cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of major depression on crack use and arrests among women in drug court.

Aims We examined whether a current major depressive episode (MDE) at baseline predicted crack use and arrests at follow-up among women enrolled in drug court. Design Primary analyses used zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression analyses to predict both yes/no and number of (i) days of crack use and (ii) arrests at 4-month follow-up from current (30-day) MDE at baseline. Secondary analyses addressed risk conferred by current versus past MDE at baseline. Setting/Participants Participants were 261 women in drug court. Measurements MDE was assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Days using crack and number of arrests were assessed using the Washington University Risk Behavior Assessment for Women. Findings Having a current MDE at baseline predicted likelihood of crack use at follow-up, but not days of crack use among those who used. Current MDE at baseline did not predict presence or number of arrests at the 4-month follow-up. Women with current MDE at baseline were more likely to be using crack at follow-up than were those with recent (31+ days to 12 months) but not current MDE (odds ratio = 5.71); past MDE at baseline did not increase risk of crack use. Conclusions Predictors of any versus no crack use or arrests appear to differ from predictors of frequency of these behaviors. Current major depression, but not past major depression, appears to be associated with increased risk of crack use among women attending drug court.
Quantum duck hunt - a computer game

Historically, useful adult survival skills have often been taught to children through games. In most societies through the ages, warfare and hunting games have been encouraged for boys, and childcare games have been encouraged for girls. Today, you might argue the gender bias of such games and maybe even their usefulness, but you can't ignore the power of games as educational tools.
Popular Protest, Nationalism, and Domestic-International Linkages in Chinese Politics

The study of Chinese politics has become increasingly specialized, reflecting broader trends in social science that favor islands of knowledge that can be defended with rigor. Yet many phenomena of interest in Chinese politics are located at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations, where the two levels are connected and strategically linked. Nationalist, anti-foreign protest is a good example, as Chinese officials must choose whether to repress or tolerate nationalist demonstrations based on domestic and international considerations. In turn, the decision to allow or stifle street demonstrations affects the degree of popular influence on Chinese foreign policy, constraining the government's diplomatic options or enhancing its flexibility. Ongoing research into the subnational patterns of Chinese nationalism and popular protest offers a promising avenue of inquiry. Combined with close qualitative assessments to identify mechanisms and processes, meso-level investigations can provide additional leverage in the study of Chinese nationalism. Future research should aim to bring nationalism back into the mainstream study of state-society relations in China, bridging the gap between nationalism and other varieties of social mobilization and political contestation. Keywords: China; nationalism; protest; comparative politics; international relations; public opinion; civil society
Is information uncertainty positively or negatively associated with post-earnings-announcement drift?

This study reconciles ostensibly conflicting evidence from prior research about the association between information uncertainty and post-earnings-announcement drift (PEAD). While earlier studies on PEAD imply a positive association between PEAD and future earnings information uncertainty contained in a current earnings announcement, studies using analyst earnings forecast dispersion report a negative association between information uncertainty and PEAD. Although the authors of those studies argue that the negative association is consistent with behavioral finance theories, it is not consistent with the notion that more reliable information improves market efficiency. I argue that the negative association is due to earnings forecast congestion immediately after earnings announcements. Introducing an analyst-based proxy that controls for the forecast congestion, I find a positive association in line with traditional views.
Application of multichannel 2-D linear prediction to color image coding

Multichannel 2-D linear prediction and its application to predictive coding of color images are described. Two algorithms are compared. In the first the whole frame of the image is divided into subframes and predictor coefficients are computed separately for each. In the second, predictor coefficients are obtained for the whole frame of the image. Both methods have the disadvantage that the coefficients must be computed in real time and transmitted to the receiver as side information, which significantly increases the complexity of the coding system. An alternative is considered that uses a fixed set of prediction matrices, i.e. a set that does not depend on the specific image being coded. In this way both receiver and transmitter have linear prediction matrices and no side information has to be transmitted. Such prediction matrices can be generated by various averaging methods discussed. The results of this coding are compared to that resulting from the previous two methods. >
Concerning the potential reversibility of carbometalation in alkoxide-directed Ti(Oi-Pr)4-mediated reductive cross-coupling of homoallylic alcohols with aromatic imines

In an attempt to understand the nature of selectivity in Ti-mediated reductive cross-coupling between homoallylic alcohols and imines, we investigated whether thermodynamic equilibration of the presumed organometallic intermediate plays a role in selectivity. No evidence could be found for olefin exchange in preformed azatitanacyclopentanes—an observation that is consistent with a model based on kinetically controlled selective carbometalation.
Biosignal pattern recognition and interpretation systems

A general framework is given to describe pattern recognition and interpretation. Pattern analysis stages are described, with consideration of difficulties in implementation and uncertainties present at each level. The main forms of pattern analysis-statistical, syntactic, and artificial intelligence (connectionist and symbolic) methods-have different strengths and weaknesses, depending on the stage of pattern analysis at which they are used. In general, statistical, syntactic, and connectionist techniques are used for pattern recognition, and statistical and symbolic techniques are used for pattern interpretation. Largely, pattern interpretation involves reasoning with uncertainty. Multichannel recordings increase the information available about specific physiologic events, at the expense of processing complexity. >
Analysis of source control for domestic wastewaters

In a large number of urban watersheds, a combination of upstream approaches for the control of the major CSO pollution sources may be more cost-effective than current end-of-pipe solutions. Source control has been directed largely at the control of rainfall runoff and stormwater flows. This paper concentrates on the control of domestic wastewater as a part of integrated source control by preventing its mixing with storm water in combined sewer systems during rainfall runoff periods, thereby avoiding or reducing CSOs. CSO data from a typical urban watershed of approximately 100 hectares in Cincinnati are used as a prototype for illustration purposes.
Automatic analysis system for three-dimensional angiograms

The fast high-resolution X-ray CT scanner known as the Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor (DSR) has the facility for generating three-dimensional (3-D) coronary angiograms from a single-scan sequence during a nonselective injection of a single bolus of contrast medium. Such angiograms offer a method for visualizing the entire coronary arterial tree from any angle of view and give a possible means for detecting and quantitating coronary arterial stenoses. Previously, a skilled operator had to interact with a tedious workstation-based package to manually delineate the vascular tree and measure vessel cross-sectional areas. We have devised an automatic display-driven system for analyzing a 3-D DSR angiogram. The system consists of two separate menu-driven modules: (1) the Artery Extractor and (2) the Artery Display. The Artery Extractor performs automatic image-processing operations to extract the skeleton of the arterial tree. The Artery Display provides a graphical interface for interacting with the analyzed angiogram; using this interface, the operator can visualize structures in the angiogram and provide cues for making various measurements on the arterial tree.
A note on the evolution of gamete dimorphism.

Abstract Parker, Baker & Smith (1972) have demonstrated mathematically that given the evolution of sexual reproduction, disruptive selection for the production of either many small gametes or a few large gametes may occur, resulting in a stable polymorphism of “sperm” and “egg” producers. Their model for the evolution of anisogamy requires only that zygote fitness ( F ) increase steeply with increases in zygote volume ( V ) (for Foc ∝ V x , x must be greater than 1·5) and that a sufficiently broad range of zygote productivity-size variants exist in the population (the higher the value of x , the broader the range needed). They suggest that anisogamy is almost universal in multicellular organisms but relatively rare in unicellular organisms because only for the former is an investment in extra gametic reserves at the expense of the number of gametes produced likely to be worthwhile in terms of increasing the survival probability of the zygote. In this note a graphical analysis and evidence from the anisogamous Protista will be presented concerning this hypothesis.
Early loss of synaptic protein PSD-95 from rod terminals of rhodopsin P347L transgenic porcine retina

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a type of retinal degeneration involving first rod and then slow cone photoreceptor degeneration, can be caused by any of a number of mutations in different genes. In the cases of mutations affecting rod-specific genes such as rhodopsin, it is unclear how the mutations may cause degeneration of cones. We have used the porcine retina, which is rod-dominated and has an abundance of cones, to study the mutation-induced changes in both rod and cone photoreceptors. Like patients with the same mutation, rhodopsin P347L transgenic swine manifest rod-cone degeneration. In addition, the rod bipolar cells fail to form synaptic connections with rods; instead, they form ectopic synapses with cones. The mechanisms that prevent the formation of the rod-rod bipolar cell synaptic connection are not known. We used specific antibodies and immunocytochemistry to show that the synaptic protein, PSD-95, is present in both normal and transgenic porcine retinas. During neonatal development, however, PSD-95 is lost from rod terminals in the transgenic swine. This loss is virtually complete (90%) by postnatal day 5, at a time when greater than 80% of rod cell bodies still remain. Furthermore, the remaining rods retain their outer segments and their gross morphology appears relatively normal. In contrast, PSD-95 expression continues in cone terminals, even in 10-month-old transgenic swine, where the rods have all disappeared and the cones show signs of severe degeneration. These results suggest that loss of PSD-95 may not be a general consequence of the deteriorating cell. Rather, the very early and selective loss of PSD-95 from the rod terminals may be causally related to the absence of rod-rod bipolar cell synapses in the rhodopsin P347L transgenic retina.
Sterility and lethality in crosses involving two translocation heterozygotes of the German cockroach,Blattella germanica (L.)

Productivity in crosses involving two independent reciprocal translocations inBlattella germanica are reported. Lethal effects alone could not account for the reductions in hatch since completely unproductive crosses occurred frequently. The latter are attributed to the inability of reduced numbers of viable embryos to force open the egg case. The implications for genetic control of the joint dominant effects from embryonic trapping and translocation semisterility are discussed.
Exercise Training and Bleed Viscosity in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease

Several studies have suggested that regular exercise in healthy persons improves blood viscosity. 1. , 2. , 3. , 4. , 5. Regular exercise and exercise training have been shown to have several beneficial effects, including the prevention and modification of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, and to have a role in both the primary and secondary prevention of coronary vascular events. 6 Whether exercise training, as prescribed in standard cardiac rehabilitation programs, can improve blood rheology has not been previously investigated. This study assesses whether a standard 10-week program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training had beneficial effects on whole blood viscosity and the factors that influence it among consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease who enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation.
Predictors of Clavien 4 Complications and Mortality After Necrosectomy: Analysis of the NSQIP Database

Background Acute severe pancreatitis is one of the most common gastrointestinal reasons for admission to hospitals in the USA. Up to 20 % of these patients will progress to necrotizing pancreatitis requiring intervention. The aim of this study is to identify specific preoperative factors for the development of Clavien 4 complications and mortality in patients undergoing pancreatic necrosectomy.
Mapping and Cracking Sensorimotor Circuits in Genetic Model Organisms

One central goal of systems neuroscience is to understand how neural circuits implement the computations that link sensory inputs to behavior. Work combining electrophysiological and imaging-based approaches to measure neural activity with pharmacological and electrophysiological manipulations has provided fundamental insights. More recently, genetic approaches have been used to monitor and manipulate neural activity, opening up new experimental opportunities and challenges. Here, we discuss issues associated with applying genetic approaches to circuit dissection in sensorimotor transformations, outlining important considerations for experimental design and considering how modeling can complement experimental approaches.
Bi-axial rotation device: a means for providing complex vestibular stimulations.

Abstract A device for the presentation of single or bi-axial rotatory stimulations to cats is described and sample eye movement recordings presented.
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Human Rights Scholarship in Latin America

Human rights are the focus of research and teaching in multiple fields including law, philosophy, political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, history, literature and public health. Human rights are also the focus of advocacy and on-the-ground investigation by activists affiliated with nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), labour unions and social movements. Scholars interested in rights-based issues thus often face a dual challenge: that of crossing disciplinary boundaries in order to explore human rights questions, and that of bridging the academic-practitioner divide.
Chronic Ethanol-mediated Up-regulation of the N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Polypeptide Subunits in Mouse Cortical Neurons in Culture

The goal of this study was to determine whether chronic ethanol-mediated up-regulation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) was associated with an augmentation of the NMDAR polypeptide subunits in the mammalian cortical neurons. The results show that chronic ethanol treatment produced an increase in the R1 and R2B polypeptide subunits. The R2A subunit was not expressed in these neurons. Chronic NMDAR antagonist ((+)-3-2-(carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP)) treatment also increased the R1 and R2B polypeptide subunits. A similar increase was observed when ethanol and CPP were used in combination. Binding studies using [3H]MK-801 ((+)-5-methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclophenptan-5,10-imine maleate), a noncompetitive NMDAR antagonist, confirmed that concomitant exposure of ethanol and CPP up-regulated the NMDAR. Our results demonstrate for the first time that chronic ethanol treatment increased the NMDA receptor polypeptide subunit synthesis and that it was associated with an increase in [3H]MK-801 binding sites.
Implicit Contracts and Employment Theory

In a Walrasian economy, differences among agents in their attitudes towards risk do not constitute an inducement to trade. This is an outcome of the assumption of existence of a complete system of markets in contingent commodities.1 The assumption is, however, empirically unjustified. It is this observation that underlies the " implicit contract" theory of employment introduced by Baily (1974) and Azariadis (1975) and further elaborated by Baily (1975), Sargent (1975), Feldstein (1976), Negishi (1976) and Varian (1976). The assumptions and conclusions of the implicit contract theory can be briefly summarized as follows: It is assumed that a firm has a certain pool of workers " associated " with it and faces an uncertain price for its output. It is further postulated that the firm's objective function is the expected value of its profits, while workers desire to maximize the expected utility of their income, the latter characterized by risk aversion. The firm chooses the employment contract which maximizes its expected profit subject to the constraint that it provide the workers with a minimum of expected utility. The latter is supposed to reflect the opportunities open for workers elsewhere in the economy. Under these assumptions it can be demonstrated that the optimal contract involves full employment of the firm's labour pool at all states of nature, and a constant wage rate-i.e. a wage rate independent of the contingency realized. The above formulation involves a number of conceptual and empirical problems: It is assumed there is unanimity concerning the probability of occurrence of the various states of nature. Furthermore, not only are workers identical, but firms know the exact form of their utility function. The argument depends crucially on the risk neutrality of firms. In the absence of markets for contingent securities this assumption can only be justified in the very special case of perfect negative correlation between the profits of different firms. Otherwise one has to rely either on the superiority of firms vis-a-vis workers concerning the accessibility to capital markets, or in some Knightian distinction between the innate risk neutrality of entrepreneurs and risk aversion of workers. Workers are assumed to have an indirect utility function separable in income and prices. If this is not the case, even though firms behave parametrically with respect to the prices of goods, they must take into account portfolio-theoretic considerations on the part of workers. Since the only constraint faced by a firm is that the expected utility provided by the contract it offers be greater than or equal to some competitively determined level, it is implicitly assumed that workers cannot abandon the firm after the state of nature has been realized. Equivalently, the costs of movement for workers past the initial contracting period are assumed to be infinitely high. For otherwise, the constraints faced by a firm would take the form of a minimum wage to be paid at each state of nature. In the extreme case of costless labour mobility, this implies that firms are wage takers in the labour market.
Interannual and Decadal Cycles in River Flows of Southeastern South America

Abstract The time series of annual streamflow of four rivers in southeastern and south-central South America (the Negro, Paraguay, Parana, and Uruguay Rivers) for the period 1911–93 are analyzed. Application of the multitaper method shows that the following features are significant at the 95% level: 1) a nonlinear trend, 2) a near-decadal component, and 3) interannual peaks with ENSO timescales. The trend and near-decadal components are most marked in the two more central rivers, the Paraguay and Parana, with ENSO timescale variability most pronounced in the Negro and Uruguay rivers in the southeast. Composites of SST are made for each of the statistically significant oscillatory components of river flow, by reconstructing each component using singular spectrum analysis. These composites confirm the influence of ENSO on the streamflow variability of the Negro and Uruguay Rivers, with El Nino associated with enhanced streamflow. On the decadal timescale, high river runoff is associated with anomalously coo...
A quantitative study of mountain building on an unsymmetrical earth

Abstract The principle of isotatic equilibrium of the earth's crust is discussed and restated in a useful form which takes account of superposed vertical stresses. A quantitative study of the deformations produced in the earth's elastic crust by tangential compressional forces is made. The calculated physical properties of a suboceanic compressional downfold agree well with those observed in certain long and narrow ocean deeps.The properties of a downfault in continental regions are similarly deduced and it is shown that such a deformation evolves ultimately into a great sedimentary prism or geosyncline. The processes which fold and ultimately uplift the prism to form a mountain chain are quantitatively considered. A quantitative theory of mountain building leads to a law of mountain heights in good agreement with observation. The considered mechanisms are consistent with the principle of isostasy and with the author's earlier estimates concerning the concentration of stresses at the boundaries of the great continents.It is concluded that the circum-Pacific mountain chains could only have been generated on an unsymmetrical earth produced probably by a fission process much like that suggested in the author's binary star theory of the origin of the solar system ( Phys. Rev. , 39 , 130, 311 (1932)).
More or less choice? The influence of choice on task motivation and task engagement

Abstract The present article reports on two studies which investigated how and to what extent students' intrinsic motivation and task engagement were affected by manipulating autonomy, in the form of task choice. A total of 120 learners of L2 Russian at a German university worked in pairs to complete a task that focused on making a written presentation about a famous contemporary person from Russia. Two types of choice were manipulated: choice on the content of the task and procedural choice. Four different outcomes of students' performances were examined: (a) responses to a questionnaire tapping their subjective experiences regarding task motivation, (b) time-on-task in minutes, (c) total word length of their written presentations, and (d) quality of task performance. Results suggest that different combinations of choice produce different effects on students' behavior. Contrary to the assumptions of self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985), the conditions with less choice proved to be more beneficial for students' task engagement and task motivation. The findings offer a complex picture regarding the application of self-determination theory in understanding learner motivation during task-based language teaching.
Land Without Ghosts : Chinese Impressions of America from the Mid-Nineteenth Century to the Present

Americans have long been fascinated with European views of the United States. The many Chinese commentaries on America, however, have remained largely unavailable to the English reader. Land without Ghosts presents for the first time selections on America from Chinese writings over the last 150 years. Included are extracts from the travel diaries of nineteenth-century diplomats, a first-hand account of blacks in 1930s Alabama and of the young white Communists working to organize them.
Isotopic Signature Transfer and Mass Pattern Prediction (IsoStamp): An Enabling Technique for Chemically-Directed Proteomics

Directed proteomics applies mass spectrometry analysis to a subset of information-rich proteins. Here we describe a method for targeting select proteins by chemical modification with a tag that imparts a distinct isotopic signature detectable in a full-scan mass spectrum. Termed isotopic signature transfer and mass pattern prediction (IsoStamp), the technique exploits the perturbing effects of a dibrominated chemical tag on a peptide’s mass envelope, which can be detected with high sensitivity and fidelity using a computational method. Applying IsoStamp, we were able to detect femtomole quantities of a single tagged protein from total mammalian cell lysates at signal-to-noise ratios as low as 2.5:1. To identify a tagged-peptide’s sequence, we performed an inclusion list-driven shotgun proteomics experiment where peptides bearing a recoded mass envelope were targeted for fragmentation, allowing for direct site mapping. Using this approach, femtomole quantities of several targeted peptides were identified i...
Findings from the Teaching, Learning, and Computing Survey

Cuban (1986; 2000) has argued that computers are largely incompatible with the requirements of teaching, and that, for the most part, teachers will continue to reject their use as instruments of student work during class. Using data from a nationally representative survey of 4th through 12th grade teachers, this paper demonstrates that although Cuban correctly characterizes frequent use of computers in academic subject classes as a teaching practice of a small and distinct minority, certain conditions make a big difference in the likelihood of a teacher having her students use computers frequently during class time. In particular, academic subject-matter teachers who have at least five computers present in their classroom, who have at least average levels of technical expertise in their use, and who are in the top quartile on a reliable and extensive measure of constructivist teaching philosophy are very likely to have students make regular use of computers during class. More than 3/4 of such teachers have students use word processing programs regularly during class and a majority are regular users of at least one other type of software besides skill-based games. In addition, other factors-such as an orientation towards depth rather than breadth in their teaching(perhaps caused by limited pressures to cover large amounts of content) and block scheduling structures that provide for long class periods-are also associated with greater use of computers by students during class. Finally, the paper provides evidence that certain approaches to using computers result in students taking greater initiative in using computers outside of class time-approaches consistent with a constructivist teaching philosophy, rather than a standards- based, accountability-oriented approach to teaching. Thus, despite their clear minority status as a primary resource in academic subject classroom teaching, computers are playing a major role in at least one major direction of current instructional reform efforts.
An Interior-Ridge Silicon Microring Modulator

We design and demonstrate a new microring modulator geometry utilizing low-resistance interior ridge contacts and a hard outer waveguide wall to achieve high-speed operation in a device with a large free spectral range (FSR). The depletion-mode silicon microring modulator utilizes a hybrid vertical-horizontal junction to maximize the frequency response for a given voltage within a compact 2.5 μm radius. The 2.5-μm radius microring modulator demonstrates low energy (4.5 fJ/bit) error-free (bit error rate 25 Gb/s) modulator. The resulting combination of high-speed, low-energy operation, and a wide FSR offers the potential for very high bandwidth densities in future femtojoule-class communication links.
The pH Tolerance of Horn Fly Larvae

In formulating artificial diets or rearing media for insect larvae, or in modifying natural larval media in attempts to regulate the insect population, the pH tolerance of the 1st-instar larvae must be determined to establish the optimum range for survival and also the conditions preventing production of larvae. A study was conducted at the Kerrville, Texas, Livestock Insects Investigations Laboratory to determine the pH tolerance of newly emerged (1st instar) horn fly larvae, Haematobia irritans (L.). Results are presnted here.
A vacuum ultraviolet monochromator for absorption and photoconductivity measurements on luminescent solids.

A vacuum ultraviolet monochromator for the region 1000A to 2000A is described in detail. The limited range makes rotation of the grating about a point and simplified construction feasible, since the loss of resolution at the extreme of wave-length is only 0.1 percent of the measured wave-length. The spectrum of the hydrogen source and a typical absorption curve are given.
Determination of Torsion Angles in Proteins and Peptides Using Solid State NMR

A combination of Solid State NMR (SSNMR) dipolar recoupling and double quantum CSA−CSA correlation experiments are used to determine the Ramachandran angles φ and ι in a crystalline tripeptide (AGG) and a 14 amino acid peptide designed to be helical. The advantage of the SSNMR approach described herein is the ability to measure both φ and ψ to high resolution using a single noncrystalline, doubly carbonyl labeled peptide. It is also shown that DRAWS and DQDRAWS data are insensitive to 14N−13C and 15N−13C dipolar couplings making corrections for these effects unnecessary. Extremes in secondary structure (e.g., α-helix vs β-sheet) can be discerned by simple inspection of DQDRAWS spectra. Subtleties in secondary structure (α-helix vs 310-helix) can be distinguished by simulation of the DQDRAWS spectrum.
Thermodynamics of xenon binding to cryptophane in water and human plasma.

Xenon-129 biosensors offer an attractive alternative to conventional MRI contrast agents due to the chemical shift sensitivity and large nuclear magnetic resonance signal of hyperpolarized 129Xe. Here we report the use of fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to determine xenon binding affinity and thermodynamics with a water-soluble triacid-cryptophane-A (1). 1 was synthesized in 10 steps with a 4% overall yield. Fluorescence spectroscopy measured an association constant of (1.7 ± 0.2) × 104 M-1 in phosphate buffer at 293 K. ITC measurements at 293 and 310 K yielded association constants of (1.73 ± 0.17) × 104 and (3.01 ± 0.26) × 104 M-1 and indicated a large entropic contribution to xenon binding in water. On the basis of these data, cryptophane 1 showed roughly 2-fold higher affinity for xenon than any previously measured compound. Remarkably, ITC measurements in human plasma at 310 K gave a similar binding constant, KA = (2.19 ± 0.22) × 104 M-1, which supports the develo...
Voices of the Darfur Genocide

Social scientific research is uniquely poised to document the patterned and probabilistic evidence helpful in achieving legal accountability for mass atrocities—and offers a voice to those who woul...
Five vs six membered ring formation in the vinyl radical cyclization

Abstract The ratio of methylenecyclopentane to methylenecyclohexane derivatives observed in the vinyl radical cyclization increases with the concentration of substrate and tin hydride. This is interpreted to mean that these cyclizations are under thermodynamic control at low concentrations.
Get high school students hooked on science with a challenge

Skilled scientists and engineers along with a public that understands science and technology are vital in today's technically competitive world. The United States must encourage its students to study and excel in scientific academic subjects and consider science and engineering as a possible career.An academic program that progresses from a statewide to a national competition is a way of developing science and computing knowledge among high school students and teachers, as well as instilling enthusiasm for science. This paper describes the new Mexico High School Supercomputing Challenge, a nonselective academic-year long program that was initiated in 1990. Teams of high school students from throughout New Mexico do a team computational science project using high performance computers.
White-collar and corporate crime in China: a comparative analysis of enforcement capacity and non-issue making

Research in China on the subject of white-collar and corporate crime, as in most countries, has been sparse due to the lack of large and systematic data sources and a related general unwillingness to fund major studies [58]. As a result, the occurrence of such offenses often remains under a cloak of official secrecy for at least two reasons: First, governments do not like to broadcast an image of their country as riddled with upper-class law-breaking, and second, the very officials themselves may well be involved in illegal schemes and they do not desire to alert the public to wrongdoing in other high places. Corruption, a universal institutional phenomenon, is especially pervasive in developing and transitional societies [81, 88]. As a growing superpower and the most populous country in the world, according to some sources, China has experienced both unprecedented economic development and attendant rampant corruption at all levels of government and the private sector [81]. “Whitecollar crime and official corruption in particular have been a serious concern in China and have attracted wide attention during the course of the nation’s economic reform” [83]. This paper will explore these issues through an examination of case studies and the application of theories and findings of past research on white-collar and corporate crime in other countries, primarily the U.S. Such a comparative framework has been noted as useful for unraveling similarities and differences in legal culture and ideology, statutory laws, enforcement patterns, legal procedures, court structures, and punishment systems that form the contexts or understanding crime and law generally and in different societies [22]. A major issue for China’s economy that has not garnered much scholarly attention, with the exception of corruption [12, 28, 33, 46, 71], involves what American academics refer to as white-collar and corporate crime. Corruption remains a central problem in China. Other business offenses, frauds against citizens as well as domestic Crime Law Soc Change (2013) 60:241–260 DOI 10.1007/s10611-013-9454-x
Building as Power Plant—BAPP

ABSTRACT The Building as Power Plant (BAPP) initiative seeks to integrate advanced energy-effective building technologies (ascending strategies) with innovative distributed energy generation systems (cascading strategies), such that most or all of the building's energy needs for heating, cooling, ventilating, and lighting are met on-site, under the premise of fulfilling all requirements concerning user comfort and control (visual, thermal, acoustic, spatial, and air quality). This will be pursued by integrating a “passive approach” with the use of renewable energies. In addition, the project will achieve unprecedented levels of organizational flexibility and technological adaptability. The project has progressed though preliminary architectural design and engineering and 5 workshops (Ascending Energy Strategies, Floor-by-Floor Infrastructures, Interior Systems, HVAC Systems, and Cascading Energy Strategies). BAPP is designed as a 6-story building, located in Pittsburgh (a cold climate with a moderate sola...
Humanistic Psychology and Chaos Theory: The Third Revolution and the Third Force

Chaos theory investigates processes that initially seem so complex that they do not appear to be governed by any known principles; however, they actually have an underlying order that can be described mathematically. The application of chaos theory to human behavior and experience demonstrates an affinity with humanistic psychology that deserves attention, especially in such areas as creativity, health, and the sleep cycle.
Development of a Rossby Wave Critical Level

Abstract We discuss the time-dependent behavior of a Rossby wave on a latitudinally varying flow, near the point where the steady-state wave equation is singular. The wave is forced by the switch-on of a steady forcing. Analytic solutions are obtained for the latitudinal propagation of nondivergent Rossby waves in a linear shear flow and for a large longitudinal wavelength. It is shown that the north–south eddy velocity v′ approaches the steady-state solution everywhere when nondimensional time >1, this time being a few days or less for atmospheric planetary waves. The east–west eddy velocity u′ takes much longer to approach a steady state near the singularity. One-half the steady-state amplitude of u′ is approached in a time inversely proportional to the square root of the distance from the singularity. The solution for u′ near the singularity settles down to the steady solution only after a time large compared to the inverse of the distance from the singularity. The steady-state solution for u′ is logar...
High sensitivity of hydrogen sensing through N-polar GaN Schottky diodes

N-polar and Ga-polar GaN grown on c-plane sapphire by a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system were used to fabricate platinum deposited Schottky contacts for hydrogen sensing at room temperature. Wurtzite GaN is a polar material. Along the c-axis, there are N-face (N-polar) or Ga-face (Ga-polar) orientations on the GaN surface. The Ohmic contacts were formed by lift-off of e-beam deposited Ti (200 A)/Al (1000 A)/Ni (400 A)/Au (1200 A). The contacts were annealed at 850°C for 45 s under a flowing N2 ambient. Isolation was achieved with 2000 A plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited SiNx formed at 300°C. A 100 A of Pt was deposited by e-beam evaporation to form Schottky contacts. After exposure to hydrogen, Ga-polar GaN Schottky showed 10% of current change, while the N-polar GaN Schottky contacts became fully Ohmic. The N-polar GaN Schottky diodes showed stronger and faster response to 4% hydrogen than that of Ga-polar GaN Schottky diodes. The abrupt current increase from N-polar GaN Schottky exposure to hydrogen was attributed to the high reactivity of the N-face surface termination. The surface termination dominates the sensitivity and response time of the hydrogen sensors made of GaN Schottky diodes. Current-voltage characteristics and the real-time detection of the sensor for hydrogen were investigated. These results demonstrate that the surface termination is crucial in the performance of hydrogen sensors made of GaN Schottky diodes.
Choice between small certain and large uncertain reinforcers

When choosing between two alternatives that deliver the same amount of food per trial in the long run, organisms are calledrisk-averse if they choose a small certain reinforcer over a larger probabilistic reinforcer. They are calledrisk-prone if they choose the larger probabilistic reinforcer. This experiment attempted to predict whether rats would be risk-prone or risk-averse on the basis of their separate choices between reinforcers differing in probability and reinforcers differing in amount. Choice was measured with an adjusting-delay procedure, which provided estimates of indifference points, or pairs of alternatives that a subject chose about equally often. The subjects were usually more responsive to differences in amount than to differences in probability, leading to predictions of risk-proneness for choices between two probability-amount combinations. The predictions were confirmed in almost every case. As the number of food pellets delivered by the two alternatives was increased while maintaining a 2:1 difference between them, the tendency toward risk-proneness declined. These results suggest an explanation of the inconsistent findings obtained in previous experiments on risk-taking by rats.
A Topography of Collaboration: Methodology, Identity and Community in Self-Study of Practice Research.

Through the use of the metaphoric tool of topography, two educational researchers explore the development of their understanding of collaboration in self-study of teacher education practices research. The researchers communicate their perceptions through the presentation of four topographic moments. Each topographic moment is represented by a poem and the analysis of the poem. The four moments explored include the self in collaboration, the positioning of the self and the other on the landscape of collaboration, the way in which collaboration impacts research methodology, and the role of representation and community. The poems stand as landscape markers used to metaphorically capture and communicate the authors' understandings. The way in which collaboration influences the layers of methodology contributes to the identity of teacher educator/researchers and establishes a community of scholarship in self-study research.
Minor and trace sterols in marine invertebrates 38: isolation, structure elucidation and partial synthesis of papakusterol, a new biosynthetically unusual marine sterol with a cyclopropyl-containing side chain☆

Abstract A new cyclopropyl-containing sterol papakusterol (22-dehydro-24,26-cyclocholesterol), arising by a hitherto unknown biosynthetic process, was isolated from six “deep sea” gorgonians and its structure elucidated by 1 H-NMR analysis and partial synthesis. Traces of the corresponding Δ 5, 7 -diene have also been encountered.
Franchising and firm financial performance among U.S. restaurants.

Abstract Franchising has attracted the attention of retailing and entrepreneurship scholars in the past three decades, but evidence pertaining to how franchising affects financial performance is mixed and inconclusive. Thus, the question remains as to whether franchising firms exhibit better financial performance than non-franchising firms in the same industry. In order to find an answer to this question, our study compares the risk-adjusted financial performance of franchising versus non-franchising restaurant firms over the 1995–2008 interval, using five different performance measures: the Sharpe Ratio, the Treynor Ratio, the Jensen Index, the Sortino Ratio, and the Upside Potential Ratio. For each measure, the results revealed that franchising restaurant firms outperformed their non-franchising counterparts. Thus, we provide very robust evidence that franchising is superior on average in the restaurant industry, which can help explain the increasing popularity of franchising as a business form.
Embryonic development of central nervous system myelination in a reptilian species, Eumeces fasciatus

The myelin proteolipid proteins are a vital component of the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), contributing essential functions to the development of the myelinating cells of the CNS and to the structure of CNS myelin. Alternative splicing of the proteolipid protein (PLP) gene to produce two related isoforms occurs in Mammalia, Ayes, and Reptilia, but not Amphibia. As part of a long-term investigation into the function of the different isoforms of PLP, embryonic development, myelination, and PLP gene expression in reptilian CNS were examined. PLP gene expression was already substantial by day 19 (stage 39) of the 27-day Eumeces fasciatus egg incubation period. By day 21 of incubation, also stage 39, PLP mRNA was at peak levels; there was a significant amount of CNS myelination as demonstrated by electron microscopy of the spinal cord; and the reflexive motor response was evident. Although most axons were myelinated by the time of hatching, myelin sheaths continued to increase in size and compactness after hatching. The correlation of physiological development, CNS myelination, and expression of the PLP gene in the lizard corresponded well with the developmental pattern seen in mammals. © 1995 Wiley-Liss Inc.
Correspondence analysis as an aid to multicriteria decision making

Abstract Correspondence analysis is a relatively little used multivariate statistical technique in the English speaking world. This study aims to show how the technique can be used as an aid to multiple criteria decision making. Based on expressed pairwise indifferences, pairs of alternatives are classified into one of the three categories: ‘indifferent’, ‘indifferent-indifferent’ and otherwise. A coefficient of similarity is assigned to each category, and using this information, correspondence analysis is used to display these alternatives onto a map. The first principal axis of the map tends to be the axis of preference and groups of the most preferred and least preferred policies may be identified. Application of the method is further examined in the case of incomplete information and is found to be capable of providing an ‘accurate’ result. The maps are also compared with those obtained by Rivett using multidimensional scaling.
Prediction of Cutting Time When Crosscutting Rounds, Pipe, and Rectangular Bar With a Gravity Fed Portable Bandsaw

Portable bandsaws are gaining in popularity for their use on remote jobsites to efficiently cut structural materials such as bar, pipe, and channel. Some of their increased popularity is due to the recent introduction of high watt-hour lithium ion batteries, which has further improved the portability of bandsaws by making them cordless. However, with cordless bandsaws, knowledge of cutting rates becomes more important as battery runtime limits productivity. Unlike industrial cutoff bandsaws that typically have feed rate control, the cutting rate of portable bandsaws is determined by operator applied pressure and gravity. While some research has highlighted the cutting mechanics of bandsaws and related wear processes, there is a lack of progress in the area of predicting cutoff time as a function of sawing parameters, such as applied thrust force, blade speed, workpiece material properties, and geometry of the cross section. Research was conducted to develop and experimentally verify a mechanistic model to predict cutting rates of various cross sectional geometries with a gravity fed portable bandsaw. The analytical model relies upon experimental determination of a cutting constant equation, which was developed for a low carbon steel workpiece cut with an 18 teeth per inch (TPI) blade. The model was employed to predict crosscutting times for steel rounds, squares, and tubes for several conditions of thrust force and blade speed. Model predictions of cutting time were in close agreement with experimental results.