cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
14 Assessment Psychology

This chapter traces the origins of assessment psychology and the development of assessment methods to serve four purposes: (a) evaluating intellectual ability with the Binet, Wechsler, and Kaufman scales and measures of nonverbal and emotional intelligence; (b) identifying personality characteristics and psychopathology with self-report measures (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, California Psychological Inventory, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire, NEO Personality Inventory, and Personality Assessment Inventory), performance-based measures (Rorschach Inkblot Method, picture-story methods, figure drawing methods, and sentence completion methods), and interviewing schedules (Mental Status Examination, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Diagnostic Interviewing Schedule, and Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM); (c) monitoring neuropsychological functioning with the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt test and the Halstead-Reitan and Luria-Nebraska batteries; and (d) measuring aptitudes, achievement, and interests with the Wide-Range Achievement Test, the Strong Interest Inventory, the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey, and the Holland Self-Directed Search. With respect to its present and future status, assessment psychology is currently a thriving field of practice and research characterized by extensive applications in a broad range of settings, a burgeoning scholarly literature, and abundant research findings documenting the validity and utility of psychological testing and assessment. There is, nevertheless, reason for concern that continued advancements in the science and practice of assessment psychology may be constrained by insufficient attention in graduate programs to education and training in assessment. Keywords: assessment; psychological testing; psychological assessment; testing
Positive Parenting Matters in the Face of Early Adversity.

Introduction A negative relationship between adverse childhood experiences and both physical and mental health in adulthood is well established, as is the positive impact of parenting on child development and future health. However, few studies have investigated unique influences of adverse childhood experiences and positive parenting together within a large, diverse early childhood sample. Methods The study used data on all children aged 0–5 years (n=29,997) from the National Survey of Children's Health 2011/2012 to examine effects of positive parenting practices and adverse childhood experiences on early childhood social–emotional skills and general development. All analyses were performed in 2017 and 2018. Results More than a third of the sample reported experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience. More than a fourth (26.7%) met study criteria for social–emotional deficits, and 26.2% met criteria for developmental delay risks. The number of adverse childhood experiences exhibited negative marginal associations with social–emotional deficits and developmental delay risks, whereas the number of positive parenting practices showed independent protective effects. Risks associated with an absence of positive parenting were often greater than those of four or more adverse childhood experiences, even among no/low adversity families. The population attributable fractions for social–emotional deficits and developmental delay risks were 17.3% and 13.9% (translating to prevalence reductions of 4.5% and 3.6%) when adopting all positive parenting practices and 4.5% and 7.2% (prevalence reductions of 1.2% and 1.9%) when eliminating adverse childhood experiences. Conclusions The number of adverse childhood experiences was associated with both social–emotional deficits and developmental delay risks in early childhood; however, positive parenting practices demonstrated robust protective effects independent of the number of adverse childhood experiences. This evidence further supports promotion of positive parenting practices at home, especially for children exposed to high levels of adversity.
Physical Therapist-Led Exercise Assessment and Counseling in Integrative Cancer Care: Effects on Patient Self-reported Symptoms and Quality of Life.

Background. Exercise - contributes to improved treatment-related outcomes. We reviewed characteristics of cancer patients referred for physical therapist–led exercise counseling at a comprehensive ...
Process Parameters Optimization of Drip Pipe Extrusion Process Using Taguchi Approach

In the present analysis work, a plastic extrusion process that’s used for production of drip irrigation pipes is optimized using Taugchi approach. It’s vital to spot and optimize the process parameters, to assure quality extrusion pipe producing. Conjointly it’s essential to find out the defects in it. For analysis work Akash Drip Industries, company was elite. Taguchi technique is employed to optimize the method parameters, temperature and take-off speed. The experiment was conducted for 3 totally different material providers as supplier changes properties of material aiming to modified due to parameter setting throughout producing of material. Taugchi L9 orthogonal array is chosen for experimental designing and experiment was analyzed exploitation business Minitab18 computer code. After interpretation of values, optimized factor settings were chosen to predict minimum defects. The result unconcealed that using optimized values of things proportion defects for uneven wall thickness decreased from average of 4.19, 4.103, 5.04 to 1.38, 1.66, and 1.18 severally for 3 material suppliers.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership as Megaregulation

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) brings into legal effect a new form of inter-governmental economic ordering and regulatory governance on an extended “megaregional” scale. This chapter proposes the concept of “megaregulation” as a way to understand what is distinctive about TPP and about the particular type of governance project which it partly pioneered. Megaregulation as exemplified by TPP is characterized by five features. First, it comprehensively covers commercial flows in goods, services, capital, and data. Second, its broad aim is to create a generalized freedom to operate for large corporations and their affiliates across the set of national markets covered by the treaty. Third, as its method, megaregulation employs regulatory alignment — nudging and shaping both the substance and the processes of national regulatory systems. Fourth, megaregulation involves a large but not universal (like the WTO) scale in volume of covered economic activity and creates significant gravitational pulls and emulatory pressures for third parties. Fifth, megaregulation takes the treaty-institutional form which prescribes detailed rules and empowers some inter-governmental or transnational institutions and the communities of practice spawning around them. TPP’s specific version of megaregulation further advances an ordo- or neo-liberal vision of the state and its relation to markets that deliberately builds out contrasts with China’s party-state economic ordering, thereby giving it lasting geopolitical and geoeconomic relevance.
Horizontal collaboration: opportunities for improved logistics planning

The logistics industry is a critical economic component in most countries and has a significant impact on their citizens' quality of life. In the U.S., 48 million tons of freight valued at more tha...
Who is Tracking What and Why? A Process for Centralizing the Tracking of Patron Interactions

After identifying developing a culture of assessment as a strategic goal, Utah State University Libraries determined that the next step was to centralize its patron interaction tracking processes. ...
Co-hydrotreatment of the Bio-oil Lignin-Rich Fraction and Vegetable Oil

Blends of lignin-rich oil (LRO) and vegetable oil (1:8, 1:4, 1:2, and 1:1) were prepared and hydrotreated over CoMo/Al2O3 (catalyst liquid ratio of 1:50) at 623 K and 500 rpm, with 9.3 MPa of cold ...
On the Usage of a Classical Arabic Corpus as a Language Resource: Related Research and Key Challenges

This article presents a literature review of computer-science-related research applied on hadith, a kind of Arabic narration which appeared in the 7th century. We study and compare existent works in several fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Information Retrieval (IR), and Knowledge Extraction (KE). Thus, we illicit their main drawbacks and identify some perspectives, which may be considered by the research community. We also study the characteristics of these types of documents, by enumerating the advantages/limits of using hadith as a language resource. Moreover, our study shows that previous studies used different collections of hadiths, thus making it hard to compare their results objectively. Besides, many preprocessing steps are recurrent through these applications, thus wasting a lot of time. Consequently, the key issues for building generic language resources from hadiths are discussed, taking into account the relevance of related literature and the wide community of researchers that are interested in these narrations. The ultimate goal is to structure hadith books for multiple usages, thus building common collections which may be exploited in future applications.
Soil fertility of cohune palm (Attalea cohune) dominant forests compared to non-cohune forests in northwestern Belize

We studied how soils vary between cohune palm and non-cohune forests and assessed whether the forests differed in soil fertility. We sampled soil profiles from six cohune palm forests and eleven non-cohune forests. Our laboratory analyses included soil organic matter (SOM), extractable phosphorous, and the total concentration of 10 elements. Each soil characteristic was subjected to a mixed-effects model with depth, forest type, and the interaction between the two as factors that were grouped by excavation. Total phosphorous, sulfur, and SOM differed significantly between the two forest types, with higher values in non-cohune forests, on average. SOM, extractable phosphorous, and nine elements showed statistically significant changes with depth. The interaction between depth and forest type was significant for eight elements and SOM. The elemental concentrations were consistently maintained with depth in the cohune forests. Meanwhile, the elemental concentrations in non-cohune forest soils decreased with depth for all elements except calcium and magnesium, which increased concentration with depth. Cohune forest soils and non-cohune forest soils differ in distinct ways but these differences do not relate to key measures of soil fertility. Cohune palm forest soils exhibit consistent elemental concentrations with depth, which suggests bioturbation or another phenomenon that redistributes nutrients.
Transceivers as a Resource: Scheduling Time and Bandwidth in Software-Defined Radio

In the future, software-defined radio may enable a mobile device to support multiple wireless protocols implemented as software applications. These applications, often referred to as waveform applications, could be added, updated, or removed from a software-radio device to meet changing demands. Current software-defined radio solutions grant an active waveform exclusive ownership of a specific transceiver or analog front-end. Since a wireless device has a limited number of front-ends, this approach puts a hard constraint on the number of concurrent waveform applications a device can support. A growing trend in software-defined radio research is to virtualize front-ends to allow sharing and reuse among active waveform applications. This poses a difficult scheduling challenge. This article proposes a new approach in which shared access to front-ends is managed by a mixed-integer linear programming model. This model ties together the technique of time-division sharing and front-end bandwidth channelization. This scheduling model is evaluated in simulation under several different scenarios and workloads. Simulation results show that the proposed approach reduces hardware contention and missed radio accesses compared to existing techniques.
‘From the Dark Past’: Historiographies of Violence in Norwegian Black Metal

In this chapter, Hagen explores the ways in which the violence and media spectacle of black metal in Norway has continued to haunt the genre’s history even as many of the style’s practitioners attempt to downplay it and move beyond it. Acknowledging that for many fans, the violent origin story has become an essential aspect of the subculture’s identity, gaining mythical aspects through the constant retelling of it, Hagen is left to wonder how to accurately portray the essence and je ne sais quoi of this musical subculture without ignoring its nastier aspects or engaging in an apologia for them.
Ongoing Challenges in Researching Affirmative Action in Legal Education: Maximizing Public Welfare Through Transparency

The public good often depends on social science research that employs personal data. Volumes of scientific breakthroughs based on data accumulated through access to public information demonstrate the importance and feasibility of enabling research in the public interest while still respecting data privacy. For decades, reliable and routine technical methods have ensured protection for personal privacy by de-identifying personal data. Social science research into legal education and admission to the bar is presently a matter of urgent public interest and importance, requiring solid empirical analysis of anonymized personal data that government authorities possess. Social science research into the effects of affirmative action represents standard, indeed commonplace, research practice furthering the public interest, while employing established methods that minimize the risk to privacy. Yet, when seeking information regarding admissions standards and success metrics, researchers have faced remarkable headwinds from government officials. In this article, we continue to discuss a topic that we have devoted significant professional energy: the proper balance of privacy, transparency, and accountability in researching legal education.
Wargame of Drones: Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Crisis Escalation

Existing scholarship suggests technologies—like drones—that reduce the costs of combat make decision-makers more willing to use force. I consider whether the same remote warfighting technologies that make conflict initiation more likely might also help limit conflict intensity. I argue that, when used as a substitute for manned assets, drones increase the frequency with which force is used, but can also help limit escalation during crises. I test this logic of remote-controlled restraint using "comparative wargames," in which national security professionals respond to the shootdown of a U.S. military aircraft. I vary otherwise identical scenarios by randomly informing participants that the downed aircraft is either a drone or a manned system. I complement the wargames with a survey experiment and case study. All three sources of evidence provide support for remote controlled restraint. The findings advance theories linking technology and conflict, and unpack the microfoundations of escalation.
Introductory Chemistry Laboratory: Quantum Mechanics and Color

Laboratory experiments provide students a tangible means of understanding dry, abstract concepts. A simple and engaging introductory wet chemistry laboratory has been developed relating quantum mechanics to color, which has been implemented for a class of about 600 students per academic year for over three years at Brown University. Color is an important aspect of daily life, used to communicate meaning and emotion. Nanoparticles, organic dyes, and metal complexes produce color in medieval stained glass, textiles, and gemstones, respectively. Though they can produce visually similar colors, the microscopic mechanisms of color production are different. The origins of color are used to facilitate the discussion of quantum mechanics and bonding concepts. The relation of these color producing model systems to chemical concepts also serves as motivation for an introduction of advanced concepts, such as nanochemistry, to first-year undergraduate students. Students synthesize silver nanoparticles of different shapes and sizes and use UV–vis spectrophotometers to characterize them along with additional unknown colorful solutions made from either metal complexes or organic dyes. Relating quantum mechanics and bonding to color in daily life excited students, promoting learning. This laboratory can be adapted for K–12 students.
A narrative-informed evaluation of tree of life for parents of children with physical health conditions:

Background:Parents of children with chronic health conditions can face many challenges. The Tree of Life narrative therapy group intervention aims to connect parents with their skills and resources...
Analyzing the Language Game: Conceptual Framework

This chapter articulates the conceptual framework of this book. It reviews the existing literature on the communist party’s ideology and propaganda work, submits a critique of state-centric and content-based approaches to ideology, and introduces the book’s alternative approach—analyzing ideology’s operational dimension in the communication context. The chapter introduces Wittgenstein’s notion of “language game,” clarifies the relationship among ideology, language, and power, and applies the concepts to the Chinese context. It conceptualizes reform policy discourse as a “language game” and articulates the way through which the framework is applied to the analysis of China’s reform policy discourse. It introduces two case studies, provides background information on state-owned enterprise reforms, and articulates research assumptions and focuses.
When to stay out of the abdomen: Extending extraperitoneal approaches to complex ventral and incisional hernias-A video-based guide to the technique.

Background Ventral and incisional hernias are common surgical pathologies managed by acute care surgeons and also an area of exploration in repair options and approaches. Several new minimally invasive techniques have been developed to better tailor the repair to the individual patient and minimize the risk of intra-abdominal complications, particularly in patients with significant adhesions from prior surgery or trauma. The extended totally extraperitoneal approach to incisional ventral hernias allows the repair of complex hernias while entirely avoiding entry into the peritoneal cavity. Methods We present video clips demonstrating key steps to minimally invasive extended totally extraperitoneal Rives-Stoppa and transversus abdominis release procedures to complex incisional and ventral hernias. Conclusion The application of robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery has enabled surgeons to expand the use of minimally invasive techniques for a variety of operations. Hernia repair in particular has seen the most rapid growth because of the enhanced ability to suture on the anterior abdominal wall. This video illustrates the key technical points to performing a safe and effective repair without the need for intraperitoneal access.
Rationale and Design for a Higher (Dairy) Protein Weight Loss Intervention That Promotes Muscle Quality and Bone Health in Older Adults with Obesity: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study.

In contrast to recommendations for young and middle-aged adults, intentional weight loss among older adults remains controversial and is inconsistently advised. Recent research suggests that a higher protein diet can mitigate loss of lean mass during periods of intentional weight loss among older adults with obesity; however, the effects of intentional weight loss on skeletal muscle and bone are not fully understood. The Dairy in the Diet Yields New Approaches for Muscle Optimization (DDYNAMO) trial is a 6-month, randomized, controlled pilot study assessing the effects of combining regular, generous intakes of high quality protein (30 g/meal; primarily from dairy) with caloric restriction (-500kcal/d) and low-intensity resistance exercise (30 min/3 times per week) on muscle quality, muscle composition, bone mineral density in men and women aged ≥60 years with obesity and mild to moderate functional impairment (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB] score ≥4 to ≤10). Participants will be re-assessed at 18 months to evaluate weight maintenance, bone mineral density, physical function, and other secondary measures. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02437643.
Accelerated Creep Testing of Inconel 718 Using the Stepped Isostress Method (SSM)

This paper demonstrates the stepped isostress method (SSM), an accelerated creep test (ACT) for the rapid assessment of metallic materials. The SSM test is based on the time-temperature-stress superposition principle in which temperature, stress, or both, are step increased to accelerate the time to rupture. The SSM test has proven successful for the ACT of polymers and polymeric composites but has yet to be proven for metallic materials. In this study, new test matrix design rules for the SSM of metals are established based on deformation mechanism, time-temperature transformation, and time-temperature precipitation maps. A test matrix of SSM and conventional creep tests (CCTs) are executed for alloy Inconel 718 at 750°C (1,382°F) with stress levels ranging from 100 to 350 MPa. Validation CCT data are gathered from the Japan National Institute of Material Science. Material constants for the Sine-hyperbolic (Sinh) constitutive model are calibrated using the SSM data and employed to predict the conventional creep response. When blindly compared with the CCT data, the SSM-calibrated Sinh model can accurately predict the conventional creep response across logarithmic decades and, thus, accelerate the capture of conventional creep data. Fractography indicates ductile fracture by transgranular microvoid coalescence with the same fracture mode observed in both SSM and CCT specimens. Creep cavitation is indicated by the population, smoothness, and size of microvoids.
Extended Solitary Confinement for Managing Prison Systems: Placement Disparities and Their Implications

Despite concerns and debates about the policy of using extended solitary confinement for managing individuals deemed to be too violent or disruptive to be controlled any other way—for the broader g...
Fungal Mineral Weathering Mechanisms Revealed Through Direct Molecular Visualization

Soil fungi facilitate the translocation of inorganic nutrients from soil minerals to other microorganisms and plants. This ability is particularly advantageous in impoverished soils, because fungal mycelial networks can bridge otherwise spatially disconnected and inaccessible nutrient hotspots. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal mineral weathering and transport through soil remains poorly understood. Here, we addressed this knowledge gap by directly visualizing nutrient acquisition and transport through fungal hyphae in a mineral doped soil micromodel using a multimodal imaging approach. We observed that Fusarium sp. DS 682, a representative of common saprotrophic soil fungi, exhibited a mechanosensory response (thigmotropism) around obstacles and through pore spaces ([~]12 {micro}m) in the presence of minerals. The fungus incorporated and translocated potassium (K) from K-rich mineral interfaces, as evidenced by visualization of mineral derived nutrient transport and unique K chemical moieties following fungal induced mineral weathering. Specific membrane transport proteins were expressed in the presence of minerals, including those involved in oxidative phosphorylation pathways and transmembrane transport of small molecular weight organic acids. This study establishes the significance of fungal biology and nutrient translocation mechanisms in maintaining fungal growth under water and nutrient limitations in a soil-like microenvironment.
A Reconfigurable Dual-Polarized 1024-Element Ka-Band SATCOM Transmit Phased-Array with Large Scan Volume and +48 dBW EIRP

This paper presents a planar scalable 1024-element Ka-band SATCOM transmit (TX) phased-array with embedded RF drivers and reconfigurable polarization. The phased-array uses SiGe TX beamformer (BF) chips and printed stacked-patch antennas on a FR-4 based printed circuit board (PCB) to transmit either linear, rotated linear, circular clockwise or anticlockwise polarization. It demonstrates a measured 3.5° 3-dB beamwidth, sub 1 dB axial ratio, +48 dBW peak EIRP on axis and the ability to scan to ±70° in all planes. It is scalable to larger phased-arrays without grating lobes which makes it suitable for large SATCOM terminals with 4096 and higher elements.
A Molecular Gas Survey of Z < 0. 2 Infrared Excess, Optical QSOS

Millimeter-wave (CO) observations of optically-selected QSOs are potentially a powerful tool for studying the properties of both the QSOs and their host galaxies. We summarize here a recent molecular gas survey of z 0.36. Eight of these QSOs have been detected to date in CO(1 → 0), and the derived molecular gas masses are in the range 1.7 – 35 × 109 M⊙. The high L IR/L′CO of QSOs relative to the bulk of the local (z < 0.2) IR luminous galaxy merger population is indicative of significant heating of dust (L IR) by the QSO nucleus and/or by massive stars created in the host galaxy with high efficiency (i. e., per unit molecular gas, L′CO).
Acceleration Effects on Fluid-Sediment Interaction

Abstract : The long-term goals of this research are: (1) to identify all relevant physical processes that participate in and contribute significantly to sediment transport in nearshore coastal waters; (2) to investigate each of the identified processes in order to understand the underlying physics in a quantitative manner; (3) to develop simple predictive models for each process; and (4) to incorporate the simple predictive process-models in a predictive model for beach profile response to the action of waves and currents. The objective of the present research is to evaluate the effect of fluid accelerations in nearshore waters. The first part of the research intended to determine the importance of the subsurface sediment transport rate induced by the pressure gradient (acceleration) associated with the passage of the front of a forward-leaning, near-breaking wave. We have concluded that this subsurface transport rate is of small importance compared with the surficial transport rate caused by shear stresses acting on the sediment bed. Consequently, the objective of the second part of the research, currently in progress, is to develop and verify the accuracy of an easily applicable methodology to compute surficial transport under nearbreaking and breaking waves (hereafter referred to as nearshore waves).
Low Skilled Local Labor Demand Shocks and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Mexican Tequila Crisis

How does immigration affect natives local wages? A vast literature considers this, much of it focused on Mexican immigration to the United States. Prior work emphasizes the importance of instrumenting for immigrant destinations, the key role of experience-skill cells, and the potential for spillovers to national markets. I build on these, using the Mexican ’Tequila Crisis’ of the mid-1990s as an exogenous shock to immigration. Instrumentation thus includes both a time dimension for the shock period, plus a destination dimension as in prior work. The 1.5% immigration shock of the Tequila Crisis lowered the wages of young low skilled US natives by 1 to 1.5 percent. It also prompted interstate labor reallocation. The share of low skilled workers is estimated to decrease by 2 percentage points as a result of the shock. This explains why within five years, national markets adjust, leaving no evidence of differential spatial impact. JEL Classification: F22, J20, J30 ∗Columbia University. Correspondence: jm3364@columbia.edu. I would like to thank Don Davis for guidance, Bernard Salanie and Eric Verhoogen for detailed comments and encouragement and Miguel Urquiola, Jaume Ventura, Antonio Ciccone, Jonathan Dingel, Ben Marx, Pablo Ottonello, Hadi Elzayn and Harold Stolper for useful comments and discussions. I would also like to thank CREi for its hospitality during July 2012 and the audience at the Columbia International Colloquium, the Applied Micro Colloquium and the INSIDE Workshop. All errors are mine.
The Impact of Development and Privatization on Environmental Protection: An International Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to add to the body of knowledge and understanding of the impact of development and privatization on international environmental protection with the focus on balancing social and economic performance for the affected organizations and communities. More specifically, supported by a database of worldwide, regional, and country studies from 1991 to 2000, it is proposed that the role of development and privatization in environmental administration in the international context has negative as well as positive consequences. Moreover, the negative consequences are often masked or go undetected because the effectiveness of development and privatization is based primarily on economic performance. Thus, to obtain a more accurate and realistic determination of the effectiveness of development and privatization, measures of social as well as economic performance and the overall effect on the natural environment should be considered.
A Particle Batch Smoother Approach to Snow Water Equivalent Estimation

AbstractThis paper presents a newly proposed data assimilation method for historical snow water equivalent SWE estimation using remotely sensed fractional snow-covered area fSCA. The newly proposed approach consists of a particle batch smoother (PBS), which is compared to a previously applied Kalman-based ensemble batch smoother (EnBS) approach. The methods were applied over the 27-yr Landsat 5 record at snow pillow and snow course in situ verification sites in the American River basin in the Sierra Nevada (United States). This basin is more densely vegetated and thus more challenging for SWE estimation than the previous applications of the EnBS. Both data assimilation methods provided significant improvement over the prior (modeling only) estimates, with both able to significantly reduce prior SWE biases. The prior RMSE values at the snow pillow and snow course sites were reduced by 68%–82% and 60%–68%, respectively, when applying the data assimilation methods. This result is encouraging for a basin like...
Meta-analysis: Re-treatment of genotype i hepatitis C nonresponders and relapsers after failing interferon and ribavirin combination therapy

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 969–983 Summary Background The efficacy of re-treating genotype I hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients who failed combination therapy with interferon/pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin remains unclear. Aims To quantify sustained virological response (SVR) rates with different re-treatment regimens through meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods Randomized controlled trials of genotype I HCV treatment failure patients that compared currently available re-treatment regimens were selected. Two investigators independently extracted data on patient population, methods and results. The pooled relative risk of SVR for treatment regimens was computed using a random effects model. Results Eighteen RCTs were included. In nonresponders to standard interferon/ribavirin, re-treatment with high-dose PEG-IFN combination therapy improved SVR compared with standard PEG-IFN combination therapy (RR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.09–2.04), but SVR rates did not exceed 18% in most studies. In relapsers to standard interferon/ribavirin, re-treatment with high-dose PEG-IFN or prolonged CIFN improved SVR (RR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.16–2.14) and achieved SVR rates of 43–69%. Conclusions In genotype I HCV treatment failure patients who received combination therapy, re-treatment with high-dose PEG-IFN combination therapy is superior to re-treatment with standard combination therapy, although SVR rates are variable for nonresponders (≤18%) and relapsers (43–69%). Re-treatment may be appropriate for select patients, especially relapsers and individuals with bridging fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis.
Expression and characterization of calmodulin-activated (type I) adenylylcyclase

A complementary DNA that encodes a bovine brain, calmodulin-sensitive (type I) adenylylcyclase has been inserted into the baculovirus genome under the control of the strong polyhedron promoter. Expression of the recombinant adenylylcyclase in Sf9 cells using recombinant baculovirus increases adenylylcyclase activity in cell membranes to 10-20 nmol.min-1.mg-1 (approximately 0.1% of membrane protein). The catalytic activity of the recombinant adenylylcyclase can be stimulated by Gs alpha, calmodulin, or forskolin, and it can be inhibited by adenosine analogs and by G protein beta gamma subunit. The specific activity of the purified recombinant protein approximates 5 mumol.min-1.mg-1. This is similar to that of the enzyme purified from bovine brain. Type I adenylylcyclase has a quasiduplicated structure. There are two membrane-spanning domains, each with six putative transmembrane helices, and there are two presumed nucleotide-binding domains that are about 55% similar to each other. No catalytic activity is detectable when each half of the adenylylcyclase molecule is expressed by itself. However, coexpression of the two halves results in considerable enzymatic activity. Interaction between the two halves of adenylylcyclase may be necessary for catalysis.
A new method of measuring multigrade oil shear elasticity and viscosity at high shear rates

Abstract : Recent journal bearing oil film thickness data (1) strongly suggest that, in order to develop minimum-viscosity multigrade oils for maximizing fuel economy, it is not enough to examine viscosity n alone, it is essential also to examine a certain kind of shear elasticity, of which one measure is the first normal stress difference N1 in shear flow. Within a group of isoviscous multigrade oils, N1 values can differ significantly; for 10W-40 and 15W-40 oils, an average of 75% of the minimum oil film thickness can be attributed to N1. Keywords: Lubrication, Oil shear elasticity, First normal stress difference, Oil viscosity, Stressmeter, High shear rate, Reprints.
Energy requirements derived from total energy expenditure and energy deposition during the first 2 y of life

Background Current recommendations for energy intake of children are derived from observed intakes. Deriving energy requirements on the basis of energy expenditure and deposition is scientifically more rational than is using the observational approach and is now possible with data on total energy expenditure (TEE), growth, and body composition. Objectives The objectives of this study were 1) to define energy requirements during the first 2 y of life on the basis of TEE and energy deposition; 2) to test effects of sex, age, and feeding mode on energy requirements; and 3) to determine physical activity. Design TEE, sleeping metabolic rate, anthropometry, and body composition were measured in 76 infants. TEE was measured with doubly labeled water, sleeping metabolic rate with respiratory calorimetry, and body composition with a multicomponent model. Results Total energy requirements were 2.23, 2.59, 2.97, 3. 38, 3.72, and 4.15 MJ/d at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 mo, respectively. Energy deposition (in MJ/d) decreased significantly over time (P: = 0.001) and was lower in breast-fed than in formula-fed infants (P: = 0.01). Energy requirements were approximately 80% of current recommendations. Energy requirements differed by age (P: = 0.001), feeding group (P: = 0.03), and sex (P: = 0.03). Adjusted for weight or fat-free mass and fat mass, energy requirements still differed by feeding group but not by age or sex. Temperament and motor development did not affect TEE. Conclusion The TEE and energy-deposition data of these healthy, thriving children provide strong evidence that current recommendations for energy intake in the first 2 y of life should be revised.
Transition State Stabilization

The transition state is a high-energy species occurring during the course of chemical reactions, the stabilization of which by either chemical reagents or enzymes enhances the rate of the given process. Keywords: transition-state; inhibitor; deaminase; protease; Rubisco; drug design
Evidence that [125I]N-Tyr-delta sleep-inducing peptide crosses the blood-brain barrier by a non-competitive mechanism

Delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP), a nonapeptide, has previously been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in rats4,8,9 and the blood-CSF barrier in dogs2. New experiments were conducted to determine if this crossing was competitive. Neither DSIP nor several analogs, including non-radioactive [127I]N-Tyr-DSIP, injected by the jugular vein or carotid artery, inhibited passage of radioactive [125I]N-Tyr-DSIP across the rat BBB. Column chromatography of brain samples confirmed that the radioactivity in the brain represented intact [125I]N-Tyr-DSIP and that the non-radioactive competing materials did not interfere with the degradation or binding of [125I]N-Tyr-DSIP. In addition, N-Tyr-DSIP was unable to inhibit the appearance of radioactive [125I]N-Tyr-DSIP in the CSF of dogs. In conclusion, the evidence from these experiments suggests that [125I]N-Tyr-DSIP crosses the rat BBB and dog blood-CSF barrier by a non-competitive mechanism.
Breeding System and Interaccessional Hybridization of Purshia tridentata Plants Grown in a Common Garden

Purshia spp. (Rosaceae) comprise a widespread western North American species complex that is impor- tant as landscape dominants, wildlife habitat, browse for wild and domestic ungulates, and seed reserves for small mam- mals. This study examined aspects of the phenology, compatibility, pollination biology, and progeny fruit characteristics of multiple accessions of bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), as well as a putative hybrid between bitterbrush and Purshia stansburiana. Except for open- and wind-pollination treatments, mass pollination was accomplished at anthesis within white paper sacks, which were used to isolate treatment branches. Bitterbrush appears to be largely self-incompatible and requires some agent, either wind or animal, to effect pollination. While the majority of pollination of bitterbrush flowers is undoubtedly accomplished by insects, some pollination by wind is possible (ambophily) when shrubs are closely spaced, as flowering is fairly synchronous. Flower duration varied among shrubs, but generally lasted from 12 to 24 hours, depending on weather conditions. Flower development stage had little effect on fruit set, indicating prolonged stigma receptivity. Populations of bitterbrush exhibit considerable interfertility, as well as substantial hybridization with congeners. Intrapopulation crosses were only slightly more successful than interpopulation crosses. One of the popula- tions analyzed exhibits characteristics consistent with its putative hybrid nature, having more than one pistil per recep- tacle, smaller but longer fruits, and a greater reliance on insects for pollination. Both maternal and paternal effects are important in fruit development. Taxonomic relationships within the complex are discussed.
Some properties of the fleet assignment problem

Given a flight schedule and fleets of different types of planes, the fleet assignment problem is to determine the type of plane to assign to each flight segment. The fleet assignment problem is modeled as a multicommodity flow problem on a time-space directed network. This paper studies the complexity of the problem and the behavior of the solution as a function of the number of fleets. An analytical expression is given for the minimum number of planes required by one fleet; the complexity of the feasibility problem for two fleets is unknown and for three fleets it is NP-complete. Also, the ratio of the minimum number of planes required by K fleets to the minimum number of planes required by one fleet can be at least as large as 38log"2K and the LP relaxation of an integer problem for the minimum number of planes required by K fleets can be quite bad since its optimal value equals the minimum number of planes required by one fleet. When a frequently used connectivity condition is imposed, the one-fleet problem is NP-complete. We also analyze a model in which the constraints on the size of the fleets are omitted. Here the 2-fleet model is a network flow problem, but the minimum cost problem for 3 fleets is NP-hard.
Modified Laser Flash Method for Thermal Property Measurements and the Influence of Heat Convection

This study examined the effect of natural convection in the modified laser flash method for the measurement of thermo physical properties of semiconductor melts. Common laser flash method uses a laser pulse to heat the front surface of a thin circular sample and measures the temperature transient of the rear surface. Thermal diffusivity is calculated based on the analysis of the transient heat conduction process. For semiconductor melts, the sample is contained in a specially designed quartz cell with optical windows. When the laser pulse heats the melt front surface, the resulting natural convection can introduce errors in the calculation of thermal diffusivity based on the heat conduction model. The effect of natural convection was evaluated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in this study. The results indicated that natural convection can decrease the time needed for the rear surface to reach its peak temperature, and can also decrease the peak temperature slightly. Based on our experimental data for Tellurium, the calculation using only heat conduction model resulted in a thermal diffusivity about 3% greater than that using the heat transfer model with natural convection.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The coupling model approach to the terminal relaxation

Abstract Various predictions of the coupling model (CM) are known to be in agreement with observations of relaxation phenomena in polymers. However, as shown herein, when applied to the terminal relaxation, the model deviates from experimental data for monodisperse polymers; to wit the shape of the terminal relaxation spectrum does not conform to the CM equation. Nevertheless, the main premise of the model—that the dynamics transition from intermolecularly uncorrelated to entanglement-coupled relaxation at a temperature-independent crossover time—is supported by the data. Specifically, it is shown that the continuity condition of the model, relating the magnitudes of the non-cooperative and cooperative relaxation times, can be determined numerically to yield predictions for the molecular weight and temperature dependencies of the terminal viscosity in agreement with experiment. Previously the derivation of this continuity relation relied on the assumption of a specific form for the relaxation function's shape. The discrepancy concerning the shape of the relaxation function is apparently due to alleviation of the entanglement constraints, with consequent time-dependence of the coupling parameter. Previously, the coupling parameter has been regarded as strictly constant; however, at times approaching and longer than the terminal relaxation time, mitigation of the lateral constraints causes a decrease in the degree of intermolecular cooperativity, and hence in the coupling strength. The deviation of experimental spectra from the model's prediction is likely due to the neglect of this fluctuation in the severity of entanglements.
Phase separation and surface morphology of spin-coated films of polyetherimide/polycaprolactone immiscible polymer blends

The surface morphology in thin films of immiscible polyetherimide and polycaprolactone blends was studied using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. The thin films were obtained by spin-coating from dichloromethane solution. A self-assembled periodic pattern of phase separated domains was observed, which was induced by capillary effects along with the solution radial flow and the unsteady air flow field above the film during the initial stages of spin-coating. A secondary phase separation was observed during the solvent evaporation stage of spin-coating. The differences in surface topographies of the two distinct phases are attributed to different solvent evaporation rates within each phase. In addition, a great variety of domain structures and surface morphologies were observed as a function of polymer blend composition.
Influence of l-leucine on l-tryptophan binding to rat hepatic nuclei

Abstract This study was concerned with the effect of l -leucine on l -tryptophan's actions (nuclear receptor binding and protein synthesis) on rat liver. Earlier studies dealing with 3H-tryptophan binding to rat hepatic nuclei in vitro revealed that some amino acids, such as l -alanine, l -phenylalanine, and l -tyrosine, but not others, such as l -leucine, competed for such binding. This study evaluated the influence of l -leucine together with unlabeled l -tryptophan on 3H-tryptophan binding to hepatic nuclei in vitro. Whereas l -leucine alone had little effect, l -leucine together with unlabeled l -tryptophan (excess, 10−4M) caused significantly less inhibition of 3H-tryptophan binding to hepatic nuclei than did unlabeled l -tryptophan alone (9% vs. 68% inhibition, respectively). l -leucine (10−10 to 10−4M), when added together with unlabeled l -tryptophan (10−7 to 10−4M), abrogated the inhibition of binding because of the unlabeled l -tryptophan alone. Other in vitro 3H-tryptophan binding effects were: 1) l -isoleucine and l -valine revealed binding effects similar to that with l -leucine; 2) the dipeptide, TRP · LEU, acted similarly (but somewhat less) to that of l -leucine; and 3) l -alanine and sodium selenite, each of which was inhibitory to 3H-tryptophan binding, showed less inhibition when l -leucine was also added. In vivo effects were investigated after tube-feeding water, l -leucine or/and l -tryptophan to rats 10 min before killing and revealed the following results: 1) using isolated hepatic nuclei for in vitro 3H-tryptophan binding revealed less specific binding to nuclei of rats tube-fed l -tryptophan alone than to nuclei of those tube-fed l -tryptophan plus l -leucine, suggesting an in vivo inhibitory effect of l -leucine; and 2) using hepatic microsomes for in vitro 14C-leucine incorporation into protein revealed greater stimulation by l -tryptophan alone (+61%) than by l -tryptophan plus l -leucine (+8%) over control (water alone). Thus, the addition of l -leucine appears to have an inhibitory effect on actions attributable to l -tryptophan alone.
“Bringing It All Back Home”: The Issues Involved in Teaching a U.S. Regional Politics Course

ing their college days. While many of these students are genuinely interested in the topic, many others take such a course only to satisfy university "distribution" requirements outside of political science. In either case, students coming out of these classes may have the ability to gain a deeper and more meaningful knowledge of politics, but may not always have the motivation to do so. Courses in regional American politics may excite these students about politics close to home while offering an opportunity for students already interested in politics a way to make the subject even more meaningful for them. A regional politics course provides a logical "next step" for students who have completed Introduction to American Government.