cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beauty and the Prince VS. Beauty and the Beast: An Investigation of the Effects of Male and Female Communicators’ Physical Attractiveness on Evaluations of Advertisements

The results of the study indicate that attractiveness of spokespersons positively effects attitude toward the ad and purchase intentions for products that are attractiveness related. However, the analysis fails to support the notion that respondents are more favorably inclined toward ads that have an attractive member of the opposite sex.
Welfare Reform: An Historical Overview

This essay provides an historical overview of welfare reform efforts prior to enactment of The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 by the 104th Congress. The author argues that the 1996 Act reaffirmed the labor market as the major arbiter of economic well-being of American citizens. In so doing, passage of the Act signified the formal end of income maintenance for able-bodied parents and released the federal government from assuming major responsibility for reducing poverty per se. WELFARE REFORM: AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW This essay provides an historical overview of welfare reform efforts prior to enactment of The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, signed into law by President Clinton on 22 August. 91 Although the end of the entitlement nature of welfare was largely unforeseen, the emphasis in the Act on self-sufficiency and work for able-bodied parents, particularly for mothers with young children, had controversial roots since the 1960s. This essay explores those roots chronologically, highlighting the major provisions of earlier welfare reform efforts through the 103rd Congress. It documents a shift in the philosophy from income maintenance to self-support. This essay suggests * Richard K. Caputo, Ph.D. is Professor of Social Policy and Research, Barry University, School of Social Work. He has authored three books. Two of these, Welfare and Freedom American Style (1991) and Welfare and Freedom American Style II (1994), both published by University Press of America, deal with the role of the federal government in the economy and society during the 20th century. Professor Caputo has also authored many articles related to family poverty and welfare programs in journals such as Families in Society, Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, and Social Service Review and in encyclopedias such as Survey of Social Science: Government and Politics Series (1995) and Survey of Social Science: Sociology Series (1994), both published by Salem Press. 91 The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act, Pub. L. No. 104-193
Global Institutions, Indigenous Meaning: Lessons from Chinese Law for the New Institutionalism

China's legal reforms support an oft-told story about the global diffusion of Western institutional forms. A less commonly recounted story, and the one told in this paper, is about the manner in which institutions that at this superficial, symbolic level conform to dominant exogenous models also undergo a process of local transformation through cultural translation. This paper develops a theory of institutional appropriation and indigenization in which meaning-making activity in general and divergence from global institutional models in particular is properly understood as the product of local strategic agency. Three empirical examples from Chinese law - (1) law firm naming conventions and their changes over a ten-year period (1995-2004), (2) the black gowns judges and lawyers have been required to wear in the courtroom since 2001 and 2003 respectively, and (3) the use of the gavel in the courtroom since 2002 - reveal conditions under which the local representation of imported institutions not as foreign transplants but rather as home-grown traditions is strategically produced by the purposive, and often contested, efforts of actors in the marketplace and in the state to define reality in a manner consistent with their respective interests. An implication of the process of appropriation and indigenization is that the adoption of exogenous institutional forms (e.g., Western legality) may serve to reproduce local institutional arrangements (e.g., socialist legality) at least as much as it threatens to undo them.
Cross-Cutting Issues: Monitoring State Implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 10 States: Rate Review

With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Urban Institute and Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms are undertaking a comprehensive monitoring and tracking project to examine the implementation and effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. The project began in May 2011 and will take place over several years. The Urban Institute will document changes to the implementation of national health reform in Alabama, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Virginia to help states, researchers and policymakers learn from the process as it unfolds. This report is one of a series of papers focusing on particular implementation issues in these case study states. In addition, state-specific reports on case study states can be found on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Health Policy Center websites. The quantitative component of the project is producing analyses of the effects of the ACA on coverage, health expenditures, affordability, access and premiums in the states and nationally. For more information about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work on coverage, visit their website. This paper describes the status of rate review programs in the 10 states participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s monitoring and tracking project. Information is drawn from publicly available sources, state legislation, and site visit interviews in each of the 10 states. We summarize how the 10 case study states have enhanced their rate review authority and processes, increased transparency, and expanded consumer outreach in response to the ACA. Although there has been significant variation, all 10 states took some action to improve their rate review process and ensure that insurers’ proposed rates are justified. To a large extent, the actions taken by these states reflect the diversity of approaches to rate review that exist among states nationwide.
The Law and Economics of Cybersecurity: Global Cyberterrorism, Jurisdiction, and International Organization

INTRODUCTION The rise of cyberspace has greatly facilitated all kinds of activity, including commercial, social, and governmental interaction. There is no doubt that cyberspace today constitutes valuable real estate indeed. We have also routed our control of many real-world processes through cyberspace. Because of this increased value, the security of cyberspace has grown in importance. The rise of cyberspace and the rise of terrorism may be understood as antagonists in a modernist drama. Both have evolved from state sponsorship into relatively independent and decentralized phenomena. Both exist outside the state. Both use network forms of organization alongside other forms of organization. Cyberspace is both a tool and a target of terrorists. It could also be a tool against terrorists. Most critically, cyberspace is a tool of human interaction and commerce, while terrorism is the nemesis of human interaction and commerce. So, these forces, although similar in structure, are natural opponents. The rise of terrorism, as one type of asymmetric and distributed warfare, has threatened not only the gains derived from cyberspace but the activities that now come to depend on communication through cyberspace infrastructure. Individuals and governments wish to ensure that they will continue to reap the benefits of cyberspace and that cyberspace controls will not be turned against them. Their enemies see cyberspace as a high-value target. And indeed, during Al Qaeda's reign in Afghanistan, it developed an academy of cyberterrorism, seeking means to attack the cyberspace infrastructure of the West (Gellman 2002).
Steroid total synthesis—hydrochrysene approach—XVI

Abstract The synthetic work disclosed herein all stems from the previously described tetracyclic hydroxy ketone 4. In the present study some minor improvements in the preparation of 4 are given.
The Glucagon-sensitive Adenyl Cyclase System in Plasma Membranes of Rat Liver I. PROPERTIES

The first in a now-classic series of five articles in which Rodbell concluded that GTP was likely the active biological factor in separating glucagon, a hormone that can act to increase blood glucose levels, from the cell's receptor, which had important implications for the treatment of various disorders and diseases.
The Host Defence Function of Genomic Methylation Patterns

It has long been held that reversible promoter methylation allows genes to be expressed in the appropriate cell types during development. However, no endogenous gene has been proven to be regulated in this way, and it does not appear that significant numbers of promoters are methylated in non-expressing tissues. It has recently become clear that the large majority of genomic 5-methylcytosine is actually in parasitic sequence elements (transposons and endogenous retroviruses), and the primary function of DNA methylation now appears to be defence against the large burden of parasitic sequence elements, which constitute more than 35% of the human genome. Direct transcriptional repression provides short-term control, and the tendency of 5-methylcytosine to deaminate to thymidine drives irreversible inactivation. It is suggested that intragenomic parasites are recognized by virtue of their high copy number, and that the disturbances of methylation patterns commonly seen in human cancer cells activate a host of parasitic sequence elements, which destabilize the genome and tip the cell towards the transformed state.
Predator‐induced Plasticity

Predator-induced plasticity is an important mechanism enabling prey survival in complex environments. Prey alter a diversity of traits including behaviour, morphology and life history in response to predators to reduce their risk of predation. However, predator-induced plasticity has associated costs including reduced competitive ability. To maximise fitness, prey modulate their phenotypic responses to the level of predation risk in the environment. Prey detect differences in predator densities or predators consuming more prey and track temporal variation in predation risk. Prey also detect different predator species in the environment and form predator-specific defences. In aquatic systems, prey possess sophisticated sensory systems that enable the detection of chemical cues released by damaged prey and predators. Predator-induced plasticity also influences interactions within larger communities and can lead to trophic cascades. Key Concepts: Phenotypic plasticity is one mechanism organisms use to cope with environmental heterogeneity. Environmental heterogeneity in predation risk favours the evolution of predator-induced plasticity in a diversity of prey species. Prey that express predator-induced plasticity in behavioural, morphological and life history traits can reduce their likelihood of predation, but the responses have associated costs. To maximise fitness, prey fine-tune their defences based on predator species identity, predator density, amount of prey consumed by predators and the prey species being consumed. The expression of predator-induced plasticity can impact species interactions throughout food webs. Keywords: inducible defences; environmental variation; developmental plasticity; multiple predators; costs; survival; trophic cascade; kairomones
Subglacial Lake Vostok

Recent studies have revealed that several subglacial lakes exist beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The largest of these lakes, Subglacial Lake Vostok, is ∼4 km beneath the ice surface, with a surface area near 14,000 km2 and a depth exceeding 800 m. A permanent ice sheet covered the lake at least 15 million years ago, which isolated it from the atmosphere. Because of concerns for contaminating this pristine environment, no direct samples of lake water have yet been obtained. The accreted ice retrieved from an ice core drilled at Vostok station, which represents lake water frozen to the bottom of the ice sheet, has provided the only material for microbiological and geochemical investigations. The presence of microorganisms within the accreted ice has been confirmed independently by several laboratories; however, the question remains whether a flourishing microbial ecosystem exists within Lake Vostok. Subglacial lake exploration represents one of the last unexplored frontiers on our planet, and the unusual microbial ecosystems that may exist have much to tell us about the limits of life on Earth and on icy planets and moons in the solar system. Keywords: Antarctica; cryosphere; subglacial lakes; ice core; glacial ice; extreme environment; extremophiles; astrobiology
Negative-Ion Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Gas-Phase Acidity, and Thermochemistry of the Peroxyl Radicals CH3OO and CH3CH2OO

Methyl, methyl-d3, and ethyl hydroperoxide anions (CH_3OO-, CD_3OO-, and CH_3CH_2OO-) have been prepared by deprotonation of their respective hydroperoxides in a stream of helium buffer gas. Photodetachment with 364 nm (3.408 eV) radiation was used to measure the adiabatic electron affinities: EA[CH_3OO, X^2A‘‘] = 1.161 ± 0.005 eV, EA[CD_3OO, X^2A‘‘] = 1.154 ± 0.004 eV, and EA[CH_3CH_2OO, X^2A‘‘] = 1.186 ± 0.004 eV. The photoelectron spectra yield values for the term energies: ΔE(X^2A‘‘−A^2A‘)[CH_3OO] = 0.914 ± 0.005 eV, ΔE(X^2A‘‘−A^2A‘)[CD_3OO] = 0.913 ± 0.004 eV, and ΔE(X^2A‘‘−A^2A‘)[CH_3CH_2OO] = 0.938 ± 0.004 eV. A localized RO−O stretching mode was observed near 1100 cm^(-1) for the ground state of all three radicals, and low-frequency R−O−O bending modes are also reported. Proton-transfer kinetics of the hydroperoxides have been measured in a tandem flowing afterglow−selected ion flow tube (FA-SIFT) to determine the gas-phase acidity of the parent hydroperoxides: Δ_(acid)G_(298)(CH_3OOH) = 367.6 ± 0.7 kcal mol^(-1), Δ_(acid)G_(298)(CD_3OOH) = 367.9 ± 0.9 kcal mol^(-1), and Δ_(acid)G_(298)(CH_3CH_2OOH) = 363.9 ± 2.0 kcal mol^(-1). From these acidities we have derived the enthalpies of deprotonation: Δ_(acid)H_(298)(CH_3OOH) = 374.6 ± 1.0 kcal mol^(-1), Δ_(acid)H_(298)(CD_3OOH) = 374.9 ± 1.1 kcal mol^(-1), and Δ_(acid)H_(298)(CH_3CH_2OOH) = 371.0 ± 2.2 kcal mol^(-1). Use of the negative-ion acidity/EA cycle provides the ROO−H bond enthalpies: DH_(298)(CH_3OO−H) = 87.8 ± 1.0 kcal mol^(-1), DH_(298)(CD_3OO−H) = 87.9 ± 1.1 kcal mol^(-1), and DH_(298)(CH_3CH_2OO−H) = 84.8 ± 2.2 kcal mol^(-1). We review the thermochemistry of the peroxyl radicals, CH_3OO and CH_3CH_2OO. Using experimental bond enthalpies, DH_(298)(ROO−H), and CBS/APNO ab initio electronic structure calculations for the energies of the corresponding hydroperoxides, we derive the heats of formation of the peroxyl radicals. The “electron affinity/acidity/CBS” cycle yields Δ_fH_(298)[CH_3OO] = 4.8 ± 1.2 kcal mol^(-1) and Δ_fH_(298)[CH_3CH_2OO] = −6.8 ± 2.3 kcal mol^(-1).
Slavery, Sugar, and the Culture of Refinement: Picturing the West Indies 1700–1840 by Kay Dian Kriz

This is a beautifully conceived, written and illustrated book about a fraught and often ugly dimension of British cultural history. Covering an array of media across the long eighteenth century, Ka...
“Are you still driving?” Metasynthesis of patient preferences for communication with health care providers

ABSTRACTAim: The aim of this study was to synthesize published qualitative studies to identify older adults' preferences for communication about driving with health care providers.Background: Health care providers play a key role in addressing driving safety and driving retirement with older adults, but conversations about driving can be difficult. Guides exist for family members and providers, but to date less is known about the types of communication and messages older drivers want from their health care providers.Design: A qualitative metasynthesis of studies published on or before October 10, 2014, in databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) and grey literature was performed.Review Methods: Twenty-two published studies representing 518 older adult drivers met the following inclusion criteria: the study (1) was about driving; (2) involved older drivers; (3) was qualitative (rather than quantitative or mixed methods); and (4) contained information on older drivers' perspectives about com...
Ethical oversight in quality improvement and quality improvement research: new approaches to promote a learning health care system

Institutional review boards (IRBs) distinguish health care quality improvement (QI) and health care quality improvement research (QIR) based primarily on the rigor of the methods used and the purported generalizability of the knowledge gained. Neither of these criteria holds up upon scrutiny. Rather, this apparently false dichotomy may foster under-protection of participants in QI projects and over-protection of participants within QIR. Minimal risk projects should entail minimal oversight including waivers for informed consent for both QI and QIR projects. Minimizing the burdens of conducting QIR, while ensuring minimal safeguards for QI projects, is needed to restore this imbalance in oversight. Potentially, such ethical oversight could be provided by the integration of Institutional Review Boards and Clinical Ethical Committees, using a more integrated and streamlined approach such as a two-step process involving a screening review, followed by a review by committee trained in QIR. Standards for such ethical review and training in these standards, coupled with rapid review cycles, could facilitate an appropriate level of oversight within the context of creating and sustaining learning health care systems. We argue that QI and QIR are not reliably distinguishable. We advocate for approaches that improve protections for QI participants while minimizing over-protection for participants in QIR through reasonable ethical oversight that aligns risk to participants in both QI and QIR with the needs of a learning health care system.
A corporate project management council

It is noted that improvement of project management processes is difficult when a corporation is organized primarily by product lines and functional areas. At Hewlett-Packard a council was formed to provide leadership for the continuous improvement of project management throughout the corporation. Leadership is provided by developing a vision for HP project management, by periodically prioritizing issues, by defining and guiding projects on key issues, and by recommending best practices. On the basis of positive response to the actions supported by HP's project management council and growing participation by product group, it is concluded that a corporate-wide council can achieve progress on major corporate issues. >
The inability of isoproterenol or propranolol to alter the lateral dimensions of experimentally induced myocardial infarcts.

The relationship between the blood flow pattern immediately following coronary artery occlusion and the resulting infarct 24 hours later was studied in dogs treated with isoproterenol (0.5 μg/kg/min for 2 hours) or with propranolol (2mg/kg every 6 hours). The coronary artery of a closed chest dog was perfused via a special cannula with arterial blood. A 2-mm diameter plastic bead was introduced into the perfusate to embolize a coronary branch. One minute after occlusion, radiolabelled microspheres were injected into the perfusate. The dogs were then allowed to recover. 24 hours later the dogs were reanesthetized and their hearts removed. The hearts were sliced into 4 mm thick sections and the microsphere distribution was visualized by autoradiography of the tissue. Superimposition of developed autoradiographs and tracings of the infarct pattern of stained sections allowed direct comparison of the blood flow pattern immediately after occlusion to the eventual pattern of infarction. In all 8 control dogs, all 6 isoproterenol dogs and all 12 propranolol dogs the lateral borders of blood flow and infarction were superimposable indicating no lateral change in infarct size resulting from treatment. In the control group there was a subepicardial region of the ischemic zone which did not infarct (15.2±2.3% of the ischemic zone). Though isoproterenol did not significantly change the size of this zone, propranolol increased it to 35.9±6,5% (p<0.005) indicating vertical but not lateral salvage.
Duplex destabilization in superhelical DNA is predicted to occur at specific transcriptional regulatory regions.

Abstract Analytic methods that accurately calculate the extent of duplex destabilization induced in each base-pair of a DNA molecule by superhelical stresses are used to analyze several genomic DNA sequences. Sites predicted to be susceptible to stress-induced duplex destabilization (SIDD) are found to be closely associated with specific transcriptional regulatory regions. Operators within the promoters of SOS-regulatedEscherichia coligenes are destabilized by superhelical stresses, whereas closely related sequences present elsewhere on that genome are not. Analysis of genomic sequences from the budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaefinds a distinctive tripartite pattern, in which the 3′ and 5′ termini of genes are destabilized, but the sequence encoding the primary transcript is not. Three rDNA genes from higher eukaryotes exhibit a similar pattern. Implications of these results regarding possible mechanisms of activity of the regions involved are discussed. A strategy is presented for designing experiments in which the susceptibility to SIDD of a local region is altered without changing its local base sequence. The occurrence of the observed SIDD patterns provides a new approach to searching uncharacterized genomic sequences for transcriptionally active regions.
PREDICTING HANDS-ON CHILD SEXUAL OFFENSES AMONG POSSESSORS OF INTERNET CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

The recent Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Comstock (2010) upheld the constitutionality of The Adam Walsh Act, which provides for civil commitment of child pornography (CP) offenders certified as sexually dangerous, thereby approving litigation of all such prisoners in the federal system. The two studies reported here sought to address the question: What is the likelihood that an individual convicted of child pornography offenses has a prior history of a hands-on sexual offense involving a child or has a high probability of committing such an offense? Our sample consisted of 349 participants: 113 who committed an Internet sexual offense only and no other known or self-reported hands-on sexual offense, 176 child molesters who reported no Internet sexual offense, and 60 child molesters that reported committing an Internet sexual offense. Study 1 yielded two scales, one reflecting Antisocial Behavior (AB) and one reflecting Internet Preoccupation (IP). Those two scales predicted membership in the combined sample of child molesters with a high degree of accuracy (c = 0.75). Study two revealed that all three groups were discrete with respect to AB and IP. By increasing the IP scale by 1 point, the odds of being an IO rather than a CM increased by 86%. The plotted conditional probabilities increased linearly as values on the AB scale increase, from 0.27 when AB = 0 to 0.84 when AB = 13. Our results are discussed in terms of risk discrimination among possessors of child pornography, relevance of risk to the statutory third prong element of serious difficulty, and the policy implications of the findings reported here.
The binding of spin-labeled propranolol and spin-labeled progesterone by orosomucoid.

Abstract The binding of spin-labeled propranolol and spin-labeled progesterone to human orosomucoid has been studied as a function of temperature by electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques. At 20°C the association constants are 1.9 × 106 and 4.9 × 105 M−1 respectively. In each case, the binding is competitive with unlabeled ligand. Above about 50°C the apparent association constant for both ligands decreases rapidly with increasing temperature. This is due to thermal denaturation of the orosomucoid, as was shown independently by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Below the denaturation region the number of binding sites per orosomucoid molecule remains constant at approx. 1. Examination of the thermodynamic parameters shows the progesterone binding at 37°C to he essentially enthalpically driven, while the propranolol binding at 37°C has a substantial entropic component.
The endoscopic diagnosis of early gastric cancer

Among 168 patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach, 14 (8.3%) fulfilled the criteria for "early gastric cancer". Endoscopy in all cases permitted visual appraisal and opportunity for biopsy and cytologic examination. A correct endoscopic diagnosis was made in 6; biopsy disclosed carcinoma in 12; cytology was positive in only 7. The authors caution that diagnosis may be difficult when lesions are observed with forward-viewing endoscopes but that perspicacity and repeated examinations should sharpen diagnostic accuracy.
Prevalence of Registered Dietitians Publishing in Select Nutrition Journals

Text: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports diverse nutritional science activities spanning from educational and training opportunities to basic and translational research to career development and clinical trials. For the past two decades, NIH has led all Federal agencies in supporting nutrition research and training activities. The NIH investment in extramural and intramural nutrition research and training awards has grown from $439 million in FY 1995 to $1.08 billion in FY 2005. Based on currently available NIH data representing FY 2005, 95% of the NIH’s nutritional science expenditures supported 3,663 extramural awards which included 3,012 research grants ($743 million), 104 program projects ($71 million), 172 centers ($62 million), 150 contracts ($52 million), 118 training awards ($11.8 million), and 107 fellowships ($3.4 million). The remaining 5% of the NIH nutritional science expenditures supported 152 intramural awards ($52 million). The most common NIH supported nutrition research was classified by the Human Nutrition Research Information Management (HNRIM) database as focusing on cancer, cardiovascular disease, other diseases, disease prevention, obesity/anorexia/appetite control, lipids, clinical trials of nutrients/nutrition, dietary supplements/nutrient ingredients, vitamins, genetics, and nutrition and function. Of the NIH’s 19 Institutes and 4 Centers supporting nutrition research, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Disease (NIDDK) collectively representing nearly two-thirds of all NIH support of nutritional science training and research awards. Additional information on NIH support of nutritional science research, training activities or application procedures can be found at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide.
Reactions of Tantalum Oxide Cluster Cations with 1-Butene, 1,3-Butadiene, and Benzene

Branching ratios for the reactions of 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, and benzene with stoichiometric tantalum oxide clusters (TaO2-3+, Ta2O4-5+, and Ta3O7-8+) are reported. The major reaction product for most of the clusters is cracking of the C2−C3 bond of 1-butene and 1,3-butadiene to produce TaxOyC2H4+. Additionally, Ta2O4+ was the most reactive cluster toward cracking the C2−C3 bond of both 1-butene and 1,3-butadiene. For a majority of these clusters there were additional cracking channels to produce TaxOyCH3+ and TaxOyC3Hz+, where z = 5−6, which occur under multiple collision conditions for 1-butene and 1,3-butadiene. Under multiple collision conditions, TaO2+, Ta2O4+, and Ta3O7+ exhibited the reaction channels of TaxOyC5H9+ and TaxOyC6H10+ when reacted with 1-butene. In reactions with 1,3-butadiene, secondary reaction channels of TaxOyC5H7+ and TaxOyC6H8+ were also observed for TaO2+, Ta2O4-5+, and Ta3O7+. Additionally, under multiple collision conditions, TaO2+ and Ta2O4+ also displayed reaction channels...
Methodological and Thematic Prescriptions for Defining and Measuring the Organizational Learning Concept

Despite the long tradition of research on organizational learning (OL), theoretically acceptable definitions and empirically derived measures of the concept have not been developed. This paper introduces theoretical proclamations and a methodological plan that can guide researchers towards the goal of operationalizing OL into a valid and reliable instrument. It includes (1) practical and scientific motivations for advancing and measuring the OL construct, (2) a suggested methodology for operationalization of definitions of OL, (3) theoretical and operational themes found in the literature, and (4) scale and subscale expectations. Organizational researchers are encouraged to use the directions embodied in this research to guide attempts at developing measures of organizational learning, in hopes of advancing the field beyond normal science.
ε-coupling method for near-optimum design of large-scale linear systems

The solution of an optimal state regulator problem for an nth-order linear system with quadratic performance index involves the solution of a matrix Riccati equation, consisting of n(n + l)/2 coupled nonlinear equations. In this paper, the notion of e-coupled systems is introduced, permitting the approximation of the Riccati-equation solution by a truncated Maclaurin series with special properties. The first term of this series is computed from decoupled low-order subsystem Riccati equations. The higher order terms are computed from decoupled linear equations. Furthermore, an mth order series for the Riccati matrix yields a (2m + l)th order approximation to the optimal performance. Thus this procedure results in significant savings in computation time for insignificant degradation of system performance. A 7th-order numerical example illustrates the procedure.
Voltage-controlled coded qubit based on electron spin

Abstract We design and analyze a solid-state qubit based on the electron spin and controlled by electrical means. The coded qubit is composed of a three-electron complex in three tunable gated quantum dots. The two logical states of a qubit, |0L〉 and |1L〉, reside in a degenerate subspace of total spin S=1/2 states. We demonstrate how applying voltages to specific gates changes the one-electron properties of the structure, and show how electron–electron interaction translates these changes into the manipulation of the two lowest energy states of the three-electron complex.
Structural and Chemical Properties of Zwitterionic Iridium Complexes Featuring the Tripodal Phosphine Ligand [PhB(CH2PPh2)3]-

Several new iridium compounds bearing the PhB(CH_2PPh_2)_3^- (herein abbreviated as [PhBP_3]) ligand have been prepared and characterized, and a comparison of steric, electronic, and chemical properties is made with those of related pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp^*) and hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate (Tp^(Me)_2) complexes. The complexes [PhBP_3]Ir(H)(η_3-C_8H_(13)) (2) and [PhBP_3]Ir(H)(η^3-C_3H_5) (3) were synthesized from the reaction of [Li(TMED)][PhBP_3] (1) with the corresponding [(alkene)_2IrCl]_2 complex. These allyl complexes serve as precursors to the dihalides [PhBP_3]IrX_2 (10, X = I; 12, X = Cl). In addition to these dihalides, the five-coordinate species [PhBP_3]IrMe_2 (16) and [ClB(CH_2PPh_2)_3]IrCl_2 (13) have been isolated. Addition of CO to 2 or 3 gave [PhBP_3]Ir(CO)_2 (7), while reaction of H_2 with 2 yielded {[PhBP_3]IrH_2}_2 (8) in benzene and [PhBP_3]Ir(COE)H_2 (9) in THF (where COE = cyclooctene). Complex 2 reacted with PMePh_2 to give [PhBP_3]Ir(PMePh_2)H_2 (5) and 1,3-cyclooctadiene. The protonation of 5 with [H(OEt_2)]{B[3,5-C_6H_3(CF_3)_2]_4} gave the classical hydride complex {[PhBP_3]Ir(PMePh_2)H_3}{B[3,5-C_6H_3(CF_3)_2]_4} (6). In addition to the formation of allyl complexes 2 and 3, several C−H activation reactions have been observed; addition of P^(Me)_3 to 2 provided the cyclometalated product {PhB[(CH_2PPh_2)_2(CH_2PPhC_6H_4)]}Ir(H)(PMe_3)(4) and COE. Photolysis of 5 gave PhB[(CH_2PPh_2)_2(CH_2PPhC_6H_4)]}Ir(H)(PMePh_2) (A) and [PhBP_3]Ir(H)(PMePhC_6H_4) (B). Complex 9 catalyzes H/D exchange between COE and benzene-d_6. Metathesis reactions of diiodide 10 with LiBHEt_3 gave [Li(THF)_n]{[PhBP_3]Ir(H)_2I} (14a) and [Li(THF)_n]{[PhBP_3]Ir(H)_3} (15). Comparison of the spectroscopic properties of related [PhBP_3]Ir, Cp^*Ir, and Tp^(Me)_2Ir complexes suggests that relative donating abilities follow the trend [PhBP_3] ≥ Cp^* > Tp^(Me)_2, and structural comparisons indicate that [PhBP_3] is the most sterically demanding ligand.
Glial connexins and gap junctions in CNS inflammation and disease

Gap junctions facilitate direct cytoplasmic communication between neighboring cells, facilitating the transfer of small molecular weight molecules involved in cell signaling and metabolism. Gap junction channels are formed by the joining of two hemichannels from adjacent cells, each composed of six oligomeric protein subunits called connexins. Of paramount importance to CNS homeostasis are astrocyte networks formed by gap junctions, which play a critical role in maintaining the homeostatic regulation of extracellular pH, K+, and glutamate levels. Inflammation is a hallmark of several diseases afflicting the CNS. Within the past several years, the number of publications reporting effects of cytokines and pathogenic stimuli on glial gap junction communication has increased dramatically. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent observations characterizing the consequences of inflammatory stimuli on homocellular gap junction coupling in astrocytes and microglia as well as changes in connexin expression during various CNS inflammatory conditions.
The superconducting energy gap in single crystal doped Sn

Abstract In a study of the influence of materials preparation parameters on the thermodynamic properties of superconductors, detailed information concerning the effective limiting superconducting energy gap, Δ(0), of doped Sn has been obtained from measurement of the temperature dependence of the attenuation of compressional ultrasonic waves. Measurements have been made for the sound propagation vector, g, parallel to the [001], [110] and [100] directions in single crystals of In-, Cd-, Sb-, and Bi-doped Sn with impurity concentrations ranging from ∼ 1 to 5000 ppm. The measured anisotropy between the [110] and [001] directions for pure Sn is ∼ 20% of the average energy gap. it is found that this anisotropy is reduced to ∼ 2% for values of ϱ, the inverse resistivity ratio, ⪆ 10 −2 and for ΔTc > 15 m°K. BCS theory, which was developed for isotropic, weak coupling superconductors, is applicable to the most heavily doped samples; it is found that the energy gap (∼ 1.76 kBTc) and the temperature dependence of ultrasonic attenuation are in agreement with the predictions of the theory.
Assessing circuit breaker performance using condition-based data and Bayesian approach

This paper proposes a methodology to assess the performance of circuit breaker utilizing its control circuit data. Various performance indices are defined to assess the condition of breaker using probability distributions. Bayesian updating approach is implemented to update these indices as the new data becomes available. An approximation in implementing the Bayesian approach to deal with large amounts of data on-line is considered. The methodology is applied to data recorded at different times during both open and close operations on a group of similar circuit breakers. The methodology can be used to quantify the effect of maintenance making use of the defined performance indices, which further helps in developing system level risk-based decision approaches for maintenance optimization.
Turbulent Shear Stresses in Compressible Boundary Layers

Hot-wire anemometer measurements of turbulent shear stresses in a Mach 3 compressible boundary layer were performed in order to investigate the effects of heat transfer on turbulence. Measurements were obtained by an x-probe in a flat plate, zero pressure gradient, two dimensional boundary layer in a wind tunnel with wall to freestream temperature ratios of 0.94 and 0.71. The measured shear stress distributions are found to be in good agreement with previous results, supporting the contention that the shear stress distribution is essentially independent of Mach number and heat transfer for Mach numbers from incompressible to hypersonic and wall to freestream temperature ratios of 0.4 to 1.0. It is also found that corrections for frequency response limitations of the electronic equipment are necessary to determine the correct shear stress distribution, particularly at the walls.
Oral Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women Selectively Raises Levels and Production Rates of Lipoprotein A-I and Lowers Hepatic Lipase Activity Without Lowering the Fractional Catabolic Rate

Abstract To characterize the apolipoprotein (apo) subfraction specificity of the increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels that is induced by oral estrogen and to explore the metabolic mechanisms thereof, six healthy, postmenopausal women were studied during each of two 5-week periods of a low-fat diet with and without ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg/d. With estrogen, HDL cholesterol levels increased 36% (mean±SD, 47±15 versus 63±18 mg/dL, basal versus estrogen periods, respectively; P=.004), plasma levels of apo A-I increased by 27% (147±24 versus 186±34 mg/dL; P=.003), and apo A-II levels increased 17% (39±5 versus 46±4 mg/dL; P=.0003). Apo A-I mass in particles that contained apo A-I but no apo A-II (ie, Lp A-I) increased 66% (43±13 versus 71±17 mg/dL; P=.002) while the sum of apo A-I and apo A-II mass in particles with both apo A-I and apo A-II (ie, Lp A-I/A-II) showed only a nonsignificant 14% increase (144±23 versus 163±29 mg/dL; P=.12). In radioiodinated-protein turnover studies the production ra...
Methods for computing comet core temperatures.

The temperature profile within the comet nucleus provides the key to an understanding of the history of the volatiles within a comet. Certain difficulties arise in connection with current cometary temperature models. It is shown that the constraint of zero net heat flow can be used to derive general analytical expressions which will allow for the determination of comet core temperature for a spherically symmetric comet, taking into account information about the surface temperature and the thermal conductivity. The obtained results are compared with the expression for comet core temperatures considered by Klinger (1981). Attention is given to analytical results, an example case, and numerical models. The formalization developed makes it possible to determine the core temperature on the basis of the numerical models of the surface temperature.
Consciousness, Memory, and History in Tolstoy's War and Peace

Abstract Contrary to the critics of Tolstoy's War and Peace who have interpreted the Second Epilogue as an aberration in the novel that distracts from the merits of the work, I argue that Tolstoy spells out the crucial principles that organize the entire novel in the Second Epilogue. In the Second Epilogue, Tolstoy presents his philosophy of consciousness and memory that, in turn, informs his philosophy of history that is similar to Augustine's conceptions of the city of God and the city of man. Tolstoy's comments, therefore, about God, freedom, and history in the Second Epilogue make War and Peace a philosophical work that has literary elements within it rather than a literary work with philosophical aspects.
IMPACT FEES DECISION MECHANISM : GROWTH MANAGEMENT DECISIONS IN LOCAL POLITICAL MARKET

While scholars of growth management have focused on the influence of impact fees on housing affordability or land price, less attention has been paid to impact fees in themselves. In particular, there are few studies on the variation in impact fees across cities. From the political market perspective, the decision mechanism of impact fees is more politically complex than economic models have suggested. This study investigates which conditions account for the variation in the amount of impact fees, which are an essential financial resource of local governments. The empirical analysis supports the assumptions of city government on the supply side, and developers and existing residents on the demand side, to decide the amount of impact fees. The findings show that cities with a council-mayor form of government on the supply side are more likely to increase impact fees. On the demand side, cities where residents have a more Democratic ideology tend to increase fees, and, contrary to the initial hypotheses, those with relatively many developers are more likely to increase impact fees.
Theory and measurement of the change in chemical potential of hydrogen in amorphous HxWO3 as a function of the stoichiometric parameter x

Abstract Measurements of the variation of the chemical potential μH of hydrogen in amorphous films of HxWO3 were made at room temperature over the composition range from x=0.002 to x=0.5. The μH values were obtained from e.m.f. measurements in an electrochemical cell using H2SO4 as the electrolyte. The chemical potential is given by μ H =A+0.53x+2( RT F ) ln [ x (1−x) ] where A is an undetermined constant and μH is in eV. The term linear in x is due to interactions in the HxWO3, while the final term is the entropy contribution.
Monitoring Plum Curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Populations in Apple and Peach Orchards in the Mid-Atlantic

We evaluated responses of plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), to four trap types in commercial and unsprayed apple and peach orchards. Trap types included black pyramid and clear Plexiglas panel traps deployed outside the orchard 2 m from the border row, and branch-mimicking cylinder and trunk-mounted screen traps attached to trees in the border row. Bait treatments evaluated in conjunction with each trap type included the synthetic fruit volatile benzaldehyde, the aggregation pheromone grandisoic acid (GA), benzaldehyde in combination with GA, and an unbaited control treatment. In commercial apple orchards, significantly more plum curculio were captured in traps baited with benzaldehyde + GA compared with traps baited with other treatments. Furthermore, significantly more plum curculio were captured by screen traps baited with benzaldehyde + GA compared with unbaited control traps. Significantly more plum curculio were captured by screen traps compared with other trap types in an unsprayed apple orchard. Very few captures were recorded in commercial peach orchards. Dissections of trapped females indicate that bivoltine populations are present in the mid-Atlantic. In general, correlations between timing and amount of trap captures and timing and amount of fruit injury inflicted concurrently or 1 wk after trap captures were very weak for all trap types and bait combinations. Our results agree with previous studies in the northeastern United States in which trap captures are increased by presence of semiochemical baits but fail to serve as reliable tools to determine need for and timing of insecticide application against plum curculio.
Effects of administration of cholecystokinin into the VTA on DA overflow in nucleus accumbens and amygdala of freely moving rats

The carboxyterminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK-8) coexists with dopamine (DA) in mesolimbic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In the present study, in vivo microdialysis in freely moving rats was used to assess the relative effects of sulfated CCK-8 (CCK-8S), unsulfated CCK-8 (CCK-8US) and CCK tetrapeptide (CCK-4), focally injected into the VTA, on DA overflow in two mesolimbic DA/CCK-8S terminal regions, the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala. Consistent with electrophysiological findings, microinjection of CCK-8S, but not CCK-8US or CCK-4, elicited increases in DA overflow in both terminal regions. In the absence of anatomical evidence of CCK-containing fibers in the VTA region, it seems reasonable to conclude that the modulation of terminal DA overflow by CCK-8S through actions at the somatodendritic region represents a form of autoregulation of these cells. Whereas CCK-8US and CCK-4 are preferential CCK-B receptor agonists, CCK-8S binds non-selectively to CCK-A and CCK-B receptors. Thus, these results implicate CCK-A receptors in the stimulatory effects of CCK-8S on VTA DA neurons.
Continuous tree-like scales

Answering a question raised by Luis Pereira, we show that a continuous tree-like scale can exist above a supercompact cardinal. We also show that the existence of a continuous tree-like scale at ℵω is consistent with Martin’s Maximum.
Method for detection of trace metal and metalloid contaminants in coal-generated fuel gas using gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry.

There exists an increasing need to develop a reliable method to detect trace contaminants in fuel gas derived from coal gasification. While Hg is subject to current and future regulations, As, Se, and P emissions may eventually be regulated. Sorbents are the most promising technology for the removal of contaminants from coal-derived fuel gas, and it will be important to develop a rapid analytical detection method to ensure complete removal and determine the ideal time for sorbent replacement/regeneration in order to reduce costs. This technical note explores the use of a commercial gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry system for the detection of four gaseous trace contaminants in a simulated fuel gas. Quantitative, repeatable detection with limits at ppbv to ppmv levels were obtained for arsine (AsH3), phosphine (PH3), and hydrogen selenide (H2Se), while qualitative detection was observed for mercury. Decreased accuracy and response caused by the primary components of fuel gas were observed.
The α-Effect in Methyl Transfers from S-Methyldibenzothiophenium Fluoroborate to Substituted N-Methylbenzohydroxamates

Studies of the alpha-effect show increased reactivity of nucleophiles having lone pairs of electrons on atoms neighboring the lone pair involved in reactivity when compared to the basicity of the nucleophiles. Hammett-type plots and Bronsted-type plots of substituted methylphenyl sulfates vs hydrogen peroxide anions and substituted N-methylbenzohydroxanates (NMBH) with substituted methylarenesulfonates or substituted arenedimethylsulfonium ions have large rho or beta(nuc) values, indicating a putative tightening of the usual S(N)2 transition states (anti-Hammond effect). Electrochemical studies of S(N)2-SET or reactivity indicate that SET character occurs in looser transition states, whereas S(N)2 transition states are associated with greater tightness. The alpha-effects for the series of sulfonium salts in completion reactions for 3-ClNMBH anions and 3-nitrophenolate anions are (log k(alpha)/k(normal)) 1.124 for dimethylphenyl sulfonium, 1.512 for dimethyl-1-naphthyl sulfonium, 1.835 for dimethyl-9-anthracenyl sulfonium, and 1.137 for S-methyldibenzylthiophenium. Correlations of the sizes of alpha-effects with typical SET (or ET) experimental parameters and the inverse dependence of the size of the alpha-effect on electron demand indicate inclusion of SET character in these S(N)2 transition states, vs no (or at least diminished) SET character in normal transition states. This dichotomy of tighter S(N)2 transition states, but looser SET transition states indicated in the alpha-effect, is examined in the present work.