cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educational and Vocational Exploration in Vulnerable Youth

Though numerous studies indicate that youth and young adults who are involved in one or more social service systems have poor educational and employment outcomes, little is known about the pathways to employment and education in this population. In this qualitative study of educational and employment exploration in vulnerable youth, 11 individuals participated in a series of research meetings over the course of several months as they engaged in a work or school transition. The participants’ progress toward self-defined educational or vocational goals during the study period was characterized as steady progress, planned exploration, accidental exploration, and frustrated aspiration. This article discusses findings for the participants whose experiences fit into each of these groups and presents policy recommendations for supporting vulnerable youth through educational and employment transitions.
A LSI/CAMAC System for Heavy Elements Research

We have developed a LSI-11/23 computer-driven CAMAC data acquisition system. The 64 silicondetector system is being used to investigate the alpha and spontaneous fission activities of short-lived transfermium isotopes by the real-time monitoring of the mother-daughter alpha decay sequence. A unique modular pulse processing electronics system was designed to simplify set up and calibration. The computer adjusts the gain of the CAMAC shaping amplifiers enabling the calibration and alignment of all 64 of the 1 k alpha spectra to within 0.5 channel in less than 10 minutes.
Quantum Yield for Production of CH3NC in the Photolysis of CH3NCS.

The ultraviolet spectrum of methyl isothiocyanate (CH3NCS) and the quantum yield for its dissociation into methyl isocyanide (CH3NC) and atomic sulfur at 308 nanometers, Φ = 0.98 ± 0.24, were measured. Methyl isothiocyanate is widely used as an agricultural fumigant and readily enters the atmosphere during and after application. The results indicate that photodissociation by sunlight is an effective pathway for its removal from the atmosphere.
Effect Of Impurities On The Vibrational Properties Of ZrF 4 -Based Glasses

Raman scattering and infrared absorption spectra in the multiphonon region have been studied for fluoro-zirconate glasses containing varying amounts of oxygen, transition metal (iron), and rare earth (cerium) impurities. It is shown that, for sufficiently small impurity concentrations, it is possible to separate intrinsic Raman scattering from extrinsic scattering and luminescence processes. It is found that it is generally more difficult to separate intrinsic and extrinsic processes in the multiphonon absorption region.
Antiracist Activism in Ecuador: Black-Indian Community Alliances

L'A. a pour ambition de traiter les differents mouvements antiracistes en Amerique du Sud, en nous eclairant sur les tenants et les aboutissants, et plus precisement en Equateur. Leader d'un mouvement populaire, Pablo de la Torre tente de legitimer l'existence des communautes noires indiennes, face aux exemples de denegations de reconnaissance ethnique
Na+ and K+ ion imbalances in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with impaired glutamate clearance and depressed Na + /K + ATPase levels in AD brain that might lead to a cellular ion imbalance. To test this hypothesis, [Na + ] and [K + ] were analyzed in postmortem brain samples of 12 normal and 16 AD individuals, and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from AD patients and matched controls. Statistically significant increases in [Na + ] in frontal (25%) and parietal cortex (20%) and in cerebellar [K + ] (15%) were observed in AD samples compared to controls. CSF from AD patients and matched controls exhibited no differences, suggesting that tissue ion imbalances reflected changes in the intracellular compartment. Differences in cation concentrations between normal and AD brain samples were modeled by a 2-fold increase in intracellular [Na + ] and an 8–15% increase in intracellular [K + ]. Since amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) is an important contributor to AD brain pathology, we assessed how Aβ affects ion homeostasis in primary murine astrocytes, the most abundant cells in brain tissue. We demonstrate that treatment of astrocytes with the Aβ 25–35 peptide increases intracellular levels of Na + (~ 2–3-fold) and K + (~ 1.5-fold), which were associated with reduced levels of Na + /K + ATPase and the Na + -dependent glutamate transporters, GLAST and GLT-1. Similar increases in astrocytic Na + and K + levels were also caused by Aβ 1–40, but not by Aβ 1–42 treatment. Our study suggests a previously unrecognized impairment in AD brain cell ion homeostasis that might be triggered by Aβ and could significantly affect electrophysiological activity of brain cells, contributing to the pathophysiology of AD.
Design factors for applying cryogen storage and delivery technology to solar thermal propulsion

Thermodynamic Vent System (TVS) and Multilayer Insulation (MLI) technology, originally developed for long term storage of cryogen propellants in microgravity, is ideally suited for propellant storage and delivery systems for solar thermal propulsion. With this technology the heat-induced pressure rise in the tank provides the propellant delivery pressure without the need for an auxiliary pressurant system, and propellant delivery is used to remove the excess heat to control tank pressure. The factors to consider in designing such a balanced system are presented. An example of a minimum system design is presented along with examples of laboratory-tested hardware.
A polymerase chain reaction-based test for Verticillium fungicola causing dry bubble disease on the cultivated mushroom, Agaricus bisporus

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test is described for the specific detection of Verticillium fungicola var. aleophilum (Vfa), the fungal pathogen causing dry bubble disease on the cultivated button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. PCR primers were tailored to target a 162-bp arbitrary sequence in the Vfa genome. In PCR amplifications using the primer pair, all of 20 isolates of Vfa that had been collected during a 29-year period at commercial mushroom operations located primarily in North America were found to generate the diagnostic 162-bp DNA product. Conversely, the primers failed to produce the specific amplicon with DNA from isolates representing 5 other species of Verticillium, the pathogenic subspecies V. fungicola var. fungicola from Europe, and 12 other fungal species commonly inhabiting mushroom compost. A protocol was designed enabling a confirmed diagnosis of dry bubble disease in less than 3 h. The PCR-based test should find application for the rapid diagnosis and detection of the fungal pathogen in disease management programs and, potentially, in screening for on-the-farm sources of infection.
Psychological masculinity and femininity: Relationship to striving and self-concept in the achievement and interpersonal domains.

The relative influences of gender and individual differences in psychological masculinity and femininity on the achievement and interpersonal strivings, abilities, and self-concepts of 176 male and female college students were investigated. The results indicate that psychological masculinity and femininity are better predictors of strivings and self-concepts in the achievement and interpersonal domains than gender. Only with respect to subjects' expected and ideal financial responsibilities, an area which is governed by strong societal sex role norms, does the influence of gender surpass that of psychological masculinity and femininity. The results are discussed in terms of the personality strengths and social competencies that derive from masculine and feminine personality traits.
Drug Use among New York City Prison Inmates: A Demographic Study with Temporal Trends

In a sample of over 2,500 medical charts from inmates arrested in 1986 in New York City, the rate of intravenous drug use peaked at 43% in male inmates aged 36 to 40. Younger inmates had progressively lower rates of intravenous drug use. Inmates detained for longer time periods and female inmates had particularly high rates of intravenous drug use. Rates of intravenous drug use were 30% among Hispanic, 26% among White, and 16% among Black inmates. Although overall rates of drug use among all male inmates in 1986 have remained unchanged since 1975, drug use was most prevalent in inmates aged 31 to 40 in 1986, the same criminal “cohort” which in 1975 had the highest rate of drug use. Implications for targeting of AIDS and drug-related counseling among inmates are discussed.
Factor XIIIA Va134Leu polymorphism does not predict risk of coronary heart disease: The atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) study

Factor XIII catalyzes the cross-linking of fibrin. Cross-sectional studies have suggested that a common polymorphism site at residue 34 of the A subunit of factor XIII (FXIIIA) with a substitution of Leu for Val (FXIIIA Val34Leu) was associated with reduced coronary heart disease (CHD). This association has not been examined in prospective studies. Healthy subjects (n=15 792) were recruited from 4 US communities into the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study from 1987 to 1989. They were followed, and incident CHD events were identified and verified. For the present study, we included 423 patients with CHD as cases and 479 noncases. FXIIIA Val34Leu polymorphism was determined by the single-strand conformational polymorphism method. There were no significant differences in the genotype frequencies between cases and noncases. The genotypes showed little association with known CHD risk factors. A weighted proportional hazards regression analysis adjusting for other risk factors confirmed no association of the genotypes with risk of CHD. This prospective study did not provide evidence of a reduced CHD risk for the FXIIIA 34Leu allele.
A CAM-based decoder of convolutionally-encoded data

Presented is a new VLSI architecture for decoding convolutionally encoded digital data for short (K 9) constraint-length (K) codes. Shift-invariant relationships between clusters of channel symbols derived from the particular code in use are used to generate error pattern sequence syndromes which address a bank consisting of content addressable memory (CAM) containing channel error scenarios. This approach combined with decision feedback techniques allows the correction of certain classes of channel symbol errors without hypothesizing the state of the encoder. >
Effects of L-carnitine, erythritol and betaine on pro-inflammatory markers in primary human corneal epithelial cells exposed to hyperosmotic stress.

AbstractPurpose: To explore the effects of osmoprotectants on pro-inflammatory mediator production in primary human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) exposed to hyperosmotic stress.Methods: HCECs cultured in iso-osmolar medium (312 mOsM) were switched to hyperosmotic media with or without prior incubation with 2–20 mM of l-carnitine, erythritol or betaine for different time periods. The mRNA expression and protein production of pro-inflammatory markers in HCECs were evaluated by RT-qPCR and ELISA.Results: Hyperosmolar media significantly stimulated the mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and chemokines, IL-8, CCL2 and CCL20 in HCECs in an osmolarity dependent manner. The stimulated expression of these pro-inflammatory mediators was significantly but differentially suppressed by l-carnitine, erythritol or betaine. l-Carnitine displayed the greatest inhibitory effects and down-regulated 54–77% of the stimulated mRNA levels of TNF-α (down from 12.3–5.7 fold), IL-1...
Personal Influence: A Radical Theory of Action

Katz and Lazarsfeld's Personal Influence presents a “theory of action” that privileges interpersonal influence. In contrast, classic theories of action from Hobbes, Kant, Freud, and Parsons ignored the impact of personal influence in their theories of human action. Once scholars recognized the importance of adding interpersonal influence to the action scheme, they saw that influences naturally radiated from the immediate inter personal environment to the larger social network. Both the interpersonal environment and further social network connections have been loosely termed “social capital.” Long before the term “social capital” entered the social science lexicon, Personal Influence explored the consequences of a network of advice-giving others. Ahead of its time, the book lacked some currently available technical and conceptual resources to fully meet its ambitious goal of locating the relative impact of personal influence on individual decision making. Nonetheless, current students of social capital and...
Analysis of dynamical corrections to baryon magnetic moments

We present and analyze QCD corrections to the baryon magnetic moments in terms of the one-, two-, and three-body operators which appear in the effective field theory developed in our recent papers. The main corrections are extended Thomas-type corrections associated with the confining interactions in the baryon. We investigate the contributions of low-lying angular excitations to the moments quantitatively and show that they are completely negligible. When the QCD corrections are combined with the non-quark model contributions of the meson loops, we obtain a model which describes the moments within a mean deviation of 0.04 $\mu_N$. The nontrivial interplay of the two types of corrections to the quark-model moments is analyzed in detail, and explains why the quark model is so successful. In the course of these calculations, we parametrize the general spin structure of the $j={1/2}^+$ baryon wave functions in a form which clearly displays the symmetry properties and the internal angular momentum content of the wave functions, and allows us to use spin-trace methods to calculate the many spin matrix elements which appear in the expressions for the moments. This representation may be useful elsewhere.
Wire retiming for system-on-chip by fixpoint computation

In the current and future System-On-Chips, a non-negligible part of operation time is spent on multiple-clock period wires. Retiming -- that is moving flip-flops in a circuit without changing its functionality -- can be explored to pipeline long interconnect wires in SOC designs. The problem of retiming over a netlist of macro-blocks, where the internal structures may not be changed and flip-flops may not be inserted on some wire segments is called the wire retiming problem. In this paper, we formulate the constraints of the wire retiming problem as a fixpoint computation and use an iterative algorithm to solve it. Experimental results show that this approach is multiple orders more efficient than the previous one.
Detecting driver phone use leveraging car speakers

This work addresses the fundamental problem of distinguishing between a driver and passenger using a mobile phone, which is the critical input to enable numerous safety and interface enhancements. Our detection system leverages the existing car stereo infrastructure, in particular the speakers and Bluetooth network. Our acoustic approach has the phone send a series of customized high frequency beeps via the car stereo. The beeps are spaced in time across the left, right, and if available, front and rear speakers. After sampling the beeps, we use a sequential change-point detection scheme to time their arrival, and then use a differential approach to estimate the phone's distance from the car's center. From these differences a passenger or driver classification can be made. To validate our approach, we experimented with two kinds of phones and in two different cars. We found that our customized beeps were imperceptible to most users, yet still playable and recordable in both cars. Our customized beeps were also robust to background sounds such as music and wind, and we found the signal processing did not require excessive computational resources. In spite of the cars' heavy multi-path environment, our approach had a classification accuracy of over 90%, and around 95% with some calibrations. We also found we have a low false positive rate, on the order of a few percent.
Effect of a Co-occurring Aphid on the Susceptibility of the Russian Wheat Aphid to Lacewing Predators

Previous field experiments indicated that the presence of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), on perennial grasses can decrease the effectiveness of predatory lacewings, Chrysoperla plorabunda (Fitch), in reducing populations of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko). We tested the hypothesis that R. padi deflects predation away from D. noxia because it feeds in sites that are more accessible to predators. We quantified the behavior of lacewing larvae on crested wheatgrass plants bearing either D. noxia alone or an equal mixture of D. noxia and R. padi. On non-flowering plants, R. padi typically occurred on leaf sheaths or open blades, and was encountered and captured more often than D. noxia, which usually fed within immature, rolled leaves. Overall time-budgets of lacewings did not differ between the pure-D. noxia and mixed-species treatments, but >75% of the time spent consuming aphids in the mixed-species treatment was devoted to R. padi. On flowering plants, D. noxia usually aggregated on the flag leaf below the inflorescence, whereas R. padi occurred mostly on leaf sheaths. Predators again captured R. padi more often than D. noxia, and spent more time consuming aphids in the mixed-species treatment than in the pure-D. noxia treatment. These behavioral observations support the hypothesis that non-target prey can hamper the short-term effectiveness of biological-control agents against D. noxia.
Modeling Ideology and Predicting Policy Change with Social Media: Case of Same-Sex Marriage

Social media has emerged as a prominent platform where people can express their feelings about social and political issues of our time. We study the many voices discussing an issue within a constituency and how they reflect ideology and may signal the outcome of important policy decisions. Focusing on the issue of same-sex marriage legalization, we examine almost 2 million public Twitter posts related to same-sex marriage in the U.S. states over the course of 4 years starting from 2011. Among other findings, we find evidence of moral culture wars between ideologies and show that constituencies that express higher levels of emotion and have fewer actively engaged participants often precede legalization efforts that fail. From our measures, we build statistical models to predict the outcome of potential policy changes, with our best model achieving 87% accuracy. We also achieve accuracies of 70%, comparable to public opinion surveys, many months before a policy decision. We discuss how these analyses can augment traditional political science techniques as well as assist activists and policy analysts in understanding discussions on important issues at a population scale.
Using computer simulation to reengineer traditional stove-piped army staffs for information operations in the 21st century

Recently, the US Army has been confronted by a wider range of military and peace-keeping operations. The future success of the Army on tomorrow's battlefields depends, in part, on how effectively our forces are able to fight and win the information war. We present a computer simulation approach being developed for the Army Digitization Office (ADO) for reengineering the current stove-piped organization of tactical Army staffs into staffs organized for information operations in the 21st century.
Comparing the Berlin and the ARES questionnaire to identify patients with obstructive sleep apnea in a dental setting.

The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of two questionnaires to identify patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Fifty-three moderate to severe OSA patients [with a respiratory disturbance index (RDI) ≥ 15] and 31 controls (RDI < 15) based on ambulatory somnographic assessment were recruited through flyers and mail at USC School of Dentistry. Each patient answered the Berlin and apnea risk evaluation system (ARES) questionnaires. The responses to the questionnaires were scored and compared for significant group differences. Moderate and severe OSA patients were predominantly male, older, had a larger neck size, and larger body mass index than controls. There were no significant differences in race or ethnicity between the two groups. In this study, subjects having a “high risk” ARES questionnaire were 7.9 times as likely to have OSA as subjects with “low or no risk” score (p = 0.0002). The ARES questionnaire had a sensitivity of 90.6%, specificity of 43.2%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 73.8%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 73.7% compared to 67.9%, 54.8%, 72%, and 50%, respectively, for the Berlin questionnaire using a cut point of RDI ≥ 15. In this specific patient group, not uncommon to the regular dental private practice, the ARES questionnaire performed better than the Berlin questionnaire with higher sensitivity, similar PPV, higher NPV, but lower specificity. The lower specificity could be explained in part because the ARES has been tailored to screen patients with an RDI ≥ 5, and our study included mostly mild to severe patients. In conclusion, in this specific group of subjects, the ARES questionnaire is a better choice than the Berlin questionaire; however, the Berlin questionnaire is publicly available and the ARES screener is proprietary.
Redbird Focus: Cranial Evidence In Tribal Identification

The Redbird Focus was defined in 1956, and was initially (Wood 1956) related to both Lower Loup and historic Pawnee Focus materials. Wood (1965) later took the position that Redbird was a more prob...
The Mutual Reinforcement of Media Selectivity and Effects: Testing the Reinforcing Spirals Framework in the Context of Global Warming

This study tests a model of reinforcing spirals in the context of global warming, using a 2-wave, within-subjects panel survey with a representative sample of Americans. Results show that, within waves, conservative media use is negatively related to global warming belief certainty and support for mitigation policies, while nonconservative media use is positively associated with belief certainty and policy support. In addition, the results show that consuming conservative or nonconservative media at Wave 1 makes people more likely to consume those same media at Wave 2, partly as an indirect result of the media's effects on global warming belief certainty and policy preferences. Wave 2 media use, in turn, further strengthens audiences' global warming belief certainty and policy preferences.
Performance study of multi-agent scheduling and coordination framework for maintenance networks

Real world maintenance networks often involve multi-organizational scheduling. The traditional centralized methods are not appropriate for solving the maintenance-scheduling problem because of the existence of private information and decision-making authorities at different organizations. Multi-agent scheduling and coordination is able to protect the private information and retain the decision-making authorities at different organizations. However, it presents its own challenges, such as obtaining a high-quality solution in a timely manner, providing the organizations with guidance on operating economically, being able to solve large-scale problems, and so on. In this paper, a price-based multi-agent scheduling and coordination framework is explored and a systematic study is carried out to evaluate the effects of factors on its performance. The empirical results not only show that the framework is able to quickly find high quality solutions for large-scale problems, but also reflect interesting relationships between selected factors such as resource utilization and performance measures such as mean asset turn-around-time.
Getting Students Talking: Supporting Classroom Discussion Practices in Inquiry-Based Science in Real-Time Teaching

Why is it so hard to get students talking in science class? Who is responsible? Are the students unwilling to speak in class? What kinds of supports are helpful for in-the-moment teaching during classroom discussions in science? We present one high school teacher’s facilitation of science discussions while supported by a dialogic discussion structure that was collaboratively developed through professional-development workshops. Our findings provide a real-time teaching tool for teachers working toward integrating inquiry-based science discussions in their classrooms.
The mammalian endoplasmic reticulum stress response element consists of an evolutionarily conserved tripartite structure and interacts with a novel stress-inducible complex

When mammalian cells are subjected to calcium depletion stress or protein glycosylation block, the transcription of a family of glucose-regulated protein (GRP) genes encoding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones is induced to high levels. The consensus mammalian ER stress response element (ERSE) conserved among grp promoters consists of a tripartite structure CCAAT(N9)CCACG, with N being a strikingly GC-rich region of 9 bp. The ERSE, in duplicate copies, can confer full stress inducibility to a heterologous promoter in a sequence-specific but orientation-independent manner. In addition to CBF/NF-Y and YY1 binding to the CCAAT and CCACG motifs, respectively, we further discovered that an ER stress-inducible complex (ERSF) from HeLa nuclear extract binds specifically to the ERSE. Strikingly, the interaction of the ERSF with the ERSE requires a conserved GGC motif within the 9 bp region. Since mutation of the GGC triplet sequence also results in loss of stress inducibility, specific sequence within the 9 bp region is an integral part of the tripartite structure. Finally, correlation of factor binding with stress inducibility reveals that ERSF binding to the ERSE alone is not sufficient; full stress inducibility requires integrity of the CCAAT, GGC and CCACG sequence motifs, as well as precise spacing among these sites.
In the Critic vs. Caretaker Dichotomy A Magic Dwells: Parroting McCutcheon, Policing “Religion” (A Rejoinder to Merinda Simmons)1

AbstractThis essay rejoins Merinda Simmons’s protection of Russell McCutcheon’s critic vs. caretaker dichotomy in her response to my “Can a Critic be a Caretaker Too? Religion, Conflict and Conflict Transformation” (JAAR 2011). While Simmons aims to preserve McCutcheon’s binary as a purportedly benignly unavoidable opposition, I expose the perils of epistemic anti-realism at the heart of that dichotomy, as well as the fetishizing of discourse analysis and ignorance of real world cases which hold this would-be field defining dogma in place.
A COMMENT ON PHYLOGENETIC CORRECTION

Statistical methods are now commonly used to take into account the expected lack of independence of observations across different species (due to their phylogenetic relatedness) when computing correlations or regressions among traits. The methods are often interpreted as removing that part of the regression or correlation that is an artifact due to phylogeny and there is an expectation that the corrected regression or correlation coefficients will usually be closer to zero. It is shown here that this is not an accurate way to interpret these methods. The effect of taking phylogeny into account is to reduce the variance of the estimated regression or correlation coefficients. Their means are not because since estimates of regression coefficients are unbiased whether or not the correct phylogeny is taken into account. Estimates of correlations are only slightly biased (and in the opposite direction that many expect).
Chapter 4 – REACTION-KINETIC SYSTEMS

This chapter presents the simulation of reaction-kinetic systems using examples that illustrate the modeling of various reaction systems— chlorination of benzene, autocatalytic reactions, and temperature effects in stirred tank reactors. The chlorination of benzene produces monochlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, and trichlorobenzene through the successive reaction. Some assumptions can be made about the reaction: there are no dynamics are involved and the system operates under isothermal and isobaric. Autocatalysis describe the experimentally observable phenomenon of a homogeneous chemical reaction which shows a marked increase in rate with time, reaches its peak at about 50 percent conversion, and then drops off. The temperature has to remain constant and all ingredients must be mixed at the start for proper observation. a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is used for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The reaction is first-order and homogeneously catalyzed. The exothermic heat of reaction is continuously removed through a cooling water jacket which surrounds the reactor.
Simulation validation using metamorphic testing (WIP)

Model validation is an inherently difficult task, as we often lack an oracle that defines correct behavior. Without an oracle it is difficult to apply results validation to determine if the model matches the system being studied. Although there are other techniques that do not require an oracle, they are not considered to be as powerful as results validation. In this paper we describe a new validation technique called "metamorphic testing" that creates pseudo-oracles to combat this problem. This technique is based on the software verification technique of the same name, which we extend to apply to validating simulation models.
An Analysis of the Parameters Affecting Texture in a B-Mode Ultrasonogram

The complex echo-intensity patterns observed in gray-scale B-mode ultrasonograms are known as texture. Texture is functionally related to the type and state of tissue interrogated, to the statistics of the scattering process, to the characteristics of the interrogating ultrasound pulse, to the scanning technique utilized, and to the type of display instrumentation. We have recently begun a program to examine the nature of texture, as it applies to medical ultrasonics, and are in the process of investigating the various tissue, acoustical, and instrumentation parameters which affect and determine texture. This paper presents the results of our investigation to date. As a part of our study we have simulated on a computer (Perkin-Elmer 8/32) the chain of electronic processing from individual A-line ultrasound waveforms to the B-mode display. By changing in software the various processing parameters we have investigated their effect on texture. Several statistical measures of texture have been developed for a quantitative comparison and analysis of our results. The implications of this study to the design of B-mode ultrasound devices are noted and reviewed.
What’s Wrong with Dodd-Frank 1502? Conflict Minerals, Civilian Livelihoods, and TheUnintended Consequences of Western Advocacy

Although its provisions have yet to be implemented, section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is already having a profound effect on the Congolese mining sector. Nicknamed “Obama’s Law” by the Congolese, section 1502 has created a de facto ban on Congolese mineral exports, put anywhere from tens of thousands up to 2 million Congolese miners out of work in the eastern Congo, and, despite ending most of the trade in Congolese conflict minerals, done little to improve the security situation or the daily lives of most Congolese. In this report, Laura Seay traces the development of section 1502 with respect to the pursuit of a conflict minerals-based strategy by U.S. advocates, examines the effects of the legislation, and recommends new courses of action to move forward in a way that both promotes accountability and transparency and allows Congolese artisanal miners to earn a living.
SPMRL'13 Shared Task System: The CADIM Arabic Dependency Parser

We describe the submission from the Columbia Arabic & Dialect Modeling group (CADIM) for the Shared Task at the Fourth Workshop on Statistical Parsing of Morphologically Rich Languages (SPMRL’2013). We participate in the Arabic Dependency parsing task for predicted POS tags and features. Our system is based on Marton et al. (2013).
Inferring Software Component Interaction Dependencies for Adaptation Support

A self-managing software system should be able to monitor and analyze its runtime behavior and make adaptation decisions accordingly to meet certain desirable objectives. Traditional software adaptation techniques and recent “modelscruntime” approaches usually require an a priori model for a system’s dynamic behavior. Oftentimes the model is difficult to define and labor-intensive to maintain, and tends to get out of date due to adaptation and architecture decay. We propose an alternative approach that does not require defining the system’s behavior model beforehand, but instead involves mining software component interactions from system execution traces to build a probabilistic usage model, which is in turn used to analyze, plan, and execute adaptations. In this article, we demonstrate how such an approach can be realized and effectively used to address a variety of adaptation concerns. In particular, we describe the details of one application of this approach for safely applying dynamic changes to a running software system without creating inconsistencies. We also provide an overview of two other applications of the approach, identifying potentially malicious (abnormal) behavior for self-protection, and improving deployment of software components in a distributed setting for performance self-optimization. Finally, we report on our experiments with engineering self-management features in an emergency deployment system using the proposed mining approach.
The face is the thing: Faces, not emotions, are responsible for chimeric perceptual asymmetry.

ABSTRACTWe used factor analysis to examine relationships among tasks that have previously shown right hemispheric processing asymmetries. We were interested in whether processing emotion displayed by a face constitutes a distinct perceptual process from processing other facial characteristics. Interest in this topic arose after Boles [1991. Factor analysis and the cerebral hemispheres: Pilot study and parietal functions. Neuropsychologia, 29(1), 59–91] found evidence of a common process underlying face processing and then Boles [1992. Factor analysis and the cerebral hemispheres: Temporal, occipital and frontal functions. Neuropsychologia, 30(11), 963–988] found evidence of a distinct process for the processing of the facial emotion. We used seven tasks that measured both face and non-face perception. Analysis of the asymmetries revealed measures from the five face tasks resulted in a single factor, thus failing to support the hypothesis that emotional face perception would involve a separate process from...
The Influence of Perennial Weeds on the Abundance of the Redbacked Cutworm on Asparagus

In weedy rows of asparagus with perennial weeds, the density of redbacked cutworm, Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenee), was 45/100 ft of row and only 0.18/100 ft of row in weedless rows. In addition, field age plays an important role in the ecology of the redbacked cutworm. Younger fields which contain many weeds have more cutworms than do older fields with few or no weeds.
Increasing Trust in Online Shopping Environments Increases Purchasing Behavior

Trust has been shown to be a critical factor in promoting online purchasing behavior. This study tested the ability of three website modifications to increase levels of trust and intent to purchase. Previous theory dictates that trust is akin to certainties in the presence of uncertainty. Three easily implementable website features were chosen to reduce uncertainty, thus creating trust and in turn increase economic activity. Options on shopping websites of (1) overnight delivery, (2) in-store pick-up, and (3) a live video stream of a business's facilities were tested for effects on trust and usefulness via survey. The results suggest there are significant increases in at least some measures of trust and other correlates of purchasing behavior for all three suggested website enhancements.
Do Peer Reviews Predict Impact? Evidence from the American Sociological Review, 1978 to 1982

The authors investigate how well peer reviews of articles published in the journal American Sociological Review between 1978 and 1982 predict the articles’ citation impact in the following 32 years...
Families: A Link or a Liability?

Hospitalization in a critical care setting has multiple effects on patients and their families. For patients, it can be a frightening and dehumanizing experience, while families are confronted with stressors that can disrupt normal family functioning. The nurse is the pivotal figure in the health care system who can positively affect family coping through the support offered. With family needs met, they are then strengthened and able to support their family member. This article examines the roles and relationships of families, social support systems, and nurses. Through the framework of social support, nurses provide emotional, instrumental, spiritual, and appraisal assistances to families. This can potentially positively affect the family's adaptation to a stressful situation, and thus the family's ability to provide support to the patient. A case study analysis is described to illustrate the interactions and interventions through a model of family support.
Accommodating Capacity and Mode of Distributed Generation Under Harmonic Constraint in Active Distribution Networks

This paper firstly analyzes the harmonic emission characteristics of a single distributed generation(DG)device and calculates the maximum capacity of DG under harmonic emission constraint.Based on the vector summation theory,the maximum capacity of multiple DGs accessed to a common point is also calculated.Finally,a case study is carried out to analyze the harmonic characterization in the active distribution network with multiple points of common coupling.A case study is designed for three classic power accommodating modes:point accommodating, feeder accommodating and area accommodating.Three-dimensional parameters including penetration,distribution and dispersion are defined to describe the status of DGs accessed to the active distribution network.According to the study,a conclusion can be drawn that the harmonics in the active distribution network is closely related to the three-dimensional parameters.Full consideration should be given to prevent and solve the harmonic problem during the planning and operation stage of the active distribution network.
On-site and online facilitators: Current and future direction for research

Although K-12 online enrollments continue to grow, student attrition rates remain high. Some have suggested that K-12 students lack the metacognitive and self-regulation ability to succeed in highly autonomous online learning environments. In response, many programs have begun to implement facilitator models to provide students with the support that they need. This chapter reviews the existing literature on two of those facilitator models: on-site and online facilitators. The existing research has identified and described some facilitator roles: fostering relationships, monitoring, and instructing. Although research examining the actual impact of facilitators on learning outcomes is limited, the emerging research indicates a positive effect--especially when facilitators receive professional development. The chapter concludes with implications for future research and policy.
Response: Native Elites and Nationalism: Reflections on I/indigenous Epistemologies and Decolonization

Through a recuperative exposition of one of the central figures of nineteenth-cen tury Borinquen, Ramon Betances, Ariana Gonzalez establishes a world that enables alternative horizons for responding to questions of resistance, nationalism, privileged sites of education, and cosmopolitanism. In doing so, her essay provides for the best kind of decolonial project as scholarly investigation, prompting philosophical redirection for different modes of being and doing for oneself, a kind of intellectual reclamation that also serves as a teaching and invitation to others. Gonzalez’s discussion also poses difficult questions on “elite education” and the site of decolonial thinking: the who, how, and what that is left out of training in philosophy of education and what it is to unfold decolonial projects within such elite spaces. In the spirit of learning through vulnerability, my comments reveal something of the ebb and flow of difference in and at times estrangement not only from philosophy as a discipline but, more tellingly, the very subfields from which I think my call for philosophical inclusion emanates — Indigenous Studies and the histories of the schooling experience of Indigenous peoples in the United States. Like Gonzalez’s location in Caribbean Studies broadly understood, we would both appear to share a commitment to the scholarly development of these fields, but we do so with a clear-sighted recognition of the many privileges associated with such a project. This is especially so given our investment in thinking philosophically — that is, with a disciplinary background in philosophy — in such sites about those like Betances, whose experiences and understandings seem to resonate so deeply with our own. By responding to Gonzalez from the space of Indigenous education and research, I hope my comments can be useful for further outlining the tensions and opportunities in the moment-to-moment work of decolonial thinking. Tracing EpisTEmic complExiTy in EnacTing DEcolonial Horizons Let me attempt to draw out Gonzalez’s theme of epistemic suppression and epistemic reconstitution as it has been woven through the essay. U.S. colonial
A Rapid Method for Predicting the Potential Shelf Life of Fresh Broiler Chicken Carcasses.

An experiment was conducted to determine if rapid enumeration of populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens by standard methods and by measuring capacitance could be used to predict the potential shelf life of fresh broiler chicken. Fifty whole ready-to-cook broiler chicken carcasses were obtained fresh from the chiller and separated into five groups (10 carcasses each) in three replicate trials. The first 10 carcasses were sampled by rinsing on day 0. Ten carcasses each were sampled by rinsing after holding for 3, 6, 9, or 12 days at 3°C. For each carcass, psychrotrophic plate counts (PPC), P. fluorescens plate counts (PFPC), P. fluorescens detection times (PFDT), and subjective odor evaluations (ODOR) were determined. PPC, PFPC, and ODOR on groups of carcasses significantly increased after 3 days of storage at 3°C and every day thereafter throughout the storage period. The log Pseudomonas fluorescens detection times (LPDT) significantly decreased throughout storage from 0 to 12 days, indicating a significant increase in bacterial populations. Significant linear and quadratic correlations, respectively. were observed between PPC and day of storage (DAY) (R 2 = .86 and .84). PFPC and DAY (R 2 = .85 and .89), LPDT and DAY (R 2 = .86 and .85). ODOR and DAY (R 2 = .73 and .86). PPC and ODOR (R 2 = .80 and .72), PFPC and ODOR (R 2 = .87 and .81), LPDT and ODOR (R 2 = .85 and .77), and LPDT and PPC (R 2 = .96 and .97). A significant linear correlation was observed between LPDT and PFPC (R 2 = .93). Enumeration of P. fluorescens from fresh chicken at day of processing should be beneficial because (i) the potential shelf life of fresh chicken can be determined at day of processing: (ii) processing sanitation hygiene may be determined: and (iii) carcasses exposed to temperature abuse may be identified.
Chapter 8 – Bugs in procedural skills: the ‘buggy repair step’ story

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study that was spawned in the context of the SOPHIE project. The choice of domain is motivated by its simplicity compared to electronics, but this study investigates diagnosis rather than coaching strategies. The chapter focuses on the notion of bug. This term, borrowed from computer programming jargon, has become a buzzword among people interested in student models; it refers to errors internalized by the student that are explicitly represented in the student model. Bugs are usually procedural or localized errors rather than deep, pervasive misconceptions. The study of the bugs commonly encountered by a student population in a domain is often called a theory of bugs. This chapter discusses the evolution of a long project that started with BUGGY, a purely descriptive theory of bugs whereby the model enumerates observable bugs. It also presents DEBUGGY, which extends this model into a diagnostic system, and discusses REPAIR and STEP theories, which attempt to provide generative bug stories to explain the genesis of observed bugs in terms of underlying cognitive models.
Instant-Messaging-Dienste

Instant-Messaging-Dienste sind in China immer popular. Uber 90 % der Internetnutzer in China nutzen die IM-Dienste. Dieses Kapitel zeigt zuerst, welche hauptsachliche IM-Dienste es in China gibt und welche die meisten Nutzer haben sowie wie die Nutzer von diesen abhangen. Anschliesend werden die beiden IM-Dienste des Internetkonzerns Tencent QQ Messenger und WeChat vorgestellt. Dabei werden die grundlegenden Funktionen und deren Einsatz fur Unternehmensmarketing erlautert.
Multi-drug loaded micelles delivering chemotherapy and targeted therapies directed against HSP90 and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in prostate cancer.

Background Advanced prostate cancers that are resistant to all current therapies create a need for new therapeutic strategies. One recent innovative approach to cancer therapy is the simultaneous use of multiple FDA-approved drugs to target multiple pathways. A challenge for this approach is caused by the different solubility requirements of each individual drug, resulting in the need for a drug vehicle that is non-toxic and capable of carrying multiple water-insoluble antitumor drugs. Micelles have recently been shown to be new candidate drug solubilizers for anti cancer therapy. Methods This study set out to examine the potential use of multi-drug loaded micelles for prostate cancer treatment in preclinical models including cell line and mouse models for prostate cancers with Pten deletions. Specifically antimitotic agent docetaxel, mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, and HSP90 inhibitor 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin were incorporated into the micelle system (DR17) and tested for antitumor efficacy. Results In vitro growth inhibition of prostate cancer cells was greater when all three drugs were used in combination compared to each individual drug, and packaging the drugs into micelles enhanced the cytotoxic effects. At the molecular level DR17 targeted simultaneously several molecular signaling axes important in prostate cancer including androgen receptor, mTOR, and PI3K/AKT. In a mouse genetic model of prostate cancer, DR17 treatment decreased prostate weight, which was achieved by both increasing caspase-dependent cell death and decreasing cell proliferation. Similar effects were also observed when DR17 was administered to nude mice bearing prostate cancer cells xenografts. Conclusion These results suggest that combining these three cancer drugs in multi-drug loaded micelles may be a promising strategy for prostate cancer therapy.
Instigative Modification with a Multiproblem Family

In a first report of research on the use and appraisal of sociobehavioral methods in social welfare, procedures and results in relation to one family are presented