicity, born marrow cell micronucleus, sperm shape abnormality in mice, Ames and thirty - day feeding were conducted in our study.The LD50 of all the rats and mice were more than 20ml/ kg bw, so the teeth protection spray belonged to actually non - toxicity; tests of born marrow cell micronucleus, sperm shape abnormality in mice, Ames were negative; The thirty - day feeding test in rats demonstrated that it had no distinctive effects on routine blood, body weight and biochemical index. The teeth protection spray was safe for edibility.
'The Look in His Eyes': The Story of State v. Rusk and Rape Reform

This chapter for Criminal Law Stories (Robert Weisberg & Donna Coker eds., 2013), tells the story of State v. Rusk through the lens of rape law reform. Beginning in the 1970s, under the influence of feminism, some prevailing attitudes and expectations about sex between men and women started to change. Edward Rusk, like many guys, didn’t think he just had to stop because a girl who seemed interested said she didn’t want to have sex. He was convicted of rape at the cusp of legal transformation, when sexual behavior that had been socially commonplace was rapidly in the midst of being recast as criminal. Drawing on many interviews with lawyers, judges, and other people involved in the case, I tell the story of when and how a set of social norms of sex and dating became unacceptable. This is a story of the legal role and consequences of that social change.
Warning: potential problems for taxonomy on the horizon?

Whether or not a species might reasonably be described without the preservation of a type specimen is a matter of ongoing discussion among taxonomists (Dubois & Nemesio 2007; Minteer et al. 2014; Krell & Wheeler 2014; Lobl et al. 2016; Marshall & Evenhuis 2016; Santos et al. 2016). Here, we attempt to make our own contribution to the topic.
Explaining Demand for Green Electricity Using Data from All U.S. Utilities

Abstract Green electricity programs enable households to voluntarily contribute to the development of renewable electricity by purchasing green electricity through their local utility. Using a dataset of all utilities in the United States, this paper explores the utility, consumer, and program characteristics that influence participation levels in green electricity, as well as whether a utility chooses to offer a program. Among other results, we find that the key determinants of program participation are the education of the consumer base and the affordability of the green electricity program. Our results enhance understanding of private provision of environmental public goods and could aid in ex ante evaluations of whether a green electricity program is likely to cover its administrative costs or be a cost-effective way of improving environmental quality.
Introduction: In Search of Pimps and Other Varieties

In the United States, the pimp represents one of the key tropes of black masculinity, alternately representing the lowest form of racialized degradation and the highest expression of masculine power. In the mid-twentieth century, bestselling novelists like Jack Kerouac, Donald Goines, and Robert Beck publicly enshrined the black pimp in the pantheon of ghetto personalities, while towering figures of civil rights like Malcolm X and Huey Newton, copped to, boasted about, and struggled against their autobiographical pimp narratives. However, very little empirical research ever emerged on the topic. By the 1980s the pimp was being declared dead. Instead, there was a focus on the victim of improved employment opportunities and expanded legal rights for women according to some scholars and the victim of the crack epidemic and dropping commercial sex prices according to others. However, the international coordination against human trafficking that came to be a key part of post-cold war governance revived interest in this colorful and largely forgotten troglodyte among scholars, policy-makers and law enforcement officials, leading to numerous anti-pimp tracts. This lead to increased prosecution and much longer prison sentences in the United States. Globally, the proliferation of anti-trafficking laws, practices, institutions, and compliance instruments also produced a renewed concern about the presence of male third party facilitators in commercial sex markets, but with a continued absence of rigorous empirical social science research. However, the past half-decade has seen the emergence of a small group of researchers who together and independently have begun to address this lacuna. The following essay introduces their contributions and some key themes taken up in the first book to anthologize.
Term limits and bounds on policy responsiveness in dynamic elections

Abstract I analyze equilibria of a dynamic political agency model of elections with a two-period term limit in the presence of adverse selection and moral hazard. In equilibrium, office holders' policy choices are ordered by type; politicians exert positive effort in the first term of office; and as politicians become highly office motivated, the highest politician type mixes with positive probability between shirking and choosing arbitrarily high policies. Nevertheless, the commitment problem of voters imposes a bound on equilibrium expected effort exerted by politicians that holds uniformly across the level of office benefit and the rate of time discounting. In particular, when politicians are highly office motivated, voters are too demanding in equilibrium, and voter welfare would increase if it were possible to commit to a lower cutoff for re-election.
Attosecond time-resolved streaked photoelectron spectroscopy of transition-metal nanospheres

Citation: Li, J. X., Saydanzad, E., & Thumm, U. (2017). Attosecond time-resolved streaked photoelectron spectroscopy of transition-metal nanospheres. Physical Review A, 95(4), 11. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.95.043423
Role of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha in urogenital disorders

Growth factors are a class of proteins, which bind to specific receptors located on the cell surface. This growth factor-receptor combination induces a variety of intra-cellular events, resulting in variable responses such as growth promotion (mitogenic effect), differentiation or growth suppression in susceptible target cells. This review describes the structure of epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and their receptors; their tissue distribution in experimental animals and humans, and their actions observed in various in vitro and in vivo studies. The clinical significance of these growth factors in urological conditions is highlighted. The continued research concerning the mechanisms, at the cellular and molecular levels,involved in various physiological and pathological conditions such as oncogenesis has generated tremendous enthusiasm regarding the possible application of newer methods in the management of urological conditions. One such example is the use of epidermalgrowth factor antagonists such as suramin in the management of hormone-resistant prostate cancer. The potential for clinical use of EGF/TGF-alpha in urological disorders is under evaluation.
Short-Term Price Continuation Anomalies

Relative to discount-rate effects, the cash-flow component of beta should dominate risk-based models of asset pricing. In principle, even weakly efficient markets should assimilate all publicly available information affecting a firm’s cash flow. But two forms of short-term price continuation persist: post-earnings announcement drift (PEAD) and momentum. Although both forms of drift have invited explanations rooted in behavioral finance, PEAD in particular is consistent with rational learning as a slow but thoroughly reasoned response to the ambiguous interpretation of corporate earnings and accruals. The durability of price continuation anomalies indicates the presence of liquidity constraints and other limits to arbitrage. Moreover, the possibility that earnings information may shed light on economy-wide discount rates as well as firm-specific cash-flow effects adds to the uncertainty surrounding this sort of information, which in turn reveals itself through the drift of prices from the levels that strict efficiency would otherwise predict.
Species-Wide Collection of Escherichia coli Isolates for Examination of Genomic Diversity.

ABSTRACT Pathogenic and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli strains present a vast genomic diversity. We report the genome sequences of 2,244 E. coli isolates from multiple animal and environmental sources. Their phylogenetic relationships and potential risk to human health were examined.
Two-year observational study of deferiprone in superficial siderosis.

INTRODUCTION Superficial siderosis is a rare, neurodegenerative disease caused by toxic accumulation of hemosiderin on the surface of the brain and the spinal cord, most commonly from chronic subarachnoid hemorrhage. AIMS The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of superficial siderosis patients using deferiprone, a cell permeant iron chelator. Subjects obtained pre- and post-treatment brain MRIs and weekly laboratory tests. Osirix software was used to develop a method of quantifying hemosiderin deposition. Three-dimensional whole brain images of gradient echo images were rendered and compared by dividing the mean T2 hyperintensity to the maximal cerebrospinal fluid signal. RESULTS A total of 38 subjects completed the study, of which clinical and radiological data were available for 30. The average age was 64 years (range 37-86), 53% were male, 94% were white. Nineteen subjects (63%) reported either no progression of disease or an improvement in at least one neurological domain, with 40% of patients reporting a stabilization in hearing function and 30% reporting stable or improved coordination and walking. By MRI, there was an overall mean increase in T2 hyperintensity of the whole brain of 1%-13% over the 2-year time period in half of patients, indicating a reduction hemosiderosis. There were no cases of agranulocytosis, and declines of white blood cells counts and neutrophils averaged <10%. Fatigue was the most common side effect. CONCLUSION This is the first long-term prospective study of superficial siderosis on the iron chelator, deferiprone. MRI quantification of hemosiderin appears to demonstrate a measurable reduction in half of patients and this correlated with a stabilized or improving disease course. A future placebo-controlled trial is necessary to determine whether deferiprone is an effective therapy for superficial siderosis.
A recursive ray tracer assignment

Most introductory graphics courses focus entirely on the OpenGL graphics library. However, OpenGL is complex and hides much of the implementation making the rendering process seem complex and mysterious to students. This tutorial presents an assignment that removes the mystery by having students implement a very simple recursive ray tracer using only standard functions found in any high level programming language. The assignment typically extends over the first 3 weeks of an introductory computer graphics course, after which, the course transitions to OpenGL. Students taking the class have had, at a minimum, a data structures course, but preferably an algorithms course as well. Linear algebra is helpful but not required. To successfully complete the assignment, students must develop a solid understanding of basic computer graphics concepts, such as coordinate systems, the notion of a camera & screen, geometry of rays & shapes, light & surface interaction, shadows, and reflections. All of these concepts are also central to OpenGL.
Issues in Special Education Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Professional Development: Considerations in Supporting Rural Teachers

This study sought to obtain a current picture of special education teacher recruitment and retention in rural districts and to understand the professional development needs of rural special educato...
Transient Studies of Methane Oxidative Coupling Over Li Promoted LaNiO3 Catalysts

The oxidative coupling of methane was studied in steady state and transient modes over lithium promoted lanthanum-nickel oxide catalysts. Lithium promotion improves ethane and ethylene selectivity on otherwise completely unselective catalysts. Transient and oxygen isotopic exchange experiments indicate involvement of lattice oxygen in the methane activation process. It is also shown that the presence of lithium significantly lowers a degree to which lattice oxygen can interact with gas phase isotope by blocking oxygen exchange sites.
System-Level Standards: Driverless Cars and the Future of Regulatory Design

Self-driving vehicles will change how Americans travel, work, and live. They have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives over the coming decades. And they are almost here. This Article provides one of the first sustained scholarly accounts of how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA or Agency) should regulate autonomous vehicles under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Currently, NHTSA sets performance safety standards for many motor vehicle parts and functions. This Article argues for an innovative regulatory approach: system-level standards. In contrast to current regulatory approaches, which regulate the safety of individual automobile parts and functions, system-level standards would protect consumers by requiring an aggregate level of safety for autonomous vehicles. This novel approach to regulatory design would protect safety without stifling innovation. Part I of this Article examines NHTSA’s role in regulating motor vehicle safety. It provides a historical overview and takes an in-depth look at the Agency’s statutory powers. Part II then discusses NHTSA’s current approach to regulating self-driving cars and argues that the Agency is engaging in a three-phase regulatory process. The first phase involves building knowledge and issuing guidance, the second phase is one of cooperative regulatory easing, and the third phase—one that is yet to unfold—will likely involve the implementation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Finally, Part III of this Article proposes a regulatory path forward for self-driving cars. Section III.A develops a taxonomy of FMVSS designed to better analyze the level at which NHTSA should regulate autonomous vehicles. Section III.B then proposes an innovative, system-level regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles. Under the proposal, NHTSA would issue a FMVSS requiring that all autonomous vehicles average no more crashes than today’s human-driven cars based on ten million miles of on-road testing in representative conditions. Sections III.C & III.D end by exploring regulatory alternatives. This Article’s approach to regulatory design offers an immediate path forward as regulators determine how best to govern autonomous vehicles. Equally important, this Article reflects a broader view of regulation—one that protects consumers without constraining technological development. This system-level approach will become increasingly important as technological complexity rises and current regulatory tools lose their ability to protect safety without stifling innovation.
Khairy Alzahaby, Gamal el-Ghitani & Halim Barakat

Khairy Alzahaby, a staunch Damascene novelist who graduated from Cairo University, wrote a saga about a revolutionary family in three generations. Gamal el-Ghitani, an Egyptian novelist who published his breakthrough novel in Damascus, related historical events with a political projection on the contemporary. Halim Barakat, a Syrian/American novelist, dedicated his novels to the theme of alienation and the question of identity after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Social justice beliefs and curricular freedom: Factors supporting critical composition pedagogy in a U.S. middle school

Abstract In this case study, we explore one social justice-oriented middle school teacher's instruction and the factors that influence her way of teaching. Findings indicate that this teacher's instructional practices represent all tenets of critical composition pedagogy (CCP) and that teacher belief and knowledge in social justice/critical pedagogy; curricular freedom; professional development; years of experience teaching; teacher biography/identity; teacher activism outside of school; and a progressive school culture are supports for CCP. However, curricular freedom is produced by many contextual factors, including available curricular/pedagogical resources, trust between teachers and administration, and the absence of pressure to increase test scores.