cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Explaining hydrocarbon nationalization in Latin America: Economics and political ideology

ABSTRACT Recent hydrocarbon nationalizations in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador have renewed debates about the dangers of radicals, populists, or leftists. But, while some of these presidents have acted aggressively towards multinational owners, as a group their policies have not differed greatly from non-leftists facing similar circumstances. To test our hypothesis, we provide a detailed three-variable coding of every Mexican and South American president (for all countries with oil resources), as well as a coding of their policies towards the hydrocarbons industry. The historical review shows that political leaders from all sides of the ideological spectrum have advocated, pursued, or sustained nationalizations, and thus there is no clear relation between these political labels and nationalization policies. An examination of two alternative hypotheses – timing and starting point – finds that while nationalizations and privatizations do come in bunches, the hydrocarbon policy and economic circumstances th...
Impacts of Variable-Rate Phosphorus Fertilization Based on Dense Grid Soil Sampling on Soil-Test Phosphorus and Grain Yield of Corn and Soybean

Most agricultural fields have high soil-test phosphorus (STP) variability. Variable-rate (VR) technology facilitates application of different P rates over a field and could improve nutrient application and crop yield. Replicated strip trials (6-12 ha) were established at six Iowa fields and were evaluated during 4 yr to compare VR and fixed-rate (FR) P fertilization for corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) rotations. Fields had median Mehlich-3 STP < 20 mg P kg -1 , although minimum and maximum values within each field were 4 to 18 and 22 to 62 mg P kg -1 , respectively. Treatments replicated at least three times were a control, VR based on STP from grid sampling (0.06- to 0.08-ha grids), and FR based on median STP. Treatments were applied with commercial spreaders and grain was harvested with combines equipped with yield monitors and global positioning systems (GPS). Phosphorus increased yield in 13 site-years and application methods differed in 1 site-year, when FR increased yield further. On average, VR applied 12.4% less P and reduced STP variability in five fields compared with FR. Semivariograms and SD showed that fertilization, especially VR, often reduced yield variability and seldom increased it. High STP variability at a small scale and P recommendations to maximize yield and buildup STP in low-testing soils might explain a lack of yield differences between application methods. Although VR did not increase yield compared with FR, it managed P better and showed potential for reducing excess P loss from fields through reduced P application to high-testing field areas.
Unnecessary cesarean delivery in Louisiana: an analysis of birth certificate data.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the temporal trends and factors that are associated with cesarean deliveries and potentially unnecessary cesarean deliveries. Study design The Louisiana birth certificate database was evaluated to identify a total of 57 potential indications/risk factors and maternal demographic factors that are associated with methods of delivery over the period from January 1993 to December 2000. A cesarean delivery without any potential indications/risk factors in the birth certificate was classified as unnecessary. Results The primary cesarean delivery rate decreased and the repeat cesarean delivery rate increased significantly during the study period. But neither the absence nor the presence of potential indications/risk factors accounted for these changes. The average potentially unnecessary primary and repeat cesarean deliveries in Louisiana were 17 and 43, respectively, per 100 cesarean deliveries over the years 1993 through 2000. Conclusion The proportions of potentially unnecessary cesarean deliveries are relatively high in Louisiana. It is important to explore the influence of nonclinical factors on unnecessary cesarean delivery to reduce the cesarean rates.
Barrier-to-Autointegration Factor Proteome Reveals Chromatin-Regulatory Partners

Nuclear lamin filaments and associated proteins form a nucleoskeletal (“lamina”) network required for transcription, replication, chromatin organization and epigenetic regulation in metazoans. Lamina defects cause human disease (“laminopathies”) and are linked to aging. Barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) is a mobile and essential component of the nuclear lamina that binds directly to histones, lamins and LEM-domain proteins, including the inner nuclear membrane protein emerin, and has roles in chromatin structure, mitosis and gene regulation. To understand BAF's mechanisms of action, BAF associated proteins were affinity-purified from HeLa cell nuclear lysates using BAF-conjugated beads, and identified by tandem mass spectrometry or independently identified and quantified using the iTRAQ method. We recovered A- and B-type lamins and core histones, all known to bind BAF directly, plus four human transcription factors (Requiem, NonO, p15, LEDGF), disease-linked proteins (e.g., Huntingtin, Treacle) and several proteins and enzymes that regulate chromatin. Association with endogenous BAF was independently validated by co-immunoprecipitation from HeLa cells for seven candidates including Requiem, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), retinoblastoma binding protein 4 (RBBP4), damage-specific DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1) and DDB2. Interestingly, endogenous BAF and emerin each associated with DDB2 and CUL4A in a UV- and time-dependent manner, suggesting BAF and emerin have dynamic roles in genome integrity and might help couple DNA damage responses to the nuclear lamina network. We conclude this proteome is a rich source of candidate partners for BAF and potentially also A- and B-type lamins, which may reveal how chromatin regulation and genome integrity are linked to nuclear structure.
Ongoing prospective clinical study of radial keratotomy.

The ongoing prospective clinical study of radial keratotomy at the University of Maryland now includes 58 eyes of 33 patients. Fifty-two eyes underwent a single operation, whereas six eyes underwent two operations. Follow-up was a minimum of six months and a mean of 19 months. Preoperative vision was 20/400 or less in 74% of eyes. Postoperative vision was 20/40 or better in 48% of eyes. There was an average myopia decrease of 2.70 diopters and an average corneal flattening of 1.51 diopters. Patients with preoperative refractive errors of 5 diopters or less achieved 20/40 or better vision in 65% of eyes, as compared to only 19% in eyes with preoperative refractive errors greater than 5 diopters. This is highly significant ( P
The place of odour in modern aerial urbanism

As notions of space in twentieth-century architecture came to replace the traditional architectural concern with air, air was relegated to the purview of the mechanical engineer as a merely technical issue. This narrowing of the idea of air leads us to overlook the richly sentient topic of odour. Odour is often utilised to differentiate between sectors of society, and in the modern bourgeois world the goal became a complete absence of scent, a deodorisation of both person and environment. The Cite de Refuge, built in Paris by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret (1929–1933) provides an excellent case study of modern conceptions and approaches to odour and otherness, air and space. John Evelyn's Fumifugium (1661), continuously republished in the twentieth century, is often misunderstood as an anti-pollution tract. However, it actually advocates a ‘fragrant and odiferous’ urbanism, realising air's contribution to many aspects of living well through its multi-sensorial mediation between the visible and invisibl...
The surprisingly high human efficiency at learning to recognize faces

We investigated the ability of humans to optimize face recognition performance through rapid learning of individual relevant features. We created artificial faces with discriminating visual information heavily concentrated in single features (nose, eyes, chin or mouth). In each of 2500 learning blocks a feature was randomly selected and retained over the course of four trials, during which observers identified randomly sampled, noisy face images. Observers learned the discriminating feature through indirect feedback, leading to large performance gains. Performance was compared to a learning Bayesian ideal observer, resulting in unexpectedly high learning compared to previous studies with simpler stimuli. We explore various explanations and conclude that the higher learning measured with faces cannot be driven by adaptive eye movement strategies but can be mostly accounted for by suboptimalities in human face discrimination when observers are uncertain about the discriminating feature. We show that an initial bias of humans to use specific features to perform the task even though they are informed that each of four features is equally likely to be the discriminatory feature would lead to seemingly supra-optimal learning. We also examine the possibility of inefficient human integration of visual information across the spatially distributed facial features. Together, the results suggest that humans can show large performance improvement effects in discriminating faces as they learn to identify the feature containing the discriminatory information.
A simple density dependent effective interaction

Abstract A density dependent modification of the Kallio-Kolltveit potential is made to ensure a good fit to nuclear matter. With the resulting effective interaction, various matrix elements typical of the 16 O region are evaluated, and a comparison is made with the results of Wong and Kuo.
Design And Fabrication Of A Cylindrical Non-Circular Miniature Laser Lens

A cylindrical, non-circular miniature laser lens was designed and fabricated for scanning applications. This lens images, onto a distant screen, a laser spot of Gaussian intensity distribution (2x1/e2= 0.8mm) into a line of constant intensity within a fan of 60°.
The influence of magnetic solenoid filtration on the property of (Ti–Al)N coatings deposited in a cathodic arc deposition system

Abstract The magnetic solenoid filtration techniques (both d.c. and a.c. modes) are employed in the present study for elimination of macroparticles present in the coatings deposited by the cathodic arc deposition system. The influence of the magnetic filtration technique on the property of (Ti-Al)N coatings is investigated. Properties of the coatings evaluated in terms of surface roughness, coating thickness, chemical composition and high temperature oxidation resistance are compared with the base line data derived from coatings prepared from a conventional cathodic arc deposition system. The surface smoothness of the resultant coating is considerably improved by the magnetic solenoid filtration technique, with some sacrifice in coating thickness. The a.c. magnetic solenoid filtration technique is observed to deliver the best combination result of coating thickness and surface smoothness. The relative contents of aluminum, titanium and nitrogen in the coatings are also observed to vary with the mode of solenoid filtration techniques employed, i.e. a.c., d.c. or no solenoid applied. The variation of aluminum content in (Ti–Al)N coatings also demonstrates its effect in the property of high temperature oxidation resistance. Ironically, (Ti–Al)N coatings deposited by the conventional cathodic arc system performed best in terms of oxidation resistance due to the retention of Al element in the coating.
Psychosocial Predictors of Nicotine Dependence in Black and Puerto Rican adults: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined the psychosocial predictors of nicotine dependence in Blacks and Puerto Ricans. A longitudinal, prospective study design was employed. Data on five psychosocial domains were obtained from a four-wave study of tobacco use and smoking behavior; data were analyzed using logistic regression. Participants (N = 475) included adult Blacks and Puerto Ricans initially recruited from urban public schools in New York City and interviewed when they were mean age 14 years, and then again when they were mean ages 19, 24, and 26 years. Structured interviews were administered at four points in time over a period of 12 years. Nicotine dependence was measured using a DSM-IV adapted version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview nicotine dependence measure. Logistic regression analyses showed that factors in each of five psychosocial domains (personality, drug use behavior, family, peer, and environment) significantly predicted nicotine dependence. The pattern of results was similar for both Black and Puerto Rican samples. Factors that protected against nicotine dependence included achievement, ego-integration, and a positive school climate. The findings indicate that a variety of risk factors contribute to the occurrence of nicotine dependence. When examining the causes of nicotine dependence, it is important to investigate an array of biopsychosocial and environmental factors.
Observation of ligand effects during alkene hydrogenation catalysed by supported metal clusters

Homogeneous organometallic catalysts and many enzymes activate reactants through coordination to metal atoms; that is, the reactants are turned into ligands and their reactivity controlled through other ligands in the metal's coordination sphere. In the case of supported metal clusters, catalytic performance is influenced by the support and by adsorbed reactants, intermediates or products. The adsorbates are usually treated as ligands, whereas the influence of the supports is usually ascribed to electronic interactions, even though metal clusters supported on oxides and zeolites form chemical bonds to support oxygen atoms. Here we report direct observations of the structure of supported metal clusters consisting of four iridium atoms, and the identification of hydrocarbon ligands bound to them during propene hydrogenation. We find that propene and molecular hydrogen form propylidyne and hydride ligands, respectively, whereas simultaneous exposure of the reactants to the supported iridium cluster yields ligands that are reactive intermediates during the catalytic propane-formation reaction. These intermediates weaken the bonding within the tetrahedral iridium cluster and the interactions between the cluster and the support, while replacement of the MgO support with gamma-Al2O3 boosts the catalytic activity tenfold, by affecting the bonding between the reactant-derived ligands and the cluster and therefore also the abundance of individual ligands. This interplay between the support and the reactant-derived ligands, whereby each influences the interaction of the metal cluster with the other, shows that the catalytic properties of supported metal catalysts can be tuned by careful choice of their supports.
Characterization of γ plate-shaped precipitates in an Al–4.2 at.% Ag alloy — growth kinetics, solute field, composition and modeling

Abstract The lengthening and thickening rates of γplate-shaped precipitates in an Al–4.2 at.% Ag alloy were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for aging times of 120–720 s at 400°C. The compositions of the γ plates and the solute fields surrounding them were measured quantitatively using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and revealed qualitatively by energy-filtering TEM (EFTEM). The shape of the solute field around the plates was also revealed by employing a double-step aging treatment to produce GP zones in the supersaturated α matrix around the precipitates, but not in the solute-depleted zone surrounding the plates. The combined data obtained from these measurement were then compared with the Ham, Horvay and Cahn (HHC) model for precipitate growth. The results show that: (1) the lengthening rate of the plates ranged from 77 nm/s at 120 s aging to 15 nm/s at 720 s aging, the thickening rate ranged from 0.2 nm/s at 120 s aging to 0.09 nm/s at 720 s aging, and the aspect ratio increased rapidly with time; (2) the solute gradient around the plates is approximately two plate thicknesses wide and has a faceted-elliptical shape for all aging times examined; (3) the solute concentration in the matrix immediately adjacent to the faces of the plates is higher than adjacent to the edges, indicating inhibited growth at the faces, (4) the Ag concentration in the γ plates is significantly lower than that given by the equilibrium Al–Ag phase diagram; and (5) the HHC model for the growth of an oblate spheroidal precipitate predicted the lengthening and thickening rates of the plates reasonably well when the time dependence of the aspect ratio was included in the calculations.
Pricing Strategy for Export Activity in Developing Nations

This article examines management information techniques deemed useful in planning and implementing a pricing strategy for export activity of manufactured products from developing nations. The existence of alternative accounting principles governing the identification, measurement, and communication of product cost elements requires that a careful examination be made of the different costing methods and their impact on the net inflow of foreign currency and the realization of an adequate rate of return. This study rejects the use of the full-costing method for export pricing in developing nations. Instead, it argues that the use of direct-costing methods combined with the differential-cost approach will help establish a floor price which will lead to profit maximization. The author suggests three areas that require attention for such maximization to occur.
ANALYSIS OF CONTRACTOR PAY ADJUSTMENT SCHEDULE USING SIMULATION

A common provision in quality control/quality assurance construction contracts is the adjustment of the contractor's pay on the basis of the quality of the construction. The expected impact of the provision on the pay should be examined to ensure that the adjustments are neither unduly severe nor excessively lenient. Most pay adjustment plans have been developed around a quality index by using a percent defective approach. Analyses of these plans are complex but reasonably well defined. Other plans, however, are more complex and do not lend themselves to direct analysis. These plans can be examined by computer simulation. The use of computer simulation to examine a complex pay adjustment provision is demonstrated. The analyses show that simulation can reveal that a pay adjustment schedule behaves differently than it appears on the surface. For example, the schedule examined bases pay solely on averages and appears to ignore construction variability. The analyses, however, demonstrate that the pay adjustments are at least as sensitive to construction variability as they are to construction averages. It is also shown that the simulation process can provide a better, more detailed examination of the pay schedule than is possible by simply determining the expected pay. In particular, the simulation process can provide an indication of the variability of pay at various quality levels and can identify the factors most responsible for pay adjustments.
Hyperbaric pressure does not affect the analgesia produced by nitrous oxide in the mouse

Hydrostatic pressure antagonizes some, but not all, of the phenomena associated with general anaesthesia. For example, while unconsciousness produced by general anaesthesia in a wide variety of species is reversed by compression, anaesthetic-induced inhibition of synaptic transmission is potentiated by application of pressure. To date, the effect of pressure on analgesia has not been evaluated. In this study, hyperbaric pressure of 75 ata did not antagonize analgesia which had been produced by exposure of mice to 1.2 ata of nitrous oxide. However, the same hyperbaric pressure restored righting in animals which had been anaesthetized with I .5 ata of nitrous oxide. These data add to the suggestion that the multiple effects of general anaesthetics may be mediated at different loci.
Graft Versus Host Response as Influenced by the Origin of the Cell, Age of Chicken, and Cellular Interactions

Abstract Mononuclear cells collected by Ficoll-paque or T cells collected by nylon wool elicited the same magnitude of graft versus host (GvH) response as mononuclear cells collected from the buffy coat (BC). Bone marrow, spleen, or thymic BC cells from day-old chickens did not produce a GvH response. The GvH ability of spleen and bone marrow BC cells increased rapidly during the first 4 weeks and then plateaued. Although at 4 and 12 weeks of age the GvH response produced by thymic BC cells was significantly less than spleen or bone marrow BC cells, thymic BC cells did produce a significant GvH response at these ages. Thymic BC cells from 11-month-old chickens showed significantly higher GvH response than those of previous ages. Corticosterone treatment of chickens eliminated the thymic cortex but did not enhance the GvH reactivity of thymic BC cells. Suppressor effect of thymic BC cells from day-old chickens was not detected. A synergistic effect was noted in the GvH reaction when thymic cells were combined with bone marrow or splenic BC cells of 4-week-old chickens.
Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus persists despite attenuation of systemic disease in MRL/lpr mice

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypical autoimmune disease marked by both B and T cell hyperactivity which commonly affects the joints, skin, kidneys, and brain. Neuropsychiatric disease affects about 40 % of SLE patients, most frequently manifesting as depression, memory deficits, and general cognitive decline. One important and yet unresolved question is whether neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) is a complication of systemic autoimmunity or whether it is primarily driven by brain-intrinsic factors. To dissect the relative contributions of the central nervous system from those of the hematopoietic compartment, we generated bone marrow chimeras between healthy control (MRL/+) and lupus-prone MRL/Tnfrsf6 lpr/lpr mice (MRL/+ → MRL/lpr), as well as control chimeras. After bone marrow reconstitution, mice underwent extensive behavioral testing, analysis of brain tissue, and histological assessment. Despite transfer of healthy MRL/+ bone marrow and marked attenuation of systemic disease, we found that MRL/+ → MRL/lpr mice had a behavioral phenotype consisting of depressive-like behavior and visuospatial memory deficits, comparable to MRL/lpr → MRL/lpr control transplanted mice and the behavioral profile previously established in MRL/lpr mice. Moreover, MRL/+ → MRL/lpr chimeric mice displayed increased brain RANTES expression, neurodegeneration, and cellular infiltration in the choroid plexus, as well as blood brain barrier disruption, all in the absence of significant systemic autoimmunity. Chimeric MRL/+ → MRL/lpr mice displayed no attenuation of the behavioral phenotype found in MRL/lpr mice, despite normalized serum autoantibodies and conserved renal function. Therefore, neuropsychiatric disease in the MRL/lpr lupus-prone strain of mice can occur absent any major contributions from systemic autoimmunity.
A high current gain 4H-SiC NPN power bipolar junction transistor

This work reports the development of high power 4H-SiC bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) by using reduced implantation dose for p+ base contact region and annealing in nitric oxide of base-to-emitter junction passivation oxide for 2 hours at 1150/spl deg/C. The transistor blocks larger than 480 V and conducts 2.1 A (J/sub c/=239 A/cm/sup 2/) at V/sub ce/=3.4 V, corresponding to a specific on-resistance (R/sub sp on/) of 14 m/spl Omega/cm/sup 2/, based on a drift layer design of 12 /spl mu/m doped to 6/spl times/10/sup 15/cm/sup -3/. Current gain /spl beta//spl ges/35 has been achieved for collector current densities ranging from J/sub c/=40 A/cm/sup 2/ to 239 A/cm/sup 2/ (I/sub c/=2.1 A) with a peak current gain of 38 at J/sub c/=114 A/cm/sup 2/.
Characteristics of dimeric (bis) bidentate selective high affinity ligands as HLA-DR10 beta antibody mimics targeting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Despite their large size, antibodies have proven to be suitable radioisotope carriers to deliver systemic radiotherapy, often molecular image-based, for lymphoma and leukemia. To mimic antibody (Ab) targeting behavior while decreasing size by 50-100x, a combination of computational and experimental methods were used to generate molecules that bind to unique sites within the HLA-DR epitopic region of Lym-1, an Ab shown effective in patients. Lym-1 Ab mimics (synthetic high afinity ligands; SHALs) were generated and studied in vitro, using live cell binding assays, and/or pharmacokinetic studies over 24 h in xenografted mice given 1 or 20 microg SHAL doses i.v. Multimilligram amounts of each of the dimeric (bis) SHALs were synthesized at high purity, and labeled with indium-111 at high specific activity and purity. These SHALs were selective for HLA-DR and HLA-DR expressing malignant cells and had functional affinities that ranged from 10(-9) M (nanomolar) to 10(-10) M. Blood clearances ranged from 3.6 to 9.5 h and body clearances ranged from 15.2 to 43.0 h for the 6 bis DOTA-SHALs studied in a mouse model for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). While localization was shown in Raji NHL xenografts, biodistribution was influenced by 'sinks' for individual ligands of the SHALs. Highly pure, dimeric mimics for HLA-DR Ab were synthesized, biotinylated and radiolabeled, and showed selectivity in vitro. Pharmacokinetic behavior in mice was influenced by the ligands and by the linker length of the dimeric SHALs. Nanomolar or better functional affinity was observed when a suitably long linker was used to connect the two bidentate SHALs. The concept and methodology are of interest because applicable for targeting most proteins; the SHAL synthetic platform is highly efficient and adaptive.
Tests of the Double-Strand-Break Repair Model for Red-Mediated Recombination of Phage Λ and Plasmid Λdv

The double-strand-break repair (DSBR) model was formulated to account for various aspects of yeast mitotic and meiotic recombination. In this study three features of the DSBR model are tested for Red-mediated recombination between phage λ and λdv, a plasmid that is perfectly homologous to about 10% of λ. The results support the applicability of the DSBR model to λ's Red system: (1) Creating a double-strand-break (DSB) within the region of homology shared by phage and plasmid increases their genetic interaction by about 20-fold. A DSB outside the region of shared homology has no such effect. (2) Both patches, i.e., simple marker rescue, and splices, i.e., co-integration of the phage and plasmid, are stimulated by a DSB in the region of shared homology. (3) Co-integrants harbor a duplication of the region of shared homology. Among co-integrants that were formed by the creation of a DSB, there is a preferential loss of whichever allele was in cis to a utilized cut site. The DSBR model as originally formulated involves the isomerization and cleavage of Holliday junctions to resolve the canonical intermediate. We propose as an alternative mechanism that a topoisomerase can resolve the canonical DSBR intermediate.
Female obesity adversely affects assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancy and live birth rates

BACKGROUND: Obesity has risen among women in the USA, including those seeking infertility treatments. In 2007, height and weight were added to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Online Reporting System (SART CORS), permitting calculation of BMI (weight/height 2 ) for the first time using this national dataset. METHODS: The SART CORS was used to evaluate the odds of failure to achieve a clinical intrauterine pregnancy and failure to achieve a live birth by the woman's age, BMI and oocyte source (autologous versus donor), controlling for race and ethnicity, day of embryo transfer, number of embryos transferred and infertility diagnoses. The reference population was women with normal BMI. RESULTS: There were 45 163 ART embryo transfers where maternal height and weight were recorded. Increasing obesity was associated with a significant rise in failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy with the use of autologous oocytes (P < 0.0001), but no difference with the use of donor oocytes. Among women using autologous oocytes who did conceive, failure to achieve a live birth increased with increasing obesity, to a greater extent among women <35 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Higher BMI is associated with an increased failure to achieve a clinical intrauterine gestation; this risk was overcome with the use of donor oocytes. Failure to achieve a live birth increases with higher BMI, significantly with the use of autologous oocytes (P < 0.0001), and to a greater extent among women < 35 years of age (P < 0.0001).
`Like an Animal I was Treated': Anti-Immigrant Metaphor in US Public Discourse

The contemporary framing in American public discourse on immigrants is examined through a data-driven metaphor analysis. The print media texts of the 1994 political debate and campaign in California over an anti-immigrant referendum, Proposition 187, is analyzed. An ongoing cataloguing of metaphors from hundreds of Los Angeles Times articles displays the discourse that reflects and informs California public opinion. The metaphors discerned include `IMMIGRANTS ARE ANIMALS'. In so far as prose metaphors in the print media reflect public discourse, this study captures a public perception that dehumanizes immigrant workers. Additionally, alternative analyses of the framing of the discourse of Proposition 187 are compared to the present analysis.
Obtaining Batch Corrosion Inhibitor Film Thickness Measurements Using an Optical Profiler

Abstract Batch corrosion inhibitors are used widely for the corrosion control of production wells and pipelines in the oil and gas industry. Rules of thumb that incorporate film thickness, contact time, and surface area are still commonly used to calculate the volume of batch inhibitor required for pipeline applications. Measuring the actual thickness of the inhibitor film on the metal and the impact of different variables on the film (e.g., inhibitor type, contact time, diluent type, dilution ratio, shear stress) offer the potential to provide a better understanding for optimizing the application procedure and required batch frequency. Optical profiling (or white-light interferometry) has long been a standard technique for noncontact, three-dimensional (3-D) measurement of surface topography. This method now has been extended to thickness measurements of semitransparent batch inhibitor films. In this paper, the impact of several variables (i.e., inhibitor type, contact time, diluent ratio, shear stress) ...
Using a Logic Model to Relate the Strategic to the Tactical in Program Planning and Evaluation: An Illustration Based on Social Norms Interventions

Logic models are a ubiquitous tool for specifying the tactics--including implementation and evaluation--of interventions in the public health, health and social behaviors arenas. Similarly, social norms interventions are a common strategy, particularly in college settings, to address hazardous drinking and other dangerous or asocial behaviors. This paper illustrates an extension of logic models to include strategic as well as tactical components, using a specific example developed for social norms interventions. Placing the evaluation of projects within the context of this kind of logic model addresses issues related to the lack of a research design to evaluate effectiveness.
The hexadehydro-Diels–Alder reaction

Arynes (aromatic systems containing, formally, a carbon–carbon triple bond) are among the most versatile of all reactive intermediates in organic chemistry. They can be ‘trapped’ to give products that are used as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, polymers and other fine chemicals. Here we explore a strategy that unites the de novo generation of benzynes—through a hexadehydro-Diels–Alder reaction—with their in situ elaboration into structurally complex benzenoid products. In the hexadehydro-Diels–Alder reaction, a 1,3-diyne is engaged in a [4+2] cycloisomerization with a ‘diynophile’ to produce the highly reactive benzyne intermediate. The reaction conditions for this simple, thermal transformation are notable for being free of metals and reagents. The subsequent and highly efficient trapping reactions increase the power of the overall process. Finally, we provide examples of how this de novo benzyne generation approach allows new modes of intrinsic reactivity to be revealed. The de novo generation of benzynes—through a hexadehydro-Diels–Alder reaction—followed by their in situ elaboration is reported; the reaction is metal-free and reagent-free, and reveals new modes of intrinsic benzyne reactivity. Arynes are reactive intermediates derived from aromatic systems, which can be 'trapped' to give products that find use as chemical reagents and in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes and polymers. This study explores a new synthetic strategy that combines de novo generation of benzynes — through a hexadehydro-Diels–Alder reaction — with their in situ elaboration into structurally complex benzenoid products. The reaction is metal-free and reagent-free, and the authors provide examples of how this approach allows new modes of intrinsic reactivity to be revealed.
Lessons learned: a security analysis of the Internet Chess Club

The Internet Chess Club (ICC) is a popular online chess server with more than 30,000 members worldwide including various celebrities and the best chess players in the world. Although the ICC Web site assures its users that the security protocol used between client and server provides sufficient security for sensitive information to be transmitted (such as credit card numbers), we show this is not true. In particular we show how a passive adversary can easily read all communications with a trivial amount of computation, and how an active adversary can gain virtually unlimited powers over an ICC user. We also show simple methods for defeating the timestamping mechanism used by ICC. For each problem we uncover, we suggest repairs and draw conclusions on how to best avoid repeating these types of problems in the future
Understanding lipoproteins as transporters of cholesterol and other lipids

A clear picture of lipoprotein metabolism is essential for understanding the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Many students are taught that low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol is “bad” and high-...
Economic Growth as Environmental Policy? Reconsidering the Environmental Kuznets Curve

Some research has posited that while initially damaging to the environment, continued economic growth eventually leads to superior environmental quality. This relationship is often described as an ‘Environmental Kuznets Curve’ (EKC), after a similar hypothesis regarding income inequality made by economist Simon Kuznets. Following such findings, the EKC is sometimes offered as a rationale for encouraging economic growth as the best environmental policy option. This paper reconsiders the policy-relevance of the EKC idea, drawing on a wide range of international data collected in the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) project. Specifically, it tests the theoretical arguments advanced by Arrow and others (1995) that EKC relationships are unlikely to hold for environmental problems that are intergenerational in time or spread across national boundaries. The results of this research substantially confirm those arguments, providing more evidence that the EKC idea is an inadequate guide for environmental policy makers around the globe.
Digital Controlled Frequency for Synchrotron Acceleration

The ability of synchrotrons to accelerate particles with different e/m0 values is dependent upon being able to control its accelerating-voltage frequency as a function of the actual guide field value. Interpolation between modification values can be performed to reduce the possibility of exciting phase oscillation. Differences between the desired frequency and the actual frequency produced (due to non-linearities in the system) are also removed with the digital processor increasing the precision of the system up to two orders of magnitude. Successful operation with six different particles has been demonstrated.
Effects of a reputation feedback system on an online consumer-to-consumer auction market

This research establishes a dynamic game-theoretic model that interprets the mechanism of reputation feedback systems in online consumer-to-consumer (C2C) auction markets. Based on the model, a numerical study is conducted to reveal the effects of feedback systems on auction markets. The study shows that the existence of feedback systems greatly improves the performance of online C2C auction markets: buyers are more willing to trade and gain more benefit from the transactions; sellers' honest behavior is encouraged, as honest sellers' gains are increased and dishonest sellers' gains are reduced. It also offers practical insights on the design of a feedback system: rewarding an honestly-behaving seller is less effective on promoting market performance than punishing a cheating seller.
Local Groups Online: Political Learning and Participation

Voluntary associations serve crucial roles in local communities and within our larger democratic society. They aggregate shared interests, collective will, and cultivate civic competencies that nurture democratic participation. People active in multiple local groups frequently act as opinion leaders and create "weak" social ties across groups. In Blacksburg and surrounding Montgomery County, Virginia, the Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV) community computer network has helped to foster nearly universal Internet penetration. Set in this dense Internet context, the present study investigated if and how personal affiliation with local groups enhanced political participation in this high information and communication technology environment. This paper presents findings from longitudinal survey data that indicate as individuals' uses of information technology within local formal groups increases over time, so do their levels and types of involvement in the group. Furthermore, these increases most often appear among people who serve as opinion leaders and maintain weak social ties in their communities. Individuals' changes in community participation, interests and activities, and Internet use suggest ways in which group members act upon political motivations and interests across various group types.
Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization following deposition of insect frass and greenfall from forests under elevated CO2 and O3

Elevated CO2 and O3 alter tree quality and the quality of herbivore inputs, such as frass, to forest soil. Altered quality or quantity of herbivore inputs to the forest floor can have large impacts on below- ground processes. We collected green leaves and frass from whitemarked tussock moth caterpillars from aspen-birch stands at the Aspen Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) site near Rhinelander, WI, USA. Small or large quantities of frass, greenfall, or a 1:1 ratio of frass and greenfall were added to microcosms for each FACE treatment (control, +CO2 ,+ O 3, +CO2+O3). We measured initial frass and greenfall quality, and recorded microbial respiration, and nitrate leaching over 40 days. Elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) and tropospheric ozone (eO3) significantly altered the carbon, nitrogen, and condensed tannin content of insect frass and green leaves. Although FACE treatments affected input quality, they had minimal effect on microbial respiration and no effect on nitrogen leaching. In contrast, input quantity substantially influenced microbial respiration and nitrate leaching. Respiratory carbon loss and nitrate immobilization were nearly double in microcosms receiving large amounts of herbivore inputs than those receiving no herbivore inputs. Small amounts of herbivore inputs, however, did not significantly alter microbial respiration or immobilization, suggest- ing that effects of herbivore inputs on soil processes will be detected only at moderate to high herbivory/ input levels. These results suggest that subtle changes in frass and greenfall quality may not affect soil nutrient cycling. In contrast, environmental change induced increases in insect population size or frass and greenfall inputs to the soil may substantially impact nutrient cycling.
Dielectric and mechanical characterization of processing and moisture uptake effects in E-glass/epoxy composites

Microdielectric measurements have been used to assess in situ cure characteristics and moisture uptake in E-glass/epoxy composites. It is seen that dielectric measurements can be used to provide substantial information related to cure progression in composites, as well as on the degradation due to moisture uptake. Dielectric measurements can provide an accurate and continuous representation of moisture uptake as well as effects on the system itself. Comparison of results over the period of immersion demonstrates that a correlation exists between the level of moisture uptake and changes in dielectric characteristics. Changes in mechanical properties are assessed over the same period of time to assess the use of microdielectrometry as a means of in situ health monitoring.
ANNATTO: Adaptive Nearest Neighbor Queries in Travel Time Networks

Nearest neighbor (NN) searches represent an important class of queries in geographic information systems (GIS). Most nearest neighbor algorithms rely on static distance information to compute NN queries (e.g., Euclidean distance or spatial network distance). However, the final goal of a user when performing an NN search is often to travel to one of the search results. Based on this observation, finding the nearest neighbors in terms of travel time is more realistic than the actual distance. In the existing NN algorithms dynamic real-time events (e.g., traffic congestions, detours, etc.) are usually not considered and hence the pre-computed nearest neighbor objects may not accurately reflect the shortest travel time. In this demonstration we present ANNATTO, a novel adaptive nearest neighbor query model for travel time networks which integrates both spatial networks and real-time traffic event information. The ANNATTO system includes the implementation of a globalbased adaptive nearest neighbor algorithm and a localbased greedy nearest neighbor algorithm that both utilize real-time traffic information to provide adaptive nearest neighbor search results.
Is It In The Name, Or In The Game? Can News Affect Firm Value? A Case For Athletes Sponsored By Nike, Inc.

Until recently, little of the celebrity endorsement literature has focused on how the activities of an athlete affect a company’s value. Those that do, tend to focus on the impact of one star, such as Tiger Woods in golf, on a variety of companies. This paper adopts the behavioral finance viewpoint and examines the impact of news relating to various sport stars’ performance, both on and off the field, on the sponsoring/endorsing firm’s value. This research analyzes the impact across seven sports under Nike Inc.’s endorsement umbrella. In doing so, this study finds that news pertaining to the very best “athletic stars” in their respective sports do not directly affect Nike’s stock price. In fact, the only sport having a significant impact on stock price is professional golf. Surprisingly, news relating to basketball, the sport generating one the largest endorsement expenses for Nike, Inc., did not have a significant influence on stock price. Such results lead the authors to conclude that 1) the success of those sports stars under Nike’s endorsement umbrella does not directly add value to the firm, and 2) other factors may play a role in influencing investor behavior, to include airtime, public perception, and the size of the market, itself.
Teaching Sexual Abuse Prevention Skills to Children

This chapter summarizes the research on sexual abuse prevention-training programs and other safety skills training programs for children. Different approaches to assessment of sexual abuse prevention skills and other child safety skills are discussed with an emphasis on in situ assessment as the only valid form of assessment. Research on informational approaches and active learning approaches to training sexual abuse prevention and other safety skills is reviewed. Conclusions that can be drawn from the research are that: (1) there is no adequate evidence for the effectiveness of sexual abuse prevention training programs due to researchers’ reliance on verbal report assessment; and (2) evidence from teaching other safety skills shows that behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) are the most effective procedures. Research on sexual abuse prevention programs needs to evaluate BST and IST procedures using in situ assessments to identify the procedures that are effective.
The Originality Trap: Richard Hofstadter on Populism

Richard Hofstadter was among the preeminent historians of his generation, one of that small band who function triumphantly as both academics and intellectuals. His work was characterized by breathtaking conceptual innovations and a luminous prose style; his former students Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick have written perceptively of his genius for making "it all look so easy" and "exhibiting things as though they ought to have looked that way all along, and allowing us to persuade ourselves that they have."' Hofstadter's essayistic style and conversational tone combined to open up questions in new and exciting ways, and he brought to the tasks of analysis and interpretation a literary grace previously associated with narration in the grand manner. His scholarship stressed the critical, rather than merely celebratory, assessment of the continuities and unities in American history, and his concept of cultural politics rescued the study of political history from the straitjacket of absolute rationality. Hofstadter's challenges to the conventional wisdom of his predecessors Frederick Jackson Turner, Vernon L. Parrington, and Charles Beard helped usher in a new, post-Progressive era in American historiography. Hofstadter's The Age of Reform: From Bryan to ED.R. played a significant role in establishing his influence and reputation. The book received critical acclaim when published in 1955 and won the Pulitzer Prize for history the following year. Those who admired The Age of Reform did not stint their praise. Reviewers lauded Hofstadter's effort to shift the scholarly focus from the Populists' concrete reform proposals to the ideas, attitudes, and prejudices that lay beneath the surface of their political activity. He had, it was clear, moved from a narrow definition of politics as the calculus of self-interest to a broader conception of a political culture. John D. Hicks, the foremost scholar of Populism, wrote, "By concentrating upon what reformers thought rather than upon their political antics Hofstadter has made a unique and valuable contribution." The encomiums of other reviewers "highly original," "full of new interpretations," "new insights," "not a conventional his-
From Anionic N-Heterocyclic Dicarbenes to Abnormal Carbene–Borane Complexes: A Logical Synthetic Route

The anionic N-heterocyclic dicarbenes (NHDCs) I are demonstrated to be a convenient platform from which abnormal NHC (aNHC)–borane complexes V–VII may be prepared. The anionic NHDC binuclear complex II and the aNHC mononuclear adduct VII can be interconverted through lithiation and protonation, respectively, of the C2 carbon atom of the imidazole ring.