cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Of Elephants, Mice, and Privacy: International Choice of Law and the Internet

This article addresses two subjects concerning international choice of law and the Internet. It examines the choice of law regime created by the E.U. Data Protection Directive, which enters into effect in October, 1998. The Directive shows the uses and limitations of harmonization as an alternative to choice of law, and also shows that many choice of law problems for the Internet will be resolved through transgovernmental networks of regulators rather than court adjudication. Concerning legal regulation of the Internet generally, the article introduces the metaphor of "elephants" and "mice." Elephants are large and powerful companies that are typically subject to jurisdiction in multiple countries. Mice are small and mobile actors, such as pornography sites and copyright violators, that breed annoyingly quickly. Legal regulation on the Internet can work against elephants, and choice of law problems will often arise. But because mice are so hard to catch, legal regulation will instead focus on proxies, such as users, Internet Service Providers, financial intermediaries, or offshore countries that house the mice. Mice will hide and deny jurisdiction, so choice of law will be less important for them.
The Exchange Rate Disconnect Puzzle Revisited

A long-standing puzzle in the international macroeconomic literature has been the weak link between the theoretical foundations of the monetary approach to exchange rate determination and its empirical validity. This paper aims at filling this gap. We use a different econometric methodology; the Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach to cointegration, to show that exchange rates and fundamentals move together in the long-run, thus providing support to the monetary model. We also show that fundamentals Granger cause exchange rates, both in the short-run and the long-run. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cultivating Change Using Appreciative Inquiry.

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the utility and scope of appreciative inquiry (AI) and outline the benefits of this strengths-based approach to engage in meaningful self-assessment.
Restorative Justice and Bullying: A Missing Solution in the Anti-Bullying Laws

This article proposes anti-bullying statutes to include restorative practices. Part II of this Article reviews the status of anti-bullying statutes and their lack of restorative justice language. Part III defines restorative justice and describes the key values and components of the restorative justice practices. Part IV makes the case for why restorative justice practices are particularly suited to address the harm created by school bullying. Although preventative educational programs are also needed, this Article only addresses effective intervention programs after a bullying incident occurs. Finally, Part V briefly discusses likely objections to using the restorative justice approach and possible responses to these objections.
When Sharing Is a Bad Idea: The Effects of Online Social Network Engagement and Sharing Passwords with Friends on Cyberbullying Involvement

Every day, children and adolescents communicate online via social networking sites (SNSs). They also report sharing passwords with peers and friends, a potentially risky behavior in regard to cyber safety. This longitudinal study tested the hypotheses that social network engagement in multiple settings would predict more cyberbullying involvement over time, and that youth who reported sharing passwords would also experience an increase in cyberbullying involvement. Data were collected at two time points one year apart from 1,272 third through eighth grade students. In line with the first study hypothesis, participating in more online SNSs was associated with increased cyberbullying involvement over time, as well as sharing passwords over time. Cyberbullying involvement at T1 predicted decreases in sharing passwords over time, suggesting that youth become aware of the dangers of sharing passwords as a result of their experience. Sharing passwords at T1 was unrelated to cyberbullying involvement at T2. Although it seems that youth may be learning from their previous mistakes, due to the widespread use of social media and normality of sharing passwords among young people, it is important to continue to educate youth about cyber safety and risky online behavior.
Felbamate in term infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Felbamate, a non-selective anticonvulsant thought to act via blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, has been shown in animal studies not only to block seizures, but also to be neuroprotective. Excessive discharge of the excitatory pathways, involving primarily the glutamate receptor system, is important in the cascade of neuronal injury in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Because of renewed interest in adjunctive therapy in addition to hypothermia to minimize hypoxic ischemic injury in neonates, we report the absorption and time to peak level of felbamate preliminary to testing its neuroprotective effects in this population. A single dose of either 45 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg of felbamate was given via nasogastric tube to four infants with severe HIE. We measured serum felbamate levels at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after administration of the drug. Oral absorption of felbamate is slow. Peak levels of 40-64 µg/mL were achieved at 12 to 24 hours in the two infants who received 200 mg/kg dose. In conclusion, oral felbamate is unsuitable for infants with HIE as oral doses are unlikely to reach adequate neuroprotective levels in a timely fashion.
Social Citizenship and Workfare in the United States and Western Europe: Social Europe: Alternatives? Solutions? Conclusions?

Despite the argument that the Western European welfare states are largely intact, there has been a major shift. Social citizenship has been redefined from status to contract. In place of the Marshallian concept that social rights are based on legal citizenship alone, entitlements have been replaced by rights and obligations. True, for the large majority of the population not much has changed. They earn their living in the paid labor market; they pay taxes; they contribute to the basic insurance systems – health care, unemployment, pensions, and disability. When they get sick or retire, the social welfare state is available. The change has occurred for the more marginal people – the long-term unemployed, the socially excluded. To obtain welfare benefits, they are required to engage in workfare. At the conclusion of the last chapter, I raised the issue as to how successful these policies are so far, based on the available evidence. In this chapter, I turn to various policies and proposals designed to reform both the labor market and the welfare state. Social exclusion is both dynamic and multi-dimensional. Certain structural conditions have to be met. The socially excluded cannot be re-integrated into society via the paid labor market unless there are jobs, primarily in the private sector but also public jobs if necessary. These jobs have to be good jobs, not the US low-wage jobs.
Adaptive numerical cumulative distribution functions for efficient importance sampling

As image-based surface reflectance and illumination gain wider use in physically-based rendering systems, it is becoming more critical to provide representations that allow sampling light paths according to the distribution of energy in these high-dimensional measured functions. In this paper, we apply algorithms traditionally used for curve approximation to reduce the size of a multidimensional tabulated Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) by one to three orders of magnitude without compromising its fidelity. These adaptive representations enable new algorithms for sampling environment maps according to the local orientation of the surface and for multiple importance sampling of image-based lighting and measured BRDFs.
Best Odds for Finding a Perfect Matching in a Bipartite Graph

We will study the best way to reveal a hidden perfect matching in a balanced bipartite graph by eliminating edges, one by one, in the hope that the eliminated edge is not part of the mystery perfect matching. We will look for the strategy that maximizes the odds of finding the perfect matching without revealing a fixed number of the edges in that perfect matching. For a complete bipartite graph, this is equivalent to finding a mystery permutation via negative guesses with only a fixed number of incorrect negative guesses.
Life-Table Analysis Incorporating Both Sexes and Variable Development Rates Among Individuals

Raw data analysis of an age-stage, two-sex life table, incorporating variable development rates among individuals, is described, using data obtained from rearing the potato tuberworm, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). The intrinsic rate of increase is calculated with respect to both sexes. The stable age-stage distribution, stable age distribution, and the stable stage distribution are also calculated. Different results are obtained when the same data are analyzed using the traditional age-specific life table (Leslie matrix or Birch's method). These differences occur because the traditional age-specific life table deals only with female populations and does not take variable development rates among individuals into account. The relationship between the net reproduction rate and mean female fecundity in the age-stage, two-sex life table is described by a simple formula.
Control of Phytophthora root rot of chile peppers by irrigation practices and fungicides

Abstract Field experiments were conducted to test the effects of alternate-row irrigation, every-row irrigation, and chemical treatments with alternate-row irrigation on yield of chile (chilli) peppers ( Capsicum annuum ) and disease incidence of chile pepper root rot caused by Phytophthora capsici . Field trials were conducted in 1989 and 1990 near Las Cruces, New Mexico. In 1989, chemical treatments were Telone C-17, metalaxyl, copper sulphate and metam-sodium; in 1990, chemical treatments were copper sulphate and metam-sodium. Disease incidence in plots receiving alternate-row irrigation without fungicides was significantly less than irrigation of every row without fungicides in 1989 and 1990. Disease incidence was also significantly less in the metam-sodium and metalaxyl plots than the every-row irrigated plots in 1989, but not significantly less than control plots irrigated with alternate rows without chemicals. Yield of red chile was significantly higher in plots treated wth metam-sodium and given alternate-row irrigation than all other treatments in 1989. Yield of green chile pepper from plots given alternate-row irrigation was significantly higher than plots given every-row irrigation in 1990. Metam-sodium with alternate-row irrigation was as good as, or better than, alternate-row irrigation alone in reducing disease incidence of P. capsici and in increasing yield.
Treatment of Adolescents with Aggressive B-Cell Malignancies: The Pediatric Experience

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is amongst the most frequent cancer subtypes in children and in adults. However, there are major differences in the distribution of NHL subtypes between the pediatric and adult patient populations. At least for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) recent data indicate that patient age at diagnosis correlates with molecular features of the lymphoma. Concerning treatment, in common pediatric protocols the same therapy is used for DLBCL and Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia (BL/B-AL). In adult patients, there is an established gold standard treatment for DLBCL, while the optimal treatment of BL/B-AL is under evaluation. Importantly, the correct diagnosis of the NHL subtype plays a crucial role in the treatment decision in adults with aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Adolescent and young adult patients are caught between the two age groups of children on the one hand and adults on the other. Whether the lymphoma biology and subtypes found in this age group resemble rather their pediatric or their adult counterparts is not yet answered. Also, systematic data on the optimal treatment for adolescents with lymphoma are lacking. Therefore, this article reviews current data on patient characteristics, biology, treatment and outcome, mainly in pediatric patients. These data are compared to those published for adult patients with B-cell NHL aiming to look for hints on optimal classification and treatment in adolescents and young adults with B-NHL.
Postmortem sperm procurement: a legal perspective.

AbstractPurpose: Postmortem sperm procurement with subsequent artificial insemination has become a technically feasible method for posthumous conception. A variety of legal questions exist involving the rights and relationships of the deceased, his family and his issue. We addressed these questions and designed a workable protocol for postmortem sperm procurement.Materials and Methods: MEDLINE, WESTLAW and LEXIS medical literature, and case law searches were conducted. United States and international case law, United States (federal and state) statutes, Uniform Law Commissions Acts, and law review commentaries and articles were reviewed.Results: While postmortem sperm procurement is being requested throughout the United States, no standard protocol or procedural guidelines have been established by federal or state statute. Furthermore, the courts have not yet addressed this specific scenario in reported case law. Statutes and case law do address related factual scenarios and issues, including property rig...
Factors affecting asparagus sensory evaluation

Green and white asparagus were subjected to descriptive analysis, and resultant descriptors tested for effectiveness in describing and distinguishing between the two asparagus types. The effect (s) of 5 harvest times and 14 days of refrigerated storage on descriptor perception was investigated. Eleven descriptors, that described aroma (sweet potato, grassy and sulfury), flavor (sweet pea, sweet corn, bitter, and spinach) and aftertaste (buttery, brothy, meaty and grassy) of the two asparagus types, were used for the freshly harvested samples. One additional term, toughness, was added for stored product evaluation. Based on principal component analysis, it was found that green asparagus was associated with grassy and sulfury aromas; bitter and spinach flavors; and grassy aftertaste, while white asparagus was distinguished by sweet potato aroma; sweet corn flavor, buttery and brothy aftertaste, and toughness descriptors. Harvest and cold storage effects as determined by repeated measures analysis were generally asparagus type dependent and are discussed.
Effect of pH on the Startup of a Continuous Foam Fractionation Process Containing Ovalbumin

The effect of pH on the bubble size distribution, void fraction, and enrichment ratio of a continuous foam fractionation column containing ovalbumin was investigated. The bubble size and void fraction were measured using a photoelectric capillary probe for different solution pHs (3.5, 4.5, 6.5, and 9.7). The bubble diameters for pH 3.5 and 4.5 were the largest of the four pHs studied. At these two pHs, the foam was less stable and formed aggregates, leading to lower enrichment and mass recovery. For the nearly neutral pH 6.5 or the more basic pH 9.7, the bubble size was smaller and the foam was more stable, resulting in both high enrichment and high mass recovery. The void fraction was smallest for pH 6.5, but the effect of pH on void fraction was not significant. In the lower foam phase, the calculated specific area increased as the pH increased from 3.5 to 9.7, which may partially contribute to the higher enrichments at pH 6.5 and 9.7.
The psychological effects of sports injuries: Coping

Epidemiological reports of sports injury confirm a high incidence of injuries occurring at all levels of sport participation, ranging in severity from cuts and bruises to spinal cord injury. The psychosocial dynamics accompanying sport injury should be known to ensure psychological recovery, an important aspect in rehabilitating the injured athlete. Earlier studies demonstrating psychological differences between athletes and nonathletes indicated the need for actual research on the athlete's postinjury response in lieu of accepting the hypothesis that the emotional responses of athletes to injury parallels existing (i.e. terminally ill) 'loss of health models'. Recent research has shown that injured athletes experience simultaneous mood disturbance and lowered self-esteem. Due to a paucity of research on the coping methods of injured athletes, studies involving the coping methods of several nonathletic patient populations were reviewed. These patients benefitted primarily from a concrete, problem-focused, behaviourally orientated programme which minimises uncertainty. This approach is theoretically ideal for injured athletes, congruent with the goal setting and performance outcome emphasis common to exercise and sport training programmes but to date the effectiveness of these strategies for injured athletes have not been fully examined. Therefore, until such research is available, these coping strategies (also used for performance enhancement) are provided as therapeutic guidelines for dealing with the emotional distress experienced by injured athletes. Individual responses of injured athletes varied from those who took injury in stride to those who required psychiatric intervention. This marked individual variation in response underscores the importance of neither assuming mood disturbance nor overlooking a serious emotional response in the injured athlete. Awareness of the emotional responses of athletes to injury and employment of appropriate coping strategies should facilitate optimal rehabilitation and return to sport.
Sunlight and the onset of skin cancer

The photons of sunlight precipitate a series of genetic events in skin leading to cancer. These events involve somatic mutations as well as inherited alleles. Competition between cell populations ensues, as a single mutated cell expands into a clone. Thus cancer involves both a single-cell problem and a many-cell problem; in skin cancer, sunlight appears to drive both.
Does the wormhole mechanism for vanishing cosmological constant work in lorentzian gravity

Abstract A proposal by Farhi that the wave function of the universe be defined as a path integral over Minkowski signature metrics is investigated in minisuperspace. We find that the wave function is not exponentially peaked at small values of the cosmological constant, in contrast to several recent claims. We also note that this definition of the wave function is consistent with Hartle-Hawking boundary conditions, but inconsistent with Vilenkin's tunneling boundary condition.
A numerical study of the influence of an air temperature-inversion layer and a seawater density-jump layer on the structure of interacting boundary layers

The effects of an air-temperature inversion in the atmosphere and a seawater density jump in the ocean on the structure of the atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers are studied by use of a coupled model. The numerical model consists of a closed system of equations for velocities, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent exchange coefficient, local turbulent length scale, and stratification expressions for both air and sea boundary layers. The effects of the temperature inversion and the density jump are incorporated into the equations of turbulent kinetic energy of the atmosphere and ocean by a parameterization. A series of numerical experiments was conducted to determine the effects of various strengths of the inversion layer and surface heat fluxes in the atmosphere and of the density-jump layer in the ocean on the structure of the interacting boundary layers.
The Feasibility of the X-Ray Laser Pumped With A Nuclear Explosion

Recent reports have indicated that an x-ray laser pumped with a nuclear explosion at a wavelength of 1.4 nm (0.9 keV) has made some initial progress. It has been proposed to extend the development of this device to establish it as part of a layered ballistic missile defensive system to protect the United States against a nuclear attack. This paper will discuss the following aspects on the feasibility of this system: (1) Conditions affecting the efficiency of the X-ray laser; (2) Angular resolution and size of,the laser rods; (3) Energy on targets; (4) Basing Modes; (5) Countermeasures; and (6) Legal constraints.
The association between negative affect and opioid analgesia in patients with discogenic low back pain.

AbstractComprised mainly of depression, anxiety, and high neuroticism, psychopathology diminishes the effectiveness of many chronic pain treatments. But, it is not known if it is associated with diminished opioid analgesia in patients with chronic, noncancer pain. We tested the hypothesis that psych
Analysis of Segregation Phenomenon in Granular Motion

Over the past decade, many studies have been carried out to investigate one of the unique phenomena in granular materials: vibration-induced segregation in granular mixture, i.e., under vertical vibration, larger granules rise to the top even without density difference with other granules. However, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not yet completely understood. In this study, the discrete element method (DEM) is used for the numerical analysis of the granular segregation in a vertically vibrating container. We systematically investigate the rising time of an intruder inside the granular mixture as a function of the granular size, density, depth, and the vibrating frequency and amplitude. Our studies show that the segregation phenomenon is caused by a variety of mechanisms within different vibration regimes. Under weak vibration, segregation is driven by the geometrical effect and inertia. Under moderate vibration, segregation can be enhanced dramatically with the occurrence of convection. Under strong vibration where the granular material becomes fluidized, the buoyancy or sinkage of granules prevails and segregation may be suppressed.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Reproducible magnetic features of high- T c superconductors in weak fields

The microwave absorption spectrum of the high-${T}_{c}$ granular superconductor ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ measured in a weak magnetic field with small modulation exhibits reproducible oscillations as a function of external field. We have modeled the high-${T}_{c}$ ceramics as a network of superconducting wires weakly coupled at randomly placed nodes. Quantum network simulations of the behavior of this system in a magnetic field reveal strong similarities between the computed magnetoconductance, magnetization, and susceptibility and the experimentally observed microwave absorption spectrum.
Primary Prevention Efforts: How Do We Implement and Monitor the Tier 1 Component of Our Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (CI3T) Model?

In this article, the authors clarify the role of the leadership team, providing a rationale for one integrated team to examine academic, social, and behavioral programming, with careful attention to including all key stakeholders. Next, the authors discuss the procedures for teaching all key stakeholders the comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered plan, followed by information on how to reinforce these groups for participation in the plan and meeting expectations. Then, the authors introduce core components needed to ensure accurate decision making with respect to primary prevention efforts: treatment integrity, social validity, accurate detection using systematic screening tools, and data-informed decisions. The authors conclude with a brief summary of how to implement and monitor Tier 1 efforts.
Assessment of the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of maraviroc, a novel CCR5 antagonist, in healthy volunteers.

AIMS To evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of single and multiple oral doses of maraviroc in healthy volunteers. METHODS Three double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation studies with either single or multiple doses of maraviroc were conducted in healthy volunteers. Plasma and urine samples were collected to investigate the pharmacokinetics of maraviroc and evaluate any changes with respect to dose and duration/frequency of dosing. Safety and toleration of maraviroc were also assessed. RESULTS Maraviroc is rapidly absorbed following oral administration, and plasma Tmax is achieved within 0.5–4.0 h postdose. Steady-state plasma concentrations are achieved after 7 consecutive days of dosing. Although the pharmacokinetics of maraviroc is nonproportional over the dose range studied (3–1200 mg), the degree of nonproportionality is small at clinically relevant doses. Renal clearance is approximately 10–12 l h−1 and appears unaffected by increasing maraviroc doses. Maraviroc does not significantly modulate the activity of CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 at clinically relevant doses. There were no serious adverse events in any of these studies, and doses up to 900 mg were generally well tolerated, with postural hypotension being the dose-limiting event. There was no pattern or dose relationship observed with maraviroc with regard to laboratory abnormalities, including hepatic transaminases. No clinically significant increases in QTc were noted at clinically relevant doses. CONCLUSIONS Maraviroc is absorbed into the systemic circulation and reaches steady state by day 7 of multiple dosing. It does not significantly influence the activity of major drug-metabolizing enzymes and is well tolerated at clinically relevant doses, with most adverse events being mild or moderate.
Conservation of bond lengths in strained Ge-Si layers

The combined techniques of x-ray-absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction have been used to study the strain and bond distortions in epitaxial Ge-Si on Si(001). In a 31% Ge, 340-\AA{} pseudomorphic Ge-Si film, the Ge-Ge and Ge-Si first-neighbor bond lengths have been found to be 2.44\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 and 2.38\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 \AA{}, respectively. The lattice parameter perpendicular to the Ge-Si/Si(001) interface has been found to be ${\mathit{a}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\perp}}}$=5.552\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002 \AA{}, in agreement with the predictions of macroscopic elastic theory. These results show that the bond-length strain in the epitaxial layer appears in the second and higher coordination shells, rather than in the nearest-neighbor bond lengths, which remain the same as in unstrained Ge-Si. A microscopic model is presented that accounts for these findings.
Exploring security and comfort issues associated with online banking

The rate of those consumers who are adopting online banking and bill payment services has ranked to be one of the fastest growing activities in 2003. To gain a better understanding of the online-banking industry, an inspection of a few representative banks in the USA, the use of conceptual modelling and empirical analysis were completed. A survey and resultant graphical cross-tabulation, Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and factor analysis on a number of working, college-educated semi-professional and professional in the service sector of Pittsburgh, PA metropolitan area revealed several important independent constructs associated with enhanced security and capability associated with online financial services. The renamed factor groupings included the following constructs: Online Accessibilities, Security Controls, Online Capabilities, Credit Levels and Education Levels, and were found to capture a significant amount of explained variance (79.5%). Perhaps the traditional performance measures of ROE, ROA, ROI and revenue gathering are only indicators of present performance, the equally important questions about future growth of online banking may be found in achieving customer satisfaction through proper Customer Relationship Management (CRM) techniques.
Marketing Scholars’ Roles in the Policy Arena: An Opportunity for Discourse on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising:

Paul W. Farris is Landmark Communications Professor of Business, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia (e-mail: farrisp@darden.virginia.edu). William L. Wilkie is Nathe Professor of Marketing, University of Notre Dame (e-mail: wwilkie@nd.edu). A Brief Background Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is clearly among the most significant marketing phenomena of the past decade in the United States. It is important partly because of the large amounts of money involved and its prominence in the popular media and surely because it potentially affects the length and quality of the lives of millions of people. Moreover, DTC advertising is a phenomenon that owes its existence to public policy choices in the United States and in New Zealand, and not anywhere else in the world (and in this sense, it represents an important natural experiment). In the United States, a series of regulatory actions during the 1980s and 1990s increasingly loosened restraints on the provision of information to consumers regarding ethical drugs, and advertising in this area occurred at lower levels of spending (for an informative regulatory history, see Pines 1999). In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guide for firms that, in effect, allowed television advertising, and after addressing many enforcement actions to clarify the nature of such commercials, it issued final guides in 1999. At this point, the rate of spending on DTC advertising began to soar, to the extent that it is now the third largest advertising spending category, behind only automobiles and fast foods. Furthermore, as of early 2005, the attention on this topic has heightened, as unforeseen and previously undisclosed health risks have begun to surface with popular drugs such as Vioxx, Bextra, and, possibly, the entire class of Cox-2 inhibitors.
Analysis of pπ → dπ bonding in halogen compounds of silicon, germanium and tin

Abstract Halogen lone pair ionization potentials for the main-group IV compounds MX 4 and MH 3 Cl are corrected for the effects of potencial and relaxation energy using the corresponding halogen core binding energies. The corrected data indicate significant pπ  dπ bonding in MX 4 (for M = Si, Ge and Sn), significant repulsion between the lone pairs and CH 3 group in CH 3 Cl. and little or no pπ  dπ bonding in SiH 3 Cl and GeH 3 Cl.
Minimization of deterministic tree grammars and automata

The efficient use of tree representations in pattern recognition requires the construction of deterministic tree automata with a minimum number of states. The conditions for minimization of tree automata are extended and algorithms for the elimination of useless symbols are presented.
A regional scale chemical transport modeling of Asian aerosols with data assimilation of AOD observations using optimal interpolation technique

Abstract A regional chemical transport model assimilated with monthly mean satellite and ground based aerosol optical depth (AOD) observations was used to produce three dimensional distributions of aerosols throughout Asia for a period of four years. The model was evaluated with daily assimilation of AOD for the month of April 2005. Sulfur Transport dEposition Model (STEM), a regional chemical transport model, was used to simulate aerosol distributions at a resolution of 50 × 50 km with a time interval of 3 h. Monthly mean Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOD along with AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) AOD was used in an optimal interpolation assimilation scheme to yield regional distributions of aerosols. The MODIS AOD and aerosol fine mode fraction information (where available) were used in the assimilation technique. The daily assimilation of AOD results shows that the optimal interpolation algorithm is able to significantly improve model aerosol mass prediction skills at the two sites in Asia. Sensitivity studies were also conducted with different assimilation parameters on a daily assimilation scale and these results are discussed. The assimilation results of four-year aerosol fields were used to study the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosols in Asia. Two remote sites, Hanimaadhoo and Gosan were chosen as the case studies to study the outflow from the Indian subcontinent and East Asia. Seasonal and vertical structures of the aerosols are presented at these two sites. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), a factor analytic method was also used to characterize the source profile and source contribution at these two locations. A three-factor solution was able to explain more than 80% of the variation in the individual species at Hanimaadhoo and 90% variation of aerosol loadings at Gosan. The four-year averaged PMF model results were able to capture the seasonality of anthropogenic and dust loadings at both these locations. In addition, the PMF model identified the differences in the composition of anthropogenic aerosols over Hanimaadhoo and Gosan reflecting the differences in regional emissions. The PMF derived factors could be used as additional constraints for future assimilation studies.
Spinodal decomposition with varying chain lengths and its application to designing polymer blends

The diffusion equations of spinodal decompositions with unique diffusivities for each species are derived for binary systems and ternary systems. These dynamic equations are linearized to show that the minimum size for growth is independent of diffusivity and is identical to the thermodynamic minimum on phase volume. Increases in chain length will destabilize mixtures and increase quench depth. Numerical simulations were conducted for two-dimensional systems. The considerable influences of chain lengths on morphology represent a competition between smaller diffusivities and larger quench depth when chain length is increased. These influences on several important morphologies in binary and ternary systems are described. The understanding of independent variable chain lengths represents one further step towards the systematical design of polymer blends. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 897–907, 1997
Synthetic lectin arrays for the detection and discrimination of cancer associated glycans and cell lines

Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of various disease states, including cancer, and effective detection and discrimination between healthy and diseased cells is an important challenge for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Here, we describe the use of boronic acid functionalized synthetic lectins (SLs) in an array format for the differentiation of structurally similar cancer associated glycans and cancer cell lines; discrimination is based on subtle variations in glycosylation patterns. We further demonstrate the utility of our SLs in recognizing glycoproteins with up to 50-fold selectivity, even in 95% human serum. Given their robust and selective nature, these SLs were able to effectively distinguish (a) five structurally similar glycans with 94% accuracy; (b) seven normal, cancerous and metastatic colon cancer cell lines, including three isogenic cell lines, with 92% accuracy; and (c) these same seven cell lines using a guided statistical analysis to improve our analysis to 97% accuracy. In total, these data suggest that an SL-based array will be useful for the diagnosis of cancer.
On-Line AP Association Algorithms for 802.11n WLANs with Heterogeneous Clients

As the latest amendment of IEEE 802.11 standard, 802.11n allows a maximum raw data rate as high as 600 Mbps, making it a desirable candidate for wireless local area network (WLAN) deployment. In typical deployment, the coverage areas of nearby access points (APs) usually overlap with each other to provide satisfactory coverage and seamless mobility support. Clients tend to associate (connect) to the AP with the strongest signal strength, which may lead to poor client throughput and overloaded APs. Although a number of AP association schemes have been proposed for IEEE 802.11 WLANs in the literature, the challenges brought by the new features in 802.11n have not been thoroughly studied nor the impact of legacy 802.11a/b/g clients in 802.11n WLANS on AP association. To fill in this gap, in this paper, we explore AP association for 802.11n with heterogeneous clients (802.11a/b/g/n). We first present a bi-dimensional Markov model to estimate the uplink and downlink throughput of clients and formulate AP association into an optimization problem, aiming at providing each client a bandwidth proportional to its usable data rate. Based on this Markov model, we propose an on-line AP association algorithm under the condition that each client can acquire timely information of all clients associated with nearby APs. Furthermore, for WLANs with densely deployed APs, we provide another on-line AP association algorithm with lower complexity, which takes full advantage of 802.11n transmissions by simply associating different types of clients with different APs. We have conducted extensive simulations and experiments to validate the proposed algorithms. The results show that our algorithms can significantly improve both 802.11n throughput and aggregated network throughput under various network scenarios, compared to previous AP association schemes. Our experiments also confirm the effectiveness of the algorithms in enhancing network throughput, maintaining proportional fairness among clients, and balancing load among APs.
Playing with Time: The Heiliger Dankgesang and the Evolution of Narrative Liberation in Op. 132

The central movement of Beethoven's A-minor quartet Op. 132, the famous Heiliger Dankgesang, creates an experience of temporal meaning independent of narrative context and provides the basis for a deep, nonlinear connection between its internal language and apparently distant events. One such event is the surprising A-major ending of the Finale, which seems to come out of nowhere and yet also to function as an internally justified liberation from the narrative. The A-minor opening of the quartet's finale acts as a conveyer of narrative time, while the Heiliger Dankgesang creates a world that is isolated from this tonal narrative, disrupting and enriching the experience of time and preparing the way for the finale surprise. Beethoven's sketches support this reading of temporal events by revealing specific nonlinear connections between the third movement and the finale's playful liberation.
Synthesis of novel micro- and mesoporous zeolite nanostructures using electrospinning techniques

Micro- and mesoporous nanostructured zeolites are fabricated for rapidly responding, selective detection of individual gases in a multigas environment. These nanostructures are synthesized by an electrospinning technique wherein the process parameters are varied through a design of experiment (DoE) methodology. Various morphologies, namely, high aspect ratio nanofibers, nanoparticles, and mixed microstructures, were obtained at different DoE variable settings. The zeolites of interest in this paper are silica and silicalite, wherein the aluminum content is zero. In the case of mesoporous silica, the sol-gel solution consisting of the silica source and the structure-directing agent is directly electrospun to obtain the nanostructured material on a device substrate. The structure-directing agent is later removed by calcination to obtain the porous nanostructures. In the case of microporous silica, the nanostructured silica is first synthesized and then co-electrospun with a polymer to obtain the desired nanostructure. The structure-directing agent and polymer are later removed by calcination.
Ground-state properties of magnetically trapped Bose-condensed rubidium gas.

In light of the recent experimental observation of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ gas cooled to nanokelvin-scale temperatures, we give a quantitative account of the ground-state properties of magnetically trapped Bose gases. Using simple scaling arguments, we show that at large particle number the kinetic energy is a small perturbation, and find a spatial structure of the cloud of atoms and its momentum distribution dependent in an essential way on particle interactions. We also estimate the superfluid coherence length and the critical angular velocity at which vortex lines become energetically favorable.
GIPC and GAIP Form a Complex with TrkA: A Putative Link between G Protein and Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Pathways

NGF initiates the majority of its neurotrophic effects by promoting the activation of the tyrosine kinase receptor TrkA. Here we describe a novel interaction between TrkA and GIPC, a PDZ domain protein. GIPC binds to the juxtamembrane region of TrkA through its PDZ domain. The PDZ domain of GIPC also interacts with GAIP, an RGS (regulators of G protein signaling) protein. GIPC and GAIP are components of a G protein-coupled signaling complex thought to be involved in vesicular trafficking. In transfected HEK 293T cells GIPC, GAIP, and TrkA form a coprecipitable protein complex. Both TrkA and GAIP bind to the PDZ domain of GIPC, but their binding sites within the PDZ domain are different. The association of endogenous GIPC with the TrkA receptor was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation in PC12 (615) cells stably expressing TrkA. By immunofluorescence GIPC colocalizes with phosphorylated TrkA receptors in retrograde transport vesicles located in the neurites and cell bodies of differentiated PC12 (615) cells. These results suggest that GIPC, like other PDZ domain proteins, serves to cluster transmembrane receptors with signaling molecules. When GIPC is overexpressed in PC12 (615) cells, NGF-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (Erk1/2) decreases; however, there is no effect on phosphorylation of Akt, phospholipase C-γ1, or Shc. The association of TrkA receptors with GIPC and GAIP plus the inhibition of MAP kinase by GIPC suggests that GIPC may provide a link between TrkA and G protein signaling pathways.
Comparison of ELISAs for detecting vitellogenin in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).

Measurement of vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) is currently being considered and evaluated for screening of endocrine active substances. One of the proposed methods, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on VTG from carp (Cyprinus carpio), was recently evaluated in an inter-laboratory ring test using whole body homogenates from juvenile fathead minnows. The objective of the current study was to compare the performance of three different ELISAs for measuring fathead minnow VTG: (1) a heterologous carp VTG (cVTG) ELISA used in the ring test, (2) a homologous fathead minnow VTG (fVTG) ELISA, and (3) a hybrid ELISA with the antibody developed for cVTG, but using fVTG for coating the plates and preparing standard curves. VTG was measured in whole body homogenates from juvenile fathead minnows exposed to 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2; 10 ng/l) and whole body homogenates and plasma from adult fathead minnows exposed to 17β-estradiol (E2; 5 mg/kg; i.p.). The cVTG assay showed lower specificity for fathead minnow VTG in whole body homogenates and plasma from treated fish, compared to the fVTG assay. VTG concentrations in juvenile fathead minnow homogenates from the EE2-exposed group were approximately 50-fold higher when measured using the fVTG method compared to the cVTG method. Use of the homologous fVTG in the hybrid cVTG assay yielded VTG concentrations in the range of the fVTG assay but the low specificity persisted. The homologous fVTG assay is recommended to achieve accurate quantification of VTG levels in fathead minnows.
An improved version of the geary test

This paper presents a modification to the Geary test for autocorrelated disturbances in the standard linear regression model. The Improved Geary test is found to work quite well in an extensive set of Monte Carlo simulations.
Hemodynamic advantage of combined administration of hydralazine orally and nitrates nonparenterally in the vasodilator therapy of chronic heart failure.

Abstract Patients with severe left ventricular failure generally have both reduced cardiac output and increased pulmonary and systemic venous pressures. A study was therefore made of the use of combined vasodilator therapy with nonparenterally administered nitrates, which act primarily on venous capacitance vessels and thus reduce preload, and orally administered hydralazine, which acts on arteriolar resistance vessels and thus reduces afterload. Twelve patients with chronic refractory heart failure were given these drugs individually and in combination during continuous hemodynamic monitoring. Heart rate and arterial pressure did not change significantly. Nitrates significantly reduced filling pressures of both ventricles without affecting cardiac index. Hydralazine did not alter filling pressures but dramatically increased cardiac index. The hemodynamic effects of each drug were additive during combined therapy, resulting in a 36 percent (28 to 18 mm Hg) mean decrease in left ventricular filling pressure and a 58 percent (2.1 to 3.3 liters/min per m2) mean increase in cardiac index. The seven patients who have continued to receive combined therapy for 3 to 10 months have shown sustained clinical improvement.
A Strategy for Evaluating District Developed Assessments for State Accountability

As part of Nebraska's assessment and accountability system, districts' local assessment systems are evaluated for their psychometric quality. This article provides an overview of a two-stage evaluation strategy, discusses how it was applied in Nebraska, and presents results from the first three years of the evaluation process. Benefits of the method include an emphasis on formative evaluation and promotion of improved assessment quality at the local level. A limitation of the model is the inability to make refined comparisons of student performance across districts on the assessments. Results from the first three years suggest that greater specificity in the review criteria and additional reviewer calibration activities are needed.
Atomic-Based-Combined-Cycle Analysis

Atomic-based-combined-cycle (ABCC) engine combines an air-breathing ramjet engine with an atomic reactor to increase the mission-averaged specific impulse and thereby increasing the dry-mass ratio. ABCC engine is similar to RBCC engine except that energy needed for the propulsive power is derived from nuclear reaction rather than chemical combustion used in the RBCC engine. The potential performance improvement of an ABCC engine over a RBCC engine comes from two factors. Firstly, the energy density of nuclear reaction is several order of magnitudes higher than the chemical combustion. Secondly, hydrogen can produce much higher nozzle exit velocity because of its small molecular weight. A one-dimensional, transient numerical model was used to analyze a generic RBCC engine and it is used as a baseline to evaluate an imaginary ABCC engine performance. A nuclear reactor is treated as a black box energy source that replaces the role of the primary rocket and the chemical combustion chamber in a RBCC engine. The performance of a generic ABCC engine along a flight path (q0 =10 (exp 3) lbf per square ft) shows that the mission averaged-specific impulse is about twice larger than RBCC engine and the dry mass-ratio is about 50% larger. Results of the present ABCC engine performance are based on the assumptions that the flow passage of working fluids is identical to that of RBCC engine and that a nuclear reactor is treated as an energy black box. Preliminary heat transfer calculation shows that the rate of heat transfer to the working fluids is within the limit of turbulent convective heat transfer regimes. The flow passage of realistic ABCC engine must be known for a better prediction of ABCC engine performance. Also, critical heat transfer calculations must be performed for the ejector mode and ramjet mode operations. This is possible only when the details of a reactor configuration are available.