cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
International Solar Energy Congress of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) (New Delhi, 16 - 21 January 1978): SOME SOLAR ENERGY PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM

ABSTRACT The report outlines recent activities in the United Nations System concerning solar energy applications for the benefit of developing countries. Summaries are provided of some of the main programs undertaken in the field of solar energy by a number of agencies and bodies of the United Nations System such as = the Economic and Social Council, the Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology to Development (ACAST), the Committee on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), the United Nations Office for Science and Technology; the Committee on Natural Resources, the Centre for Natural Resources, Energy and Transport (CNRET); the regional economic commission; the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank (IBRD); the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Coloring Clean and K4-Free Circle Graphs

A circle graph is the intersection graph of chords drawn in a circle. The best-known general upper bound on the chromatic number of circle graphs with clique number k is \(50 \cdot {2}^{k}\). We prove a stronger bound of 2k−1 for graphs in a simpler subclass of circle graphs, called clean graphs. Based on this result, we prove that the chromatic number of every circle graph with clique number at most 3 is at most 38.
The T cell as a therapeutic target

There is a constellation of diseases whose pathology is a direct consequence of the immune response. Since there has been a failure to identify either an infectious aetiology or a pathognomonic immune abnormality, these diseases are characterized as being autoimmune. Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis and multiple sclerosis are all well-known examples. An important therapeutic approach to these diseases is the selective inhibition of immune activity.
The promises of numeracy

In this article, I consider the question: why did numeracy become a relevant and sensible thing to consider in mathematics education? I historicize the numeracy discourse by writing a genealogy of how the concept of numeracy emerged in scholarship, with a focus on the USA. I argue that numeracy descends from three mathematics education reform narratives and emerged, in part, as a compromise among these narratives. The numeracy discourse unites reform narratives about technological change, equity and justice, and social stability. I find these narratives in the numeracy discourse and describe them as promises—or assurances about the present and future—central in the numeracy discourse: (1) numeracy promises to reflect modern reality, (2) numeracy promises to empower, and (3) innumeracy promises to have social costs. These three promises seem to each emerge from different conceptualizations of the importance of numeracy and the purposes of reform in its name. Finally, I consider the purposes of genealogy by discussing my current thinking about numeracy.
Opinion: Reconsidering bioenergy given the urgency of climate protection.

The use of bioenergy has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by policies partly premised on the belief that bioenergy can contribute to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions mitigation. However, the experience with bioenergy production and the pressure it places on land, water, biodiversity, and other natural resources has raised questions about its merits. Recent studies offer a lesson: Bioenergy must be evaluated by addressing both the stocks and flows of the carbon cycle. Doing so clarifies that increasing the rate of carbon uptake in the biosphere is a necessary condition for atmospheric benefit, even before considering production-related lifecycle emissions and leakage effects due to land-use change. To maximize the role of the biosphere in mitigation, we must focus on and start with measurably raising rates of net carbon uptake on land—rather than seeking to use biomass for energy. The most ecologically sound, economical, and scalable ways to accomplish that task are by protecting and enhancing natural climate sinks. Rather than prioritizing bioenergy production, researchers and policymakers should pursue carbon management initiatives such as the reforestation project pictured here. Such efforts are much more likely to significantly reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the near and medium term. Image courtesy of Lisa M. Dellwo (photographer). Hence, a major reprioritization of climate-related research, policy, and investment is urgently required, a move away from bioenergy and toward terrestrial carbon management (TCM). Researchers and policymakers must pursue actionable mitigation approaches that have the best chance of significantly reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the near and medium term. When the biosphere is engaged, the emphasis should shift toward large-scale natural climate solutions, including the protection, restoration, and enhancement of forests and other terrestrial carbon sinks. As energy researchers and policy analysts have confronted the global warming problem over the past several decades, industrial-scale … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: DeCicco{at}umich.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
A follower-centric approach to the 2016 US presidential election: Candidate rhetoric and follower attributions of charisma and effectiveness:

The 2016 US Presidential Campaign was followed worldwide due to the dynamic nature of the candidates and the controversy surrounding them. This study takes a unique look at the candidacy of Donald ...
Computer science and engineering: utilizing action research and lesson study

ABSTRACTThis article explores one group’s use of action research (AR) and lesson study in three US university-level computer science courses affecting 85 undergraduate computer science and engineer...
A software and hardware environment for developing AI applications on parallel processors

This paper describes and reports on the use of an environment, called Agora, that supports the construction of large, computationally expensive and loosely-structured systems, e.g. knowledge-based systems for speech and vision understanding. Agora can be customized to support the programming model that is more suitable for a given application. Agora has been designed explicitly to support multiple languages and highly parallel computations. Systems built with Agora can be executed on a number of general purpose and custom multiprocessor architectures.
The myth of school shooters and psychotropic medications

There has been an assertion in certain parts of the media, especially social media, that the majority of individuals who have engaged in a school shooting were prescribed psychotropic medications prior to the event. To determine if there is any validity to this assertion, the authors of this article reviewed publicly available information regarding individuals involved in "educational shootings" per FBI publications for active shooters from 2000 to 2017. Sources of information included news reports with official citations, official reports regarding events, available court records, and FBI Freedom of Information Act requests. Secondary data-points were also collected, such as location, number of weapons used, number of victims, legal outcome, and whether the shooter committed suicide. From the information obtained, it appears that most school shooters were not previously treated with psychotropic medications - and even when they were, no direct or causal association was found.
Elucidation of the Reaction Mechanism of Catalytic Reaction Coupling of Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Nitrobenzene Hydrogenation over MoO3/TiO2 Catalysts

Abstract Catalytic coupling of ethylbenzene (EB) dehydrogenation with nitrobenzene (NB) hydrogenation offers potential economical and energetic benefits. However, several studies in the literature have shown that NB conversion could be higher than that of EB, violating the law of mass conversion. This work provides a new understanding of this reaction coupling scheme over MoO3/TiO2 catalysts to elucidate this scientific mystery. Our results suggest that EB and NB have different adsorption rates on the TiO2 surfaces, resulting in higher NB conversion. In addition, three distinct reaction schemes, each follows a different EB to NB stoichiometric ratio, were identified on the MoO3 surfaces. The occurrence of the reactions is dependent on catalyst pretreatment by hydrogen reduction and the amount of oxygen vacancies on the surfaces. Our work explains why mass conservation was not satisfied in some previous studies due to the incorrect reaction stoichiometry used for analyzing the reactant conversions.
Choral Konsult: Augmented Reality for Electrate Learning

The authors revisit Miami Virtue: Choragraphy of the Virtual City, the project initiating their collaboration in the Florida Research Ensemble, as a point of departure for updating their project to invent education native to electracy (the digital apparatus). Historically, electracy as an epoch is also characterized as the Anthropocene, identifying a causal force of reality as humanity itself (supplementing previous causalities of God and Nature). Digital technology institutionalized in entertainment corporations threatens total commodification of human visceral appetite (The Matrix). Against this disaster, Konsult as a genre for electrate learning is invented by analogy with the invention of the Dialogue in the Athenian Academies. The Greeks configured a “stack” based on Aristotle’s topical logic (Topos), correlating a systematic relationship among physical places, alphabetic writing technology, the archive of recorded culture, new rhetorical practices, and the living memory of students. Benjamin Bratton described the new technological stack (Earth, Cloud, City, Address, Interface, User) of electracy. Choral Konsult reconfigures this stack with an alternative concept of space, Chora, also of Greek origin, reanimated in poststructural philosophy. Theorizing the visceral imagination as Chora, correlated with the inventions of avant-garde modernist arts as a logic of appetites, Choragraphy proposes an augmented reality pedagogy to do for human passions what topical logics did for a reason.
Dynamic laser speckle imaging meets machine learning to enable rapid antibacterial susceptibility testing (DYRAST)

Rapid antibacterial susceptibility testing (RAST) methods are of significant importance in healthcare, as they can assist caregivers in timely administration of the correct treatments. Various RAST techniques have been reported for tracking bacterial phenotypes, including size, shape, motion, and redox state. However, they still require bulky and expensive instruments-which hinder their application in resource-limited environments-and/or utilize labeling reagents which can interfere with antibiotics and add to the total cost. Furthermore, the existing RAST methods do not address the potential gradual adaptation of bacteria to antibiotics, which can lead to a false diagnosis. In this work, we present a RAST approach by leveraging machine learning to analyze time-resolved dynamic laser speckle imaging (DLSI) results. DLSI captures the change in bacterial motion in response to antibiotic treatments. Our method accurately predicts the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ampicillin and gentamicin for a model strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli K-12) in 60 min, compared to 6 h using the currently FDA-approved phenotype-based RAST technique. In addition to ampicillin (a β-lactam) and gentamicin (an aminoglycoside), we studied the effect of ceftriaxone (a third-generation cephalosporin) on E. coli K-12. The machine learning algorithm was trained and validated using the overnight results of a gold standard antibacterial susceptibility testing method enabling prediction of MIC with a similarly high accuracy yet substantially faster.
Smart process analytics for predictive modeling

Abstract While data analytics tools are changing how manufacturers make critical decisions and designs, the selection of the best method requires a substantial level of expertise. In practice, methods are chosen based on familiarity or on cross-validation results from a large candidate model pool which over-fits data. A Smart Process Analytics framework is presented which empowers the users to focus on goals rather than on methods and automatically transforms manufacturing data into intelligence. The method selection is based on domain knowledge, the specific data characteristics, and nested cross-validation procedures. The approach is demonstrated in case studies for experimental datasets from a variety of process systems. For a four-stage evaporator, a state-space identification method is selected that has half the long-term prediction error than a recurrent neural network. For a combined cycle power plant, machine learning methods are selected that have up to 30% lower mean-squared error than partial least squares.
Revealing Molecular Mechanisms in Hierarchical Nanoporous Carbon via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Summary Hierarchical nanoporous carbons (HNC) have been proven to be an effective adsorbent for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and CO2. However, questions remain regarding the hierarchical structure regulation, the adsorption mechanisms of adsorbate uptake, and interactions within the HNC. We synthesize HNC from wood, using a microwave-induced heating method incorporating K2CO3 activation. Our HNC exhibit Murray's law multiscale structures, prompting a molecular-scale study of adsorbate adsorption via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR chemical shifts are consistent with ring-current effects from the adsorbent. Our NMR technique provides a convenient way to quantitate adsorption of adsorbate in HNC. VOC vapor adsorption results show NMR chemical-shift changes with time, suggesting initial adsorption into mesopores, followed by diffusion into micropores. Schroeder's paradox is demonstrated by differences in observed shifts for adsorbed liquid vis-a-vis vapor phase in these HNC. These HNC show high CO2 adsorption capacity, portending applications to carbon capture.
Spatial and temporal fuels changes in whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) from mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)

Abstract Mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) causes extensive tree mortality in whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm) forests. Previous studies conducted in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (mirb.) Franco), and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni Parry ex. Engelm) have shown that litter, duff, and 1-h (
Radiation Effects in a Post-Moore World

An overview is presented of the significant influences of Moore’s Law scaling on radiation effects on microelectronics, focusing on historical trends and future needs. A number of milestones in the evolution and understanding of total-ionizing-dose and single-event effects are discussed within the context of classical Dennard scaling. This discussion focuses on the discovery of fundamental mechanisms, development of radiation-tolerant IC technology, and increasing maturity and complexity of Si-MOS-based devices, circuits, and systems. Examples are shown that illustrate how the end of Dennard scaling has influenced radiation effects in current technology generations, due to the increasingly complex and diverse materials and devices that are now incorporated. The radiation responses of devices with alternative channels to silicon and transistors based on 2-D materials are discussed, with an emphasis on opportunities and challenges for ultimately scaled devices. Particular challenges to ultimately scaled technologies are presented by single-particle-induced displacement damage and microdose effects. The article concludes with a look forward to a future in which many types of microelectronic devices and ICs are increasingly more vulnerable to radiation effects and increasingly more difficult to test in a practical and cost-effective manner.
The Experiences of a Home-Based Language Program with Mexican Immigrant Mothers

This study investigated the changes that occur in mothers’ language and interactions with their preschool-aged children who have language difficulties when a Spanish language-based intervention was...
Initial action output and feedback-guided motor behaviors in autism spectrum disorder.

Sensorimotor issues are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), related to core symptoms, and predictive of worse functional outcomes. Deficits in rapid behaviors supported primarily by feedforward mechanisms, and continuous, feedback-guided motor behaviors each have been reported, but the degrees to which they are distinct or co-segregate within individuals and across development are not well understood. We characterized behaviors that varied in their involvement of feedforward control relative to feedback control across skeletomotor (precision grip force) and oculomotor (saccades) control systems in 109 individuals with ASD and 101 age-matched typically developing controls (range: 5–29 years) including 58 individuals with ASD and 57 controls who completed both grip and saccade tests. Grip force was examined across multiple force (15, 45, and 85% MVC) and visual gain levels (low, medium, high). Maximum grip force also was examined. During grip force tests, reaction time, initial force output accuracy, variability, and entropy were examined. For the saccade test, latency, accuracy, and trial-wise variability of latency and accuracy were examined. Relative to controls, individuals with ASD showed similar accuracy of initial grip force but reduced accuracy of saccadic eye movements specific to older ages of our sample. Force variability was greater in ASD relative to controls, but saccade gain variability (across trials) was not different between groups. Force entropy was reduced in ASD, especially at older ages. We also find reduced grip strength in ASD that was more severe in dominant compared to non-dominant hands. Our age-related findings rely on cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies of sensorimotor behaviors and their associations with ASD symptoms are needed. We identify reduced accuracy of initial motor output in ASD that was specific to the oculomotor system implicating deficient feedforward control that may be mitigated during slower occurring behaviors executed in the periphery. Individuals with ASD showed increased continuous force variability but similar levels of trial-to-trial saccade accuracy variability suggesting that feedback-guided refinement of motor commands is deficient specifically when adjustments occur rapidly during continuous behavior. We also document reduced lateralization of grip strength in ASD implicating atypical hemispheric specialization.
NiAl precipitation in delta ferrite grains of 17-7 precipitation-hardening stainless steel during low-temperature interstitial hardening

Abstract Interstitial hardening via low-temperature carburization and nitridation has been studied in 17-7 precipitation-hardening stainless steel. During such interstitial hardening, nanometer-scale NiAl precipitates form in delta ferrite in the bulk, but not in the hardened surface layer. In the carburized ferrite grains, regions of NiAl stoichiometry could be identified, but cannot be identified as regions with a different crystal structure. In the nitrided grains, NiAl particles could neither be detected by corresponding changes in local composition nor by their crystal structure.
Von der Pädiatrie zur Geriatrie

Uberblicken wir heute die medizinische Wissenschaft der gemasigten Zonen, so wird uns klar, das eine weitere Spezialisierung, die den „praktischen Arzt“ausschaltet, gefahrlich ist. Ein Individuum kann nicht aufgeteilt werden; daher kann die arztliche Tatigkeit an ihm nicht in immer kleinere Spharen von Raum und Zeit zerlegt werden — Geburtshilfe, Kinderheilkunde, Otolaryngologic, Zahnheilkunde, Orthopadie, verschiedene Arten von groser und kleiner Chirurgie, Kardiologie, Gastroenterologie, Endokrinologie, Neurologie und die „Degenerationen“des Alters. Vor 20 Jahren erkannte der Chef einer Klinik das Dilemma und glaubte, das die vielfaltigen Befunde, Photographien, Kurven und chemischen Analysen einen „Koordinator“brauchten. Sollte er ein Mitglied der alten Gilde der praktischen Arzte im Auge gehabt haben? Aus Gefuhlsgrunden hat man die Ruckkehr des „allgemeinen praktischen Arztes“herbeigesehnt; mit der Zeit werden wir ihn aus wissenschaftlichen Grunden zuruckwunschen. Einer mus den Kranken sehen und sich fur ihn verantwortlich fuhlen, von der Geburt bis zum Grabe.
International Law: Examples & Explanations

In recent years, admissions directors in law schools and colleges have indicated that one of the most frequently asked questions by prospective students is what the particular institution has to offer in the area of international law. Law schools and colleges have expanded their course offerings in international law to cover a whole variety of specialized areas, such as international environmental law, international human rights, international business transactions, the law of the sea, and the laws of war, among many others. All of these specialized courses build on the introductory foundational course generally called, simply, ‘‘International Law.’’ This book is designed to assist students taking the introductory international law course to understand the framework and subject matter of international law and to work through the EXAMPLES, which consist of realworld problems based on the materials provided. After each EXAMPLE, there follows an EXPLANATION that represents the authors’ best attempts at answering the problems posed. The EXAMPLES give students a chance to apply the substantive material they have read and to test their ability to articulate a comprehensive answer. Students are advised to try to answer the problems themselves before reading the EXPLANATION. After answering the problem, students should check their answers with the EXPLANATION.The book is best used as an aid throughout an entire international law course and will also be particularly useful in preparation for examinations. We have found that students grasp the different subjects of international law at a much better level when they have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to problems posed over the full semester in which the course is taught, not just at the end of the course in an examination. By providing substantive information as well as EXAMPLES and EXPLANATIONS related to international law, the authors hope that students will deepen their understanding of the subject and will be encouraged to develop their knowledge further in specialized courses.
Natural Recovery from Substance Dependency

Abstract The literature on cessation of drug and alcohol dependency without benefit of treatment or participation in self-help groups spans nearly forty years. While this literature is substantial and analyses of the processes of natural recovery well-developed, discussions directed at treatment providers around the value of these analyses for practice has been sparse. Drawing on our study as well as the research of others, this paper explores two dimensions of natural recovery that hold important implications for treatment providers who work with substance dependent clients. These include the common strategies used by remitters and the concept of recovery capital as a way to capture the embeddedness of these natural recovery strategies within a unique structural context of personal attributes and social environments.
Combining the Mobile Workforce and Telecommuter Tax Acts

Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2012 (“the Mobile Workforce Act”) and the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act of 2012 (“the Telecommuter Act”) each respond to the pressing national need to rationalize the states’ income taxation of nonresident workers in light of modern technology and the work patterns such technology facilitates. Both Acts must be passed to create a comprehensive framework for the states’ income taxation of nonresident workers in the 21st century.The Mobile Workforce Act addresses the question today generally denoted as nexus, that is, who can tax. The Telecommuter Act addresses the question which is today denominated as apportionment, namely, how much can be taxed. Congress must answer both inquiries properly, lest multiple and excessive state tax burdens on nonresident workers unnecessarily interfere with the efficient work patterns of a modern economy.
Penile blood flow changes in the flaccid and erect state in potent young men measured by duplex scanning.

Abstract We studied penile blood flow changes with duplex ultrasound scanning in 8 potent young men during the flaccid state and during the erect state induced by visual sexual stimulation. Measured parameters obtained from the cavernous arteries were arterial diameter, peak blood flow velocity and blood flow acceleration. The mean arterial diameter change was 72% associated with average blood flow velocity and acceleration changes of approximately 200%. Actual values for blood flow velocity and acceleration were considerably higher when compared to papaverine-induced values measured in psychogenically impotent men. Visual sexually stimulated penile arterial changes are not analogous to papaverine-induced arterial changes and these differences raise questions about the appropriateness of using psychogenically impotent men as controls for measurement of penile arterial function with duplex scanning. ( J. Urol., 144: 894–896, 1990 )
Spinal Myoclonus After Spinal Cord Injury

AbstractBackground/Objective: In the course of examining spinal motor function in many hundreds of people with traumatic spinal cord injury, we encountered 6 individuals who developed involuntary and rhythmic contractions in muscles of their legs. Although there are many reports of unusual muscle activation patterns associated with different forms of myoclonus, we believe that certain aspects of the patterns seen with these 6 subjects have not been previously reported. These patterns share many features with those associated with a spinal central pattern generator for walking.Methods: Subjects in this case series had a history of chronic injury to the cervical spinal cord, resulting in either complete (ASIA A; n = 4) or incomplete (ASIA D; n = 2) quadriplegia. We used multi-channel electromyography recordings of trunk and leg muscles of each subject to document muscle activation patterns associated with different postures and as influenced by a variety of sensory stimuli.Results: Involuntary contractions ...
Long-Term Phytoplankton Trends and Related Water Quality Trends in the Lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, U.S.A.

Long-term trends (i.e., 1985 through 1999; 14 1/2 yrs) of the phytoplankton community in Chesapeake Bay indicated patterns of increasing phytoplankton abundance and biomass associated with mainly diatoms and chlorophytes, and to a lesser degree dinoflagellates. Decreasing trends in productivity rates above the pycnocline were present over a shorter time period (10 1/2 yrs.), with evidence for increasing nitrogen limitation is indicated. Reduced light availability is inferred due to decreasing trends of Secchi depths and increased suspended solids trends, which were associated with decreasing trends in productivity rates.
Accretion Disk Boundary Layers

The boundary layer is the region of flow that joins an accretion disk to the accreting central star. This zone is characterized by rapid variations and extreme conditions in both the flow dynamics and energetics. Dynamically, the angular velocity of the accreting material drops very rapidly from a near-Keplerian value to the angular spin rate of the star. Thus, the accreting material makes a transition from centrifugal support, which dominates in the disk, to pressure support, which dominates in the star. Also, the largest flow velocities occur in this region, possibly leading to shocks and instabilities. Energetically, the boundary layer is an important constituent of an accreting system since up to half the accretion luminosity may be released here, resulting in high temperatures. The radiative transfer by which this luminosity reaches the surface tends to be complex; both radial and vertical fluxes need to be considered, in contrast to the star where the radiation flux is primarily radial, and the disk proper where it is predominantly vertical
Interpreting the Estimates from Four National Surveys of the Number of People Without Health Insurance

Four national surveys conducted be­ tween 1977 and 1980 seem to yield four different estimates of the number of people under 65 years old who lack health insurance. In this paper four explanations for the different estimates are as­ sessed. The sample framework designs and meth­ ods for ex post weighting of the surveys' respon­ dents are very similar. Nonresponses to the health insurance questions on the surveys were handled differently, and this remains a possible explanation of some of the differences in the estimates. But the most likely explanation of the differences is the following. Three of the four surveys ask people about their health insurance at the time of the in­ terview. The fourth, the Current Population Sur­ vey, asks people about their health insurance dur­ ing the previous year. But the Current Population Survey estimate of the uninsured population is re­ markably close to the point-in-time estimates from the other three surveys. The same holds true for the surveys' estimates of the Medicaid population and people covered by private health insurance. Hence, if we assume that the Current Population Survey respondents are answering the health in­ surance questions with respect to when they are interviewed, the four surveys' estimates of the un­ insured population at a point in time are very sim­
World Report on Disability, Intellectual Disabilities, and Disaster Preparedness: Costa Rica as a Case Example

The World Report on Disability relates concerns about the experiences of individuals with intellectual disability in disaster situations. Disaster planning related to people with intellectual disability needs to consider that (1) they experience disproportionate risk in disaster situations, (2) they are often excluded from relief processes and are disadvantaged in disaster support situations, (3) they may need specialized disability-related supports, (4) they often have needs for assistive technology and special rehabilitative services, (5) family and community networks are important supports in disaster situations, and (6) during recovery, rebuilding should be inclusive and include disability needs. Thus, people with intellectual disabilities are more likely to need additional assistance during evacuation, experience more tangible losses during disaster, and require more intensive support in the recovery phase following disaster. Enabling access to mainstream systems and services, improving human resource capacity, and providing adequate funding for recovery and disaster mitigation are strategies to increase disaster resilience for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Costa Rica is one country that has designed emergency disaster management policies and incorporated disability rights policies that cut across governmental functions and promote interagency cooperation. Having such policy structures and legislative supports are advantageous for people with intellectual disability, whose support needs often cut across different functional areas.
On Multiple Regulatory Mechanisms in the Tryptophan Operon System in Escherichia coli: In silico Study of Perturbation Dynamics

Living organisms often exist in uncertain environments where changes are the norm. Cellular systems therefore require resilient regulatory mechanisms for timely and stable adaptation. Among various regulation motifs, multiple feedback control emerges as a common theme. The tryptophan operon system in Escherichia coli regulates the production ofintracellular tryptophan using an apparatus of three feedback mechanisms: repression, attenuation and enzyme inhibition; each provides essentially the same function but operates in distinctly different ways. Here we aim to understand the roles of each loop by studying transient dynamics of the system to perturbations of different types; to reveal the underlying relationships between individual control mechanisms and macroscopic behaviour. We develop an S-systems approximation of an existing model for the system and characterise transient dynamics by introducing two measurable quantities: maximum disturbance (MD) and recovery time (RT). Our simulation results showed that combined regulation using all three feedback mechanisms significantly increases system stability, broadening the range of kinetic parameters for stable behaviour. Enzyme inhibition was shown to directly control the disturbance level in system variables after perturbations. Attenuation, on the other hand, was found to speed up system recovery whereas repression lengthens recovery time. The method developed in this paper and the defined transient dynamics measurements can be applied to other cellular systems.
Linoleic acid hydroperoxide increases the transfer of albumin across cultured endothelial monolayers.

Abstract Exposure to albumin-bound linoleic acid (60 to 150 μM) for 24 h significantly increased the rate of albumin transfer across cultured endothelial monolayers. The increase was dependent on the linoleic acid (18:2) concentration to which the cultures were exposed. Linoleic acid hydroperoxide (18:2-OOH) further accelerated the rate of albumin transfer over that of 18:2. A near maximum albumin transfer was observed after a 2-h incubation with 90 μM 18:2-OOH. Cells exposed to 18:2-OOH caused a marked release of lactate dehydrogenase into the media. On the other hand, 18:2 at concentrations as high as 150 μM, did not significantly affect lactate dehydrogenase release. These results suggest that exposure to 18:2, and in particular to 18:2-OOH, reduces the ability of the endothelium to act as a selective permeability barrier to plasma components.
Effect of surface chemistry on the double layer capacitance of polypyrrole-derived ordered mesoporous carbon

In this work, the effect of nitrogen on the double layer (DL) capacitance of nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (NOMC) is studied. The nitrogen content of the NOMCs was controlled thermally. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows decreasing nitrogen content with increasing heat treatment temperature. Despite the differing N content of the NOMCs, the BET surface area, pore size and distribution of the NOMCs did not change significantly with the heat treatment, though Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that the microcrystallinity was affected, exposing more of the basal planes with increased heat treatment temperature. The DL capacitance of the NOMCs was measured from cyclic voltammograms in a range that minimized the contribution of the space charge capacitance and pseudocapacitance, yielding information about the impact of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups on the pure Helmholtz behavior of NOMCs. It was found that nitrogen affects the DL capacitance by changing both the electronic properties and microstructure of the carbon. These enhancements resulted in NOMCs with very high areal Helmholtz capacitance of 25.1 μF cm−2.
Gender differences in smoking behavior in a university workplace

Behavioral approaches to smoking intervention benefit from an understanding of smoking behavior. We investigated gender differences in smoking behavior by observing 292 men and 648 women smoking in a university workplace. Although men smoked more cigarettes in longer break times than women, there were no gender differences in the time individual cigarettes were lit or time in the mouth. However, men inhaled significnatly more than women. The social environment differed with male smokers talking to equal numbers of men and women, while female subjects talked to more females than males while smoking. In smoking lounges, more women than men held the cigarettes near their face (38 vs. 28%). With increasing age, male smokers took longer breaks, had cigarettes lit for less time, and talked to more men, whereas with increasing age female smokers took fewer puffs and talked to fewer men. Thus men take longer breaks, smoke more cigarettes, and inhale more often than women in a university workplace setting.
Calibration method for a digital thickness monitor

Abstract A highly sensitive spectrophotometric technique is described for the calibration of a digital thickness monitor (DTM) mounted in an electron beam evaporator. The DTM was found to have a systematic error of 12% for the production of Nb films 700 to 1200 A thick.
Roads leading to breast cancer.

Cancer results from the accumulation of mutations in genes that regulate cellular proliferation. These mutations can occur early in the process of malignant transformation or later, during progression to an invasive carcinoma. The earliest mutations occur in the germ line, as in the case of cancer-prone families. In these instances, the inheritance of a mutated allele is commonly followed by the loss of the second allele from a somatic cell, leading to the inactivation of a tumor-suppressor gene and triggering malignant transformation. A classic example is hereditary retinoblastoma, in which there is inheritance of a mutant germ-line RB1 allele (a . . .
Auction-based Energy Management System of a large-scale PHEV municipal parking deck

The Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is becoming the most significant component of the future advanced transportation system and an important part of the smart grid. The energy management issue of charging a large number of PHEVs parked in a municipal parking lot with a limited amount of power available from the grid can be formulated as an optimization problem. Since the problem is basically a scalable resource allocation problem, a proportional allocation mechanism in auction theory is used to address the issue as a market-based tool. Also, a decentralized algorithm based on auction theory is developed that furnishes an updating rule to the vehicles as bidders to make the optimal decision about their next bid. This decision considers their previous bids and the price they have received from the market manager as a feedback. In this paper, considering PHEVs as price-taker bidders, we apply the auction theory method to solve the PHEV parking lot optimization problem for 10 vehicles, as a small example, and then for a large number of vehicles. The results are presented for both cases and compared to the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) as a well-known population-based optimization method.
Effect of vinblastine sulfate, colchicine and lumicolchicine on membrane organization of normal and transformed cells☆

Differences in the distribution of plasma membrane intramembranous particles (PMP) have been demonstrated in normal and transformed fibroblasts using freeze fracture and electron microscopy. Transformed 3T3 cells contain randomly distributed PMP and contact-inhibited 3T3 cells have aggregated PMP when frozen in medium, glycerol, sucrose, or following stabilization in 1 % formaldehyde. To define some of the mechanisms controlling the organization of PMP in this system we have examined the effects of microtubule disruptive drugs including vinblastine sulfate and colchicine on SV3T3 cells. These drugs were observed to induce a dose- and time-dependent aggregation of PMP at concentrations between 10−9 and 10−5 M. These results suggest that modulation of PMP distribution in these cells may be influenced by an interaction of microtubules with plasma membrane components. However, the observation that lumicolchicine, a derivative of colchicine which does not disrupt microtubules, also promotes PMP aggregation, suggests that these drugs may also have a primary effect on the plasma membrane in addition to the disruption of microtubules. This is supported by the observation that reduced temperature (4 °C) which is known to disrupt microtubules fails to induce PMP aggregation in SV3T3 cells, suggesting the hypothesis that changes in the interaction of plasma membrane or plasma membrane associated constituents may control the distribution of PMP in this cell system.
The Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale: A Validation Study:

The Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale is a tool for the assessment of the severity of personal and social problems in adolescence. It is composed of 16 subscales relevant to adolescent f...
Postharvest treatment of strawberries with methyl bromide to control spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii

Abstract Methyl bromide (MB) chamber fumigations were evaluated for postharvest control of spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, in strawberry exports from California USA. Strawberries were infested with the most MB-tolerant age of SWD (60‐ to 108-h old at fumigation, ca. mature larvae), infested fruit were buried amongst uninfested fruit in export packaging, and fumigations were with 48 mg L− 1 (3.0 lbs/1000 ft3) for 3 h at 18.0 ± 0.5 °C ( x ¯ ± s ). Complete mortality of 105,173 ± 3,321 (n ± s) SWD specimens was achieved with applied doses ≥ 34.5 mg L− 1 and exposures, expressed as a concentration × time products (CTs), ≥ 80.3 mg L− 1 h.
Endowed faculty chairs are a waste of money (except mine)

Increasing amounts of funds are given to universities each year that are to be invested and endow special salary supplements and spending allowances for named faculty. Donors’ motives are varied, but for the schools, the special use is a way to attract and retain faculty with national research reputations. From a marketing point of view, the school administrators believe that having the funds to attract these faculty to their department rolls has a positive impact on the school’s reputation. Yet there are serious questions as to what schools actually are getting for the spending competition to attract over‐priced academic superstars while the lower paid faculty remain the main contact with students. At worst, the holders of the positions are disconnected from the broader campus community.
Aerosol ion concentration dependence on atmospheric conditions in Chicago

Abstract This study seeks to determine the influence of precursor trace gases and local meteorology, including lake breeze events, on the concentrations of secondary aerosol species in Chicago. For this, two particulate air samples per day were collected onto quartz fiber filters at the Loyola University Chicago Air Station (LUCAS) during the summer months of 2002 and 2003 and subsequently analyzed by ion chromatography for sulfate, nitrate and oxalate. In parallel, mixing ratios of ozone (O 3 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO 2 NO x ) were monitored and weather parameters were recorded. In addition, backward trajectories were obtained to estimate air mass transport to Chicago. Ozone and NO x mixing ratios as well as sulfate, nitrate and oxalate concentrations varied substantially throughout the study, but three situations could be distinguished based on meteorology and chemistry. Case one had the lowest ozone, NO x and ion levels due to wind directions constantly from Lake Michigan. Case two comprised of days showing the highest pollutant levels because of to predominantly southwestern air currents and warm temperatures and case three experienced an air stagnation situation in the morning leading to high NO x mixing ratios and a subsequent lake breeze event. In the last case, elevated ozone mixing ratios and ion concentrations were observed after lake breeze onset indicating pollutant transport.
Risk Standards for Pediatric Research: Rethinking the Grimes Ruling

In Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), the Maryland Court of Appeals, while noting that U.S. federal regulations include risk standards for pediatric research, endorses its own risk standards. The Grimes case has implications for the debate over whether the minimal risk standard should be interpreted based on the risks in the daily lives of most children (the objective interpretation) or the risks in the daily lives of the children who will be enrolled in a given study (the subjective interpretation). The court's use of the objective interpretation to block studies like the KKI study protects individual children who are worse off than the average child. Unfortunately, this approach also may block research intended to improve the lives of these same individuals. A similar dilemma arises in the context of multinational research, suggesting that a "modified objective standard," proposed to address this dilemma in the multinational setting, may offer a framework for addressing the dilemma in the context of pediatric research as well.
The effect of elastic anisotropy on dislocations in Ni3Fe

The single crystal elastic constants of Ni3Fe were measured by an ultrasonic interferometric technique in the temperature range -196° to 300°C. Both C11 and C44 decrease with increasing temperature, while C12 remains almost constant below room temperature, then increases with temperature up to 100°C and subsequently decreases as temperature increases further. The constants have been used to calculate 1) the interaction force between parallel Shockley partial dislocations and 2) the energy factor of a straight perfect dislocation as a function of dislocation orientation. While dissociation of a screw dislocation seems quite normal, the forces between partials in a dissociated edge dislocation are attractive at -196° and 100°C. In general, the maximum stacking fault energy for which dissociation is energetically favorable, γm, decreases as temperature increases. Inverse Wulff plots indicate that thea/2 total dislocation in Ni3Fe is stable for all orientations and temperatures.
How to find the Lax pair from the Yang-Baxter equation

We show explicitly how to construct the quantum Lax pair from the Yang-Baxter equation. We demonstrate the new method by applying it to the Heisenberg XYZ model.
Immunohistochemical detection and distribution of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor in rat reproductive tissues

Vitamin D3, via its active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, plays a critical part in male and female reproduction in the rat. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 activity is mediated by an intracellular receptor (VDR). VDR distribution in reproductive tissue has not been studied using antibodies against the receptor. We developed a polyclonal antibody against the VDR and used it to examine VDR distribution in male and female rat reproductive tissues. In rat testes, VDR epitopes were observed in seminiferous tubules, specifically in spermatogonia, Sertoli cells and spermatocytes. Spermatozoa stained faintly. Epithelial cells of the epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate also expressed VDR epitopes. In the female rat reproductive tract, immunostaining for VDR was seen in ovarian follicles, specifically in granulosa cells. Weaker VDR immunostaining was observed in follicular thecal cells and in the ovarian stroma and germinal epithelium. Corpus luteal cells stained intensely for VDR. Epithelium of fallopian tubes and the uterus also contained VDR epitopes. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic VDR immunostaining was observed in male and female rat reproductive tissues. We conclude that the VDR is widely distributed in male and female reproductive tissues and that it is likely to mediate actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the tissues.