cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic rapid programming of large arrays of floating-gate elements

The use of floating-gate elements on analog circuits has increased over the last few years. Floating-gate transistors are been used for analog multiplication, memory storage, on-chip bias, offset removals, etc. Complex systems, such as imagers and filter arrays, use thousands to millions of programmable floating-gate elements. The programming speed and precision of these elements plays a major role on the performance of these systems. In this paper we present a system approach that allows for automatic rapid programming of large arrays of floating-gates. We achieve this by optimizing all the time consuming tasks involved in the programming, such as current measurements and drain pulsing among others.
Content usage tracking in superdistribution

Content usage statistics from superdistribution users have great commercial values since they can be used for any number of purposes including marketing, accounting, and/or fraud prevention. However tracking content usage under the superdistribution model poses a great challenge since most content users have no explicit pre-established relationship with the content provider. In this paper, we present our technical design of a content usage tracking scheme in the superdistribution model. We explore the concept of Proof of Data Possession (PDP) to establish a post-relationship between users and the provider so that tracking content is possible. Our tracking scheme is format independent, provides accurate and finer-grained usage tracking while at the same time allows user anonymity and efficient distribution of digital contents to end users. Related issues such as user privacy and fraud reporting are also discussed.
Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina An Obesity Prevention Movement

Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina was established in response to the state's rapidly worsening obesity epidemic. Since its inception in 2002, the Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina movement has grown to include more than 90 member organizations and has developed and disseminated North Carolina's plan to address obesity for 2007-2012 and 2013-2020.
The Wealth Effects of REIT Straight Debt Offerings

Executive Summary. The market's reaction to seventy-four real estate investment trust (REIT) straight debt issues between 1991 and 1997 is examined. No significant market reaction to straight debt ...
Sideline Management of Concussion

Concussion associated with sport is a common occurrence with an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions yearly in the United States. The sideline assessment of concussion focuses on four areas: cognitive ability, balance, associated symptoms, and visual tracking. Tools available on the sideline to assist in the diagnosis of concussion are discussed in this article. Some of these tools are validated and reliable and some are developing and have yet to be proven to be sensitive enough for routine use. These tools along with a thorough history and physical examination enable a sideline physician to accurately diagnose concussion.
A Framework for Flow Contingency Management

This paper presents an operational concept and corresponding framework for flow contingency management, a component of strategic traffic flow management in the Next Generation Air Transportation System. The concept and framework described in this paper aim to address the lack of information, and simulation and evaluation capabilities provided to decision makers in today’s strategic planning process. Specifically, the proposed concept explicitly models the uncertainties present at longer look-ahead times and provides quantitative analysis tools to evaluate the impact of proposed congestion-mitigation actions. This paper develops the overall concept and defines the associated modeling framework which specifies the flow of information throughout the decision making process. An example weather and traffic situation, taken from historic data, is simulated to illustrate the concept.
Analysis of Loan Repayment Among Small Scale Farmers in South Western Nigeria- A Discriminant Approach

The study examined loan repayment among small scale farmers in South Western Nigeria. It specifically identified the socio-economic characteristics that discriminate between loan defaulters and non...
Steam Blowing for HRSGs of a 700MW-class Combined Gas-steam Cycle Unit with Multi-shaft Arrangement

The steam blowing is introduced for HRSGs of a 700 MW-class combined gas-steam cycle unit with multi-shaft arrangement in present paper.The two HRSGs are blew separately to simplify the operation,and three systems for each HRSG are blew respectively due to the pressure differences of the high,middle and low pressure systems.The combination of dropping-pressure and steady-pressure methods is employed,which could enhance the blowing result.And the temporary system for steam blowing reduces the blowing expense and workload.The measures are provided and the blowing steps are discussed in detail to avoid the overhigh thermal stress among the temporary pipes,and some issues during blowing are also analyzed,which could be helpful and referenced for the similar units.
Infection Situation of Human Intestinal Parasites in Kaiping City in 2010

[Objective]To provide scientific basis for future control strategy against human parasites in Kaiping City though survey and analysis on the situation of human infection of intestinal parasites. [Methods]The Subjects were examined for intestinal parasitic eggs with the Kato's thick slide method.Enterobius vermicularis eggs were tested with cellophane swab method.The results were analyzed. [Results]Among the 1002 people surveyed,5 kinds of intestinal parasites were found with 93 cases of infection(9.28%).The infection rates of Clonorchis sinensis,hookworm,Trichuris trichiura,lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis were 7.98%,0.20%,0.20%,1.10% and 11.44%,respectively. [Conclusion]Through many years' efforts,the control of parasitic diseases in Kaiping city has gained much achievement,but the infection rates of Clonorchis sinensis and Enterobius vermicularis are still high,which needs to be enhanced in the future.
Diagramming Phenomena for Mechanistic Explanation

As part of an inquiry into how diagrams figure in scientific practice, we examine diagrams that represent phenomena involving circadian rhythms. Different diagrammatic formats are developed and revised over time to best represent different phenomena for which explanations will be sought. Some diagrams are less transparent than others, so learning is often required in order to see the information conveyed.
Trisomy 21 in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

We present a case of a 64-year-old male, diagnosed to have acute promyelocytic leukemia with trisomy 21. He came to the hospital with bleeding secondary to disseminated intravascular coagulation. Promyelocytes in the blood and bone marrow contained abundant, prominent azurophilic granules. Cytogenetic studies revealed trisomy 21. The karyotypic abnormality reverted back to normal 46,XY, pattern after chemotherapy. The typical morphologic and cytogenetic features of acute promyelocytic leukemia are briefly discussed.
History of Meningococcal Outbreaks in the United States: Implications for Vaccination and Disease Prevention

Invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis presents a significant public health concern. Meningococcal disease is rare but potentially fatal within 24 hours of onset of illness, and survivors may experience permanent sequelae. This review presents the epidemiology, incidence, and outbreak data for invasive meningococcal disease in the United States since 1970, and it highlights recent changes in vaccine recommendations to prevent meningococcal disease. Relevant publications were obtained by database searches for articles published between January 1970 and July 2015. The incidence of meningococcal disease has decreased in the United States since 1970, but serogroup B meningococcal disease is responsible for an increasing proportion of disease burden in young adults. Recent serogroup B outbreaks on college campuses warrant broader age-based recommendations for meningococcal group B vaccines, similar to the currently recommended quadrivalent vaccine that protects against serogroups A, C, W, and Y. After the recent approval of two serogroup B vaccines, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices first updated its recommendations for routine meningococcal vaccination to cover at-risk populations, including those at risk during serogroup B outbreaks, and later it issued a recommendation for those aged 16–23 years. Meningococcal disease outbreaks remain challenging to predict, making the optimal disease management strategy one of prevention through vaccination rather than containment. How the epidemiology of serogroup B disease and prevention of outbreaks will be affected by the new category B recommendation for serogroup B vaccines remains to be seen.
Convexity Neglect in Consumer Decision Making

We identify a systematic bias due to consumers’ tendency to neglect convexity when summing or averaging ratios. We demonstrate the consequences of this bias in consumers’ judgment of travel time, fuel consumption and stock evaluation. We also show that the effects are not due to motivation or calculation difficulty.
Theoretical, Permutation, and Empirical Null Distributions

In classical significance testing, the null distribution plays the role of devil's advocate: a standard that the observed data must exceed in order to convince the scientific world that something interesting has occurred. We observe, say, z = 2, and note that in a hypothetical “long run” of observations from a N (0, 1) distribution less than 2.5% of the draws would exceed 2, thereby discrediting the uninteresting null distribution as an explanation. Considerable effort has been expended trying to maintain the classical model in large-scale testing situations, as seen in Chapter 3, but there are important differences that affect the role of the null distribution when the number of cases N is large: • With N = 10 000 for example, the statistician has his or her own “long run” in hand. This diminishes the importance of theoretical null calculations based on mathematical models. In particular, it may become clear that the classical null distribution appropriate for a single-test application is in fact wrong for the current situation. • Scientific applications of single-test theory most often suppose, or hope for, rejection of the null hypothesis, perhaps with power = 0.80. Largescale studies are usually carried out with the expectation that most of the N cases will accept the null hypothesis, leaving only a small number of interesting prospects for more intensive investigation. • Sharp null hypotheses, such as H 0 : μ = 0 for z ˜ N (μ, 1), are less important in large-scale studies. […]
Racial/ethnic Differences in Initiation of and Engagement with Addictions Treatment among Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders in the Veterans Health Administration

Abstract Objective Specialty addictions treatment can improve outcomes for patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD). Thus, initiation of and engagement with specialty addictions treatment are considered quality care for patients with AUD. Previous studies have demonstrated racial/ethnic differences in alcohol-related care but whether differences exist in initiation of and engagement with specialty addictions treatment among patients with clinically recognized alcohol use disorders is unknown. We investigated racial/ethnic variation in initiation of and engagement with specialty addictions treatment in a national sample of Black, Hispanic, and White patients with clinically recognized alcohol use disorders (AUD) from the US Veterans Health Administration (VA). Methods National VA data were extracted for all Black, Hispanic, and White patients with a diagnosed AUD during fiscal year 2012. Mixed effects regression models estimated the odds of two measures of initiation (an initial visit within 180 days of diagnosis; and initiation defined consistent with Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) as a documented visit ≤14 days after index visit or inpatient admission), and three established measures of treatment engagement (≥3 visits within first month after initiation; ≥2 visits in each of the first 3 months after initiation; and ≥2 visits within 30 days of HEDIS initiation) for Black and Hispanic relative to White patients after adjustment for facility- and patient-level characteristics. Results Among 302,406 patients with AUD, 30% (90,879) initiated treatment within 180 days of diagnosis (38% Black, 32% Hispanic, and 27% White). Black patients were more likely to initiate treatment than Whites for both measures of initiation [odds ratio (OR) for initiation: 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–1.4; OR for HEDIS initiation: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1–1.1]. Hispanic patients were more likely than White patients to initiate treatment within 180 days (OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.2–1.3) but HEDIS initiation did not differ between Hispanic and White patients. Engagement results varied depending on the measure but was more likely for Black patients relative to White for all measures (OR for engagement in first month: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0–1.1; OR for engagement in first three months: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.2; OR for HEDIS measure: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0–1.1), and did not differ between Hispanic and White patients. Conclusions After accounting for facility- and patient-level characteristics, Black and Hispanic patients with AUD were more likely than Whites to initiate specialty addictions treatment, and Black patients were more likely than Whites to engage. Research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms and whether differences in initiation of and engagement with care influence health outcomes.
Sensitive Quantification of Cannabinoids in Milk by Alkaline Saponification-Solid Phase Extraction Combined with Isotope Dilution UPLC-MS/MS.

Maternal exposure to marijuana during the lactation period—either active or passive—has prompted concerns about transmission of cannabinoids to breastfed infants and possible subsequent adverse health consequences. Assessing these health risks requires a sensitive analytical approach that is able to quantitatively measure trace-level cannabinoids in breast milk. Here, we describe a saponification–solid phase extraction approach combined with ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for simultaneously quantifying Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) in breast milk. We demonstrate for the first time that constraints on sensitivity can be overcome by utilizing alkaline saponification of the milk samples. After extensively optimizing the saponification procedure, the validated method exhibited limits of detections of 13, 4, and 66 pg/mL for THC, CBN, and CBD, respectively. Notably, the sensitivity achieved was significantly improved, for instance, th...
Variational coarse-graining procedure for dynamic homogenization

Abstract We present a variational coarse-graining framework for heterogeneous media in the spirit of FE2 methods, that allows for a seamless transition from the traditional static scenario to dynamic loading conditions, while being applicable to general material behavior as well as to discrete or continuous representations of the material and its deformation, e.g., finite element discretizations or atomistic systems. The method automatically delivers the macroscopic equations of motion together with the generalization of Hill’s averaging relations to the dynamic setting. These include the expression of the macroscopic stresses and linear momentum as a function of the microscopic fields. We further demonstrate with a proof of concept example, that the proposed theoretical framework can be used to perform multiscale numerical simulations. The results are compared with standard single-scale finite element simulations, showcasing the capability of the method to capture the dispersive nature of the medium in the range of frequencies permitted by the multiscale strategy.
Questioning the New Secularism of the West

Elizabeth Hurd’s new book, Beyond Religious Freedom, is a much-needed intervention in the field of religion and international relations. At the heart of this brilliantly argued book is the evolving...
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Disrupted Protein Balance and Impaired Cardiomyocyte Contractility

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) can develop after consumption of relatively large amounts of alcohol over time or from acute binge drinking. Of the many factors implicated in the etiology of ACM, chronic perturbation in protein balance has been strongly implicated. This review focused on recent contributions (since 2010) in the area of protein metabolism and cardiac function related to ACM. Data reviewed include that from in vitro and preclinical in vivo animal studies where alcohol or an oxidative metabolite was studied and outcome measures in either cardiomyocytes or whole heart pertaining to protein synthesis or degradation were reported. Additionally, studies on the contractile properties of cardiomyocytes were also included to link signal transduction with function. Methodological differences including the potential impact of sex, dosing, and duration/timing of alcohol administration are addressed. Acute and chronic alcohol consumption decreases cardiac protein synthesis and/or activation of proteins within the regulatory mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex pathway. Albeit limited, evidence suggests that myocardial protein degradation via the ubiquitin pathway is not altered, while autophagy may be enhanced in ACM. Alcohol impairs ex vivo cardiomyocyte contractility in relation to its metabolism and expression of proteins within the growth factor pathway. Dysregulation of protein metabolism, including the rate of protein synthesis and autophagy, may contribute to contractile deficits and is a hallmark feature of ACM meriting additional sex-inclusive, methodologically consistent studies.
Coregulation and the Quality of the Relationship in Full‐Term and Very Low‐Birthweight Preterm Infant‐Mother Dyads During Face‐To‐Face Interactions

Interactions with parents build the foundation for infants' social–emotional development. This study investigated coregulation of the interaction and quality of relationship between mothers and their 6-month-old full-term (n = 43) and very low-birthweight/preterm (VLBW/preterm; n = 44; ages corrected for prematurity) infants. The objectives were to examine (1) how coregulation changed following a perturbed interaction, (2) how coregulation differed between full-term and VLBW/preterm infant–mother dyads, and (3) the association between coregulation and relationship quality. Coregulation was coded using the Revised Relational Coding System (Fogel et al., 2003). Quality of the relationship was measured using the Emotional Availability scales (Biringen et al., 2014; Carter et al., 1998). Dyads participated in the Still-Face (SF) procedure (Tronick et al., 1978) consisting of two natural and one SF period where mothers assumed a neutral expression, refraining from interacting with their infants. Following the SF period, dyads engaged in more symmetrical and more disruptive patterns of coregulation. While full-term dyads engaged in more sequential-symmetrical, VLBW/preterm dyads engaged in more resonant-symmetrical coregulation. These results suggest that VLBW/preterm dyads may show more emotional reactivity in their interactions than full-term dyads; however, in both groups infant responsiveness and parenting stress influenced the types of coregulation exhibited.
Non-local STAPLE: an intensity-driven multi-atlas rater model.

Multi-atlas segmentation provides a general purpose, fully automated class of techniques for transferring spatial information from an existing dataset (“atlases”) to a previously unseen context (“target”) through image registration. The method used to combine information after registration (“label fusion”) has a substantial impact on the overall accuracy and robustness. In practice, weighted voting techniques have dramatically outperformed algorithms based on statistical fusion (i.e., algorithms that incorporate rater performance into the estimation process — STAPLE). We posit that a critical limitation of statistical techniques (as generally proposed) is that they fail to incorporate intensity seamlessly into the estimation process and models of observation error. Herein, we propose a novel statistical fusion algorithm, Non-Local STAPLE, which merges the STAPLE framework with a non-local means perspective. Non-Local STAPLE (1) seamlessly integrates intensity into the estimation process, (2) provides a theoretically consistent model of multi-atlas observation error, and (3) largely bypasses the need for group-wise unbiased registrations. We demonstrate significant improvements in two empirical multi-atlas experiments.
SOME MULTIPLE Q-Q PLOTTING PROCEDURES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses multiple quantile-quantile (Q–Q) plotting procedures that is commonly used by a statistician for a variety of purposes. The chapter illustrates a Q–Q plot where two distribution functions F 1 and F 2 are demonstrated. The Q–Q plot is a graphical way of comparing F 1 and F 2 with regard to their shape. It is simply a plot of points whose x-coordinate is the p th quantile of F 1 and whose y-coordinate is the pth quantile of F 2 , there being one point for each value of p between 0 and 1. In other words, the Q–Q plot of F 1 against F 2 is a plot of the points {(q1 (p), q2(p))} as p varies between 0 and 1. Information concerning the differences between F 1 and F 2 may be inferred from the shape of the Q–Q plot. A common use of the Q–Q plot in comparing the shape of two distribution functions F 1 , F 2 is when one of the distribution functions, for example, F 1 , is the empirical cumulative distribution function (ECDF) generated by a set of independent observations following an unknown distribution law. The following are some of the common purposes of a Q–Q plot: (1) check the distributional properties of a set of observations against a prespecified model distribution, (2) obtain information about the true distribution governing the observations in comparison with some standard reference distribution. The following are some of the common practical uses of the Q–Q plot: (1) check for normality and (2) check on hypothesized survival, reliability, or extreme value distributions.
Use of Purified Erythropoietin Responsive Cells Produced by the Anemia Strain of Friend Virus to Study the Action of Erythropoietin

The administration of the Friend virus that produces anemia (FVA) to sensitive mice leads to a marked splenic accumulation of erythroid progenitor cells arrested at the stage of the colony-forming unit — erythroid (CFU-E). Purification by velocity sedimentation at unit gravity provides over 108 highly purified erithropoietin (Ep)-responsive cells/spleen. Using these cells it has been possible to show that Ep increases the number of transferrin binding sites and initiates specific transcription of globin genes by 6 h of culture. Within 1 min, Ep stimulates 45Ca2+ uptake. With tritiated, or radioiodinated Ep, binding studies have shown the presence of Ep receptors. Scatchard analysis of 125I-recombinant Ep binding to FVA-cells at 4°C showed 550 binding sites with a dissociation constant of 0.6 nM and 400 high affinity receptors with a constant of 0.09 nM. At 37°C, 1900 total receptors were apparent. A high salt, pH 2.5 wash, or treatment with pronase, removed virtually all the surface bound 125I-Ep from the cells. When 125I-Ep was bound to the cells at 37°C, or when cells with Ep bound to the surface at 4°C were warmed to 37°C, a proportion of the Ep bound to the cells was no longer removed by the high salt, acid wash or pronase action. The resistance to these procedures suggests that Ep was internalized by receptor mediated endocytosis. When the unbound ligand was washed away o after steady state binding at 4°C,and the cells were incubated at 37°C, both surface bound and internal 125I-Ep declined as radioactivity was released to the medium. Analysis of the medium by gel filtration revealed activity in low molecular weight degredation products including iodotyrosine. These experiments show that Ep is internalized by receptor- mediated endocytosis as early as 2 min after addition of the radioactive hormone and is then degraded before secretion from the cells.
Respiratory Effects of General Anesthesia

Respiratory function is impaired by general anesthesia on ­multiple fronts (Table 4-1). In addition to anesthesia per se, aspects related to general anesthesia (supine position, paralysis, mechanical ventilation) impact respiratory function and efficiency.
A novel approach to treating morning sleep inertia in narcolepsy.

We describe an adolescent with narcolepsy who presented with inability to awaken from sleep to attend early morning classes at school. After he did not respond to traditional therapies, a nicotine ...
Efficient Synthesis of Edit Functions for Opacity Enforcement Using Bisimulation-Based Abstractions

This paper investigates the synthesis of edit functions for opacity enforcement using abstraction methods to reduce computational complexity. Edit functions are used to alter system outputs by erasing or inserting events in order to prevent violations of opacity. We introduce two abstraction methods, called opaque observation equivalence and opaque bisimulation, that are used to abstract the original system and its observer before calculating edit functions. We present a set of results on abstraction for opacity and its enforcement by edit functions that prove that edit functions synthesized from abstracted models are “equivalent” to ones synthesized from original ones. Our approach leverages the technique of edit function synthesis using the All Edit Structure from prior works.
Progression and Pathology of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy From Repeated Primary Blast Exposure

Indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (ITON) is a condition that is often associated with traumatic brain injury and can result in significant vision loss due to degeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons at the time of injury or within the ensuing weeks. We used a mouse model of eye-directed air-blast exposure to characterize the histopathology of blast-induced ITON. This injury caused a transient elevation of intraocular pressure with subsequent RGC death and axon degeneration that was similar throughout the length of the optic nerve (ON). Deficits in active anterograde axon transport to the superior colliculus accompanied axon degeneration and first appeared in peripheral representations of the retina. Glial area in the ON increased early after injury and involved a later period of additional expansion. The increase in area involved a transient change in astrocyte organization independent of axon degeneration. While levels of many cytokines and chemokines did not change, IL-1α and IL-1β increased in both the ON and retina. In contrast, glaucoma shows distal to proximal axon degeneration with astrocyte remodeling and increases in many cytokines and chemokines. Further, direct traumatic optic neuropathies have a clear site of injury with rapid, progressive axon degeneration and cell death. These data show that blast-induced ITON is a distinct neuropathology from other optic neuropathies.
Choice behavior under differential outcomes: Sample stimulus control versus expectancy control

Abstract It has been hypothesized that in the differential outcomes (DO) procedure, each discriminative stimulus comes to evoke a specific expectancy or representation of its unique reward and that expectancy exerts “stimulus” control over choice behavior in the same manner as a discriminative stimulus. It has also been suggested that expectancy control may reduce—or even replace—control by the discriminative stimulus under DO, and that under DO, subjects may show considerably more ability to choose a correct response on the basis of expectancy than on the basis of the discriminative stimulus. The present experiment, using DO in the delayed matching-to-sample procedure with pigeons, demonstrates that subjects under DO show more ability to match based on expectancy alone than sample alone when direct comparisons are made, and when presented with two choices, one indicated by sample and one indicated by expectancy, subjects typically made the choice indicated by expectancy. The implications of these findings of greater control of choice behavior by expectancies for traditional accounts of behavioral control in choice behavior are discussed.
The Geography of Equal Protection

Whether laws violate the Equal Protection Clause generally depends on what level of scrutiny a court applies in reviewing that law. Laws that employ suspect classifications are subjected to heightened scrutiny. Whether a classification is suspect depends in part on whether the group targeted by the challenged law is politically powerless. Many judges refuse to treat sexual orientation as a suspect classification by asserting that gay men and lesbians are not politically powerless. It is puzzling that judges claim that gay men and lesbians have so much political power given that the federal government, most state governments, and hundreds of local governments have enacted laws to discriminate against gay people. Using the debate over whether anti-gay laws should be subject to heightened scrutiny, this Article shows how courts generally have mishandled the geographic aspect of the political power inquiry. States vary wildly in their treatment of gay people, with some states including sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination laws and other states maintaining a litany of explicitly anti-gay laws. This indicates that gay people may have political power to protect their interests in some parts of the country but not in others. Courts fail to appreciate these regional variations in political power when determining for equal protection purposes whether gays have political power. Indeed, courts have relied on evidence of political power in faraway geographic areas that are irrelevant to the political process that produced the particular anti-gay law that is being challenged. For example, when evaluating equal protection challenges to anti-gay state laws, courts often find that gays have political power – and thus do not qualify for heightened scrutiny – by pointing to gay-protective laws in other states. This makes little sense. The fact that the California legislature does a relatively good job of protecting gay rights should not mean that anti-gay legislation in Oklahoma gets substantial judicial deference. This essentially punishes gay residents of Oklahoma for the political victories achieved by Californians. The Article concludes by considering the legal implications of these geographic issues for equal protection analysis. One approach would be to have localized findings regarding political power. This, however, would create unacceptable disuniformity. Given the need for uniform application of equal protection analysis across the nation, the most prudent approach is to eliminate the political power inquiry altogether. Several scholars have criticized courts for applying the political powerlessness factor of equal protection analysis inconsistently and without a proper measurement tool. Ultimately, this Article adds an additional reason for abandoning the political power factor.
Characteristics of School Psychology Graduate Education: Implications for the Entry-Level Discussion and Doctoral-Level Specialty Definition

Recent school psychology surveys confirm that graduates and practitioners with specialist-level preparation dominate current practice and graduate program enrollment. Although opportunities for doc...
Adsorption and removal of a selected emerging contaminant, carbamazepine, using Humic acid, Humasorb and Montmorillonite. Equilibrium isotherms, kinetics and effect of the water matrix.

Carbamazepine is an antiepileptic drug that is not easily degraded in the environment. In this study, the removal of carbamazepine, an emerging contaminant, dissolved in deionized water and wastewa...
The diligencia (stagecoach) as narrative vehicle in early nineteenth-century Spain

This article investigates how portrayals of the diligencia (stagecoach) in costumbrista texts, guidebooks and other writings from early nineteenth-century Spain helped characterize the country’s tr...
Computer-Supported Human Mentoring for Personalized and Equitable Math Learning

Computer tutor data indicate that more learning opportunities yield greater achievement, but also confirm there are gaps in the number and quality of opportunities marginalized students receive that technology alone does not address. Personalized learning with mentors can close this gap in opportunities but is expensive to implement. We introduce a free, web-based application, Personalized Learning\(^2\) (PL\(^2\)), designed to improve mentoring efficiency by connecting mentors to intervention and instructional resources. Preliminary findings indicated that PL\(^2\)’s categorization of students based on math learning software data enabled mentors to focus their efforts, and that mentors found PL\(^2\) resources to positively expand how they taught and mentored.
The Discovery of the Centrality of Culture in Art: Wenda Gu

Wenda Gu was one of the major figures in China’s avant-garde movement of the 1980s and played a unique role in this movement as well as in the Great Cultural Discussion. When art groups mushroomed nationwide, Gu became a bright star as an “individual artist” independent of any art group—an unusual phenomenon in 1985. The term “individual artist” refers, in this context, to those vanguard artists who would occasionally participate in group shows but tend to create and exhibit their work independently. While vanguard groups had their specific orientation, usually reflecting their manifestoes, and presenting relatively similar artistic styles in collective activities and exhibitions, the individual artists presented their artistic concepts and styles in a more personal manner.
Exploration Planetary Surface Structural Systems: Design Requirements and Compliance

The Lunar Surface Systems Project developed system concepts that would be necessary to establish and maintain a permanent human presence on the Lunar surface. A variety of specific system implementations were generated as a part of the scenarios, some level of system definition was completed, and masses estimated for each system. Because the architecture studies generally spawned a large number of system concepts and the studies were executed in a short amount of time, the resulting system definitions had very low design fidelity. This paper describes the development sequence required to field a particular structural system: 1) Define Requirements, 2) Develop the Design and 3) Demonstrate Compliance of the Design to all Requirements. This paper also outlines and describes in detail the information and data that are required to establish structural design requirements and outlines the information that would comprise a planetary surface system Structures Requirements document.
A flexible authorization framework for e-commerce

Past generations of access control models fail to meet the needs of many applications such as business-to-business (B2B) applications and auctions This paper describes several access control models that have been recently proposed to address these emerging needs including models that are policy-neutral and flexible in that they permit enforcement of multiple policies on the same server, and models that incorporate richer semantics for access control, such as provisions and obligations.
Graphite-to-Metal Bonding Techniques

Physical and thermal bonding techniques to mate pyrolytic graphite to copper were tested for suitability in extracting high heat flux loads through the bonds. The most successful bonds were titanium-copper-silver and titanium-copper-nickel braze alloys. Their heat flux capabilities were ~6 MW/m2, and they appeared to withstand indefinite heat cycling at maximum heat flux.
Fairness and Two Fundamental Questions in the Tort Law of Accidents

This paper explores two central questions in the tort law of accidents--the choice between negligence and strict liability, and the level of reasonable precaution--from a fairness perspective. The first part of the paper develops the idea that liability rules are fair when they are ex ante and, over the long run, to the advantage of all those they affect, even those who fare worst under them. The second part of the paper investigates the choice between negligence and strict liability, taking into account two competing conceptions of fairness. One influential conception takes reciprocity or nonreciprocity of risk to be the master test of fairness, holding that accident costs are fairly distributed when the risks which give rise to accidents are fairly distributed. Another influential conception holds that the accident costs of risky activities should be spread among all those who benefit from the activity, ideally in proportion to their degree of benefit. This conception takes the distribution of harm--of the costs of accidents themselves--to be central. Part two of the paper argues that this second conception of fairness is preferable, and that it gives us good reason to believe that enterprise liability is prima facie fairer than negligence liability. Part three of the paper takes up the question of reasonable care, investigating the fair level of precaution. This part of the paper focuses particularly on the question of what fairness requires when an activity imposes a significant risk of serious injury. When an injury is serious--when the harm it does substantially impairs the pursuit of a normal life and when that harm cannot be repaired--fairness cannot be achieved by redistributing accident costs after the injury. Fairness must be achieved, if it can be achieved, by pitching the level of precaution at an appropriately high point ex ante. The paper argues that fairness requires pushing the level of precaution beyond the wealth maximizing point when substantial risks of serious injury are at issue. Fairness requires reducing such risks to the point where further reduction would threaten the activity that engenders them, the point where the long-run health of the activity would be jeopardized. The fourth and final section of the paper examines the connections between fairness and the forms of justice. Taking issue with the dominant position in contemporary tort theory, section four argues that justice (as fairness) in tort accident law is primarily a question of distributive justice, and only secondarily a matter of corrective justice.
Single-parameter scaling in one-dimensional Anderson localization: Exact analytical solution

The variance of the Lyapunov exponent is calculated exactly in the one-dimensional Anderson model with random site energies distributed according to the Cauchy distribution. We derive an exact analytical criterion for the validity of single-parameter scaling in this model. According to this criterion, states with energies within the conduction band of the underlying nonrandom system satisfy single-parameter scaling when the disorder is small enough. At the same time, single-parameter scaling is not valid for states close to band boundaries and those outside of the original spectrum, even in the case of small disorder. The results obtained are applied to the Kronig-Penney model with the potential in the form of periodically positioned $\ensuremath{\delta}$ functions with random strengths. We show that an increase in disorder can restore single-parameter scaling behavior for states within the band gaps.
Equivalent perception dose of pulsed fluoroscopy

The authors find that pulsed fluoroscopy of stationary objects gives average dose savings of 22%, 38%, and 49% at 15, 10 and 7.5 acq/sec, respectively. Dose savings depend on object size, with less savings for smaller objects. A model that includes the spatio-temporal response of the human visual system describes these results with one free parameter. >
Heat flow in vapor dominated areas of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field: Implications for the thermal budget of the Yellowstone Caldera

the Yellowstone Caldera, the 0.11 km 2 Obsidian Pool Thermal Area (OPTA) and the 0.25 km 2 Solfatara Plateau Thermal Area (SPTA). Conductive heat flux through a low permeability layer capping large vapor reservoirs is calculated from soil temperature measurements at >600 locations and from laboratory measurements of soil properties. The conductive heat output is 3.6 � 0.4 MW and 7.5 � 0.4 MW from the OPTA and the SPTA, respectively. The advective heat output from soils is 1.3 � 0.3 MW and 1.2 � 0.3 MW from the OPTA and the SPTA, respectively and the heat output from thermal pools in the OPTA is 6.8 � 1.4 MW. These estimates result in a total heat output of 11.8 � 1.4 MW and 8.8 � 0.4 MW from OPTA and SPTA, respectively. Focused zones of high heat flux in both thermal areas are roughly aligned with regional faults suggesting that faults in both areas serve as conduits for the rising acid vapor. �� ;
Pharmacologic Management of Parkinson Disease: Choice of Initial Therapy in Early Disease

The most efficacious symptomatic agent for Parkinson's disease is levodopa; however, the development of motor complications with long-term therapy is concerning. In the modern day treatment of Parkinson's disease, non-levodopa agents (eg, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors) should be considered as appropriate initial treatments. In early Parkinson's disease, dopamine agonists provide effective symptomatic therapy, reduce the risk for motor complications, and delay the need to initiate levodopa. However, the dopamine agonists are associated with impulse control disorders and behaviors that are concerning. Monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors are also effective as monotherapy for early stage Parkinson's disease. Clinical data demonstrate that early initiation of rasagiline (in the absence of functional impairment) is associated with improved outcomes as opposed to delayed initiation. Selegiline can delay the need for levodopa, albeit its clinical effectiveness as monotherapy is equivocal....
Material-dependent Variations of Alignment in Beam-Foil Excitation

We have measured the linear polarization fractions of the 2s1S-3p1P He I transition at 5 016 ? excited by the passage of helium ions through thin perpendicular foils at beam energies of 40 to 220 keV. Metallic foils such as Au and Ag show less polarization than carbon, while non-conducting SiO2 foils produce increased linear polarization. Time variations of the polarization show that the build-up of impurities on the final surface of the foils yields carbon-foil like polarizations. At higher beam energies of 0.6 to 1.0 MeV, all foils show increased polarization for neon transitions, but decreased polarization for He II transitions with respect to the carbon foil values.
Seasonal Patterns of Chlorophyll, Nutrient Concentrations and Secchi Disk Transparency in Florida Lakes

ABSTRACT Florida lakes as a group exhibited a distinct seasonal pattern in the concentration of algal chlorophylls. This conclusion was based on an analysis of data from the Florida LAKEWATCH 1994 database containing 416 lake-years of observations from 209 lakes. For oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes, monthly chlorophyll concentrations were typically lower than the annual mean chlorophyll concentration from December to May and were higher from August to October. Hypereutrophic lakes (annual mean chlorophyll > 40 μg·L−1) tend to have high fluctuating levels of algal chlorophyll for most of the year except for low levels in December, January, and February. Maximum chlorophyll concentrations tended to occur most frequently from August to October, however the maximum or minimum level in any given lake can occur at any time of the year. The variance (s2) in monthly chlorophyll concentrations over the course of a year increased with increasing annual mean chlorophyll for Florida lakes. There was al...
Introduction of threshold self-adjustment improves the convergence in feature-detective neural nets

Abstract Two-cellular mechanisms of memory provide short- and long-term changes in the synapse. The long-term mechanism implemented as connection weights’ modification is widely used in neural network-based cognitive models. Short-term synaptic adaptation is often overlooked in these models. In this study it was implemented by independent dynamic thresholds in each unit. This mechanism was expected to improve the speed of convergence in feature-detective WTA nets. The results showed that dynamic thresholds increased the speed of learning, and made convergence possible for some sets of initial weights that did not converge without it.
Fine structure in the giant resonance region and the collective dipole spin-flip excitation in 208Pb

Abstract Inelastic scattering of 40 and 45 MeV protons has been used to study the excitation region of 6–12 MeV in 208 Pb. This region is found to be strongly structured with states of different multipolarity. Fine structure peaks between 8.5 and 10 MeV show mainly quadrupole and octupole structure. The “giant” M1 excitations observed recently are strongly excited and are described by microscopic form factors. Several strongly excited states between 6 and 8.5 MeV show angular distributions of characteristic dipole ( L = 1) structure. Ground-state widths derived from our inelastic cross sections are many times larger than measured in γ-induced reactions, and this indicates a structure different from isovector dipole. These states may represent a collective dipole spin-flip excitation ( L = 1, S = 1) which in a simple collective picture can be interpreted as a collective dipole oscillation of spin-up particles against spin-down particles. Two of these states, at 7.40 and 7.92 MeV, were identified in 180° electron scattering as 2 − states. Derived B (M2) values from our data are in excellent agreement with the electron scattering results. The other two states at 6.26 and 8.37 MeV may represent collective 1 − spin-flip excitations.
Thal Fundoplication in Neurologically Impaired Children

Abstract Children with neurological impairment (NI) frequently require feeding gastrostomy, and this often aggravates or produces gastroesophageal reflux (GER). From 1976 to 1994, 141 children with severe NI underwent Thal fundoplication and gastrostomy (GT). GER was evident in 80%; in the rest, fundoplication was an adjunct to GT. Ph results were positive in 38 cases, and 57 children had reflux according to the barium studies. There were no major intraoperative complications. Disruption of the repair and/or recurrent GER was noted in 14 cases (10%); 8 were redone as Thals, and 6 were converted to Nissen procedures. Pyloroplasty was done later in 9 children (6%). Bowel obstruction was seen in 4 patients (3%). Clinical follow-up (mean, 54 months) showed improvement in 96%; only 5 of the 141 (3.2%) have residual symptoms. Of the patients with an intact Thal, 67% could burp or vomit. The ability to vomit may protect the Thal fundoplication and avoid disruption of the repair.