cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of Nb5Si3/Nb functionally graded composites

Abstract Through simultaneous field-activated reaction and densification, two- and five-layer graded composites of Nb 5 Si 3 and Nb were formed. The product microstructure consisted of Nb particles in a matrix of Nb 5 Si 3 with the composition ranging from 3.4 to 55.8 vol.% Nb (20–90 mol% Nb) for the five-layer samples. The microhardness decreased with increasing vol.% Nb, from 1199 to 732 Hv over the indicated range. Fracture toughness measured by indentation increased from about 21 to 30 MPa m 1/2 over the composition range of 3.4–36.0 vol.% Nb. Crack blunting and bridging by Nb particles was observed around a microindentation.
Strategy & Alignment, Analytics & Risk Reduction: Looking to the Future

The current set of books offers new field data on a wide range of topics, from strategy to analytics, to global e-commerce, to risk reduction. The core of the global e-commerce book by Ken Kraemer ...
Hardware and Binary Modification Support for Code Pointer Protection From Buffer Overflow

Buffer overflow vulnerabilities are currently the most prevalent security vulnerability; they are responsible for over half of the CERT advisories issued in the last three years. Since many attacks exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities, techniques that prevent buffer overflow attacks would greatly increase the difficulty of writing a new worm. This paper examines both software and hardware solutions for protecting code pointers from buffer overflow attacks. We first evaluate the performance overhead of the existing Point-Guard software solution for protecting code pointers, and show that it can be applied using binary modification to protect return pointers on the stack. These software techniques guard against write attacks, but not read attacks, where an attacker is attempting to gain information about the pointer protection mechanism in order to later mount a write buffer attack. To address this, we examine encryption hardware to provide security for code pointers from read and write attacks. In addition, we show that pure software solutions can degrade program performance, and the light-weight encryption hardware techniques we examine can be used to provide protection with little performance overhead.
Electron bombardment heating for electrothermal propulsion

The technique of high-voltage, low-current electron bombardment heating for the heattransfer thrustor is investigated. The electron bombardment approach is shown to have inherent advantages for space application and to lack several restrictions found with resistance heating methods. A tantalum, electron bombardment- type gas heater was built to research thruster operation. Steady-state gas temperatures to 2700°K were produced with argon at a voltage-to-current ratio greater than 50. The device functioned successfully for a total operating time of approximately 50 hr. It was found that the electrical characteristics of the heater were adequately predicted by the Langmuir-Child law for space-charge limited emission. Possible causes of some electrical instabilities experienced during the tests are discussed. I. Introduction E LECTROTHERMAL propulsion engines produce thrust by the thermodynamic expansion of electrically heated gases through a supersonic nozzle. The heating may take place directly in the gas, as in an arc jet, or in an electrically heated material, over which the propellant is passed and heated by forced convection. These engines cover the lower specific impulse range of the electric propulsion family, with the arc jets having a possible useful range with hydrogen propellant to 2500 sec and the heat-transfer types up to 1000 sec with present materials technology. Figure 1 gives possible frozen flow specific impulse and efficiency values for hydrogen as a function of stagnation temperature and pressure.1.
The Fermi Surface of Caesium

Abstract : A study of the de Haas-Van Alphen effect in caesium by the pulsed field method, under carefully controlled experimental conditions, has yielded information about the orientation dependence of the Fermi surface cross-section. A computer analysis of the results in terms of cubic harmonic series has indicated a probable radial distortion of some +3.3% in the (110) direction, -0.9% in the (100) direction, and -1.4% in the (111) direction; this is compared with the predictions of band structure calculations which, though indicating approximately the correct shape of Fermi surface, are appreciably in error as to the magnitude of the deviations from a sphere. The observed Fermi surface distortion is also discussed in terms of its effect on the low temperature thermoelectric power of caesium. The volume of the Fermi surface is found to be within a few tenths of 1% of that calculated from published lattice constant data. Strong variations of signal strength with orientation were observed; these have been attributed in part to the effect of spin-splitting of the Landau levels. (Author)
The Envelope of Physiological Motion of the First Carpometacarpal Joint

Much of the hand's functional capacity is due to the versatility of the motions at the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, which are presently incompletely defined. The aim of this study was to develop a mathematical model to completely describe the envelope of physiological motion of the thumb CMC joint and then to examine if there were differences in the kinematic envelope between women and men. In vivo kinematics of the first metacarpal with respect to the trapezium were computed from computed tomography (CT) volume images of 44 subjects (20M, 24F, 40.3 ± 17.7 yr) with no signs of CMC joint pathology. Kinematics of the first metacarpal were described with respect to the trapezium using helical axis of motion (HAM) variables and then modeled with discrete Fourier analysis. Each HAM variable was fit in a cyclic domain as a function of screw axis orientation in the trapezial articular plane; the RMSE of the fits was 14.5 deg, 1.4 mm, and 0.8 mm for the elevation, location, and translation, respectively. After normalizing for the larger bone size in men, no differences in the kinematic variables between sexes could be identified. Analysis of the kinematic data also revealed notable coupling of the primary rotations of the thumb with translation and internal and external rotations. This study advances our basic understanding of thumb CMC joint function and provides a complete description of the CMC joint for incorporation into future models of hand function. From a clinical perspective, our findings provide a basis for evaluating CMC pathology, especially the mechanically mediated aspects of osteoarthritis (OA), and should be used to inform artificial joint design, where accurate replication of kinematics is essential for long-term success.
Tricyclic Antidepressants, QT Interval Prolongation, and Torsade de Pointes

The authors postulate mechanisms linking tricyclic antidepressants, QT interval prolongation, torsade de pointes, and sudden cardiac death. Case reports identify amitriptyline and maprotiline as the tricyclic antidepressants most likely to provoke torsade de pointes. Risk factors of family history of congenital long QT syndrome, age, female sex, metabolic and cardiovascular disease, metabolic inhibitors, hypokalemia, drug overdose, and co-prescription of drugs associated with QT interval prolongation were found in cases of torsade de pointes associated with tricyclic antidepressants. Clinicians should be cautious when prescribing tricyclic antidepressants with other drugs, such as thioridazine, that are capable of prolonging the QT interval.
Traveling Tags: The Informal Literacies of Mexican Newcomers in and out of the Classroom.

This article documents tagging as one of several informal literacy practices used by newcomer Mexican youth in a Midwest school and classroom setting. Specifically, it details how tagging travels into the classroom. Using the tool of interactional ethnography to analyze videotaped classroom observation data of an English Learner Science setting, I account for the instructional context in which three newcomer Mexican girls tag the whiteboard, focusing specifically on the social positionings they are able to construct in the classroom with and without these practices. Out of this analysis, I suggest that informal “literacies of display,” like tagging, might, in the classroom, be more productively regarded as “literacies of assistance.” They are proactive requests by newcomer youth for the help they need in developing cultural fluency between their transnational identity and the classroom context [Aikenhead, G. S. & Jegede, O. J. (1999). Cross-cultural science education: A cognitive explanation of a cultural phenomenon. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(3), 269–287]. My account challenges facile interpretations of resistance that marginalize youth's use of such informal literacies.
Performance analysis of a novel optical network architecture - PetaWeb

The dramatic increase of Internet users and the development of new volume Internet applications has a profound impact on the design of next generation optical network (NGON) architectures. In order to cope with the immense diversity of applications and traffic volume, highly dynamic optical networks will be needed. PetaWeb, proposed by Nortel networks, is based on the use of adaptive core and edge switches, which can accommodate traffic fluctuations through periodic reconfiguration of channels. This increases the effective capacity of the network, reduces delay and delay jitter. We implement a simulation model of the PetaWeb architecture, verify the functionality of the PetaWeb and quantify its performance. Extensive simulation results are presented to quantify the benefits of agility. We have performed a thorough analysis how performance related parameters are affected by several factors, such as the reconfiguration frequency, the size and number of optical channels, as well as the buffer size of the edge node.
Bribing and signaling in second price auctions

Abstract We examine whether a two-bidder, second-price auction for a single good (with private, independent values) is immune to a simple form of collusion, where one bidder may bribe the other to commit to stay away from the auction (i.e. submit a bid of zero). In either of two cases—where the potential bribe is fixed or allowed to vary—the only robust equilibria involve bribing. In the fixed-bribe case, there is a unique such equilibrium. In the variable bribes case, all robust equilibria involve low briber-types revealing themselves through the amount they offer, while all high types offer the same bribe; only one such equilibrium is continuous. Bribing in all cases causes inefficiency.
Efficient key establishment for group-based wireless sensor deployments

Establishing pairwise keys for each pair of neighboring sensors is the first concern in securing communication in sensor networks. This task is challenging because resources are limited. Several random key predistribution schemes have been proposed, but they are appropriate only when sensors are uniformly distributed with high density. These schemes also suffer from a dramatic degradation of security when the number of compromised sensors exceeds a threshold. In this paper, we present a group-based key predistribution scheme, GKE, which enables any pair of neighboring sensors to establish a unique pairwise key, regardless of sensor density or distribution. Since pairwise keys are unique, security in GKE degrades gracefully as the number of compromised nodes increases. In addition, GKE is very efficient since it requires only localized communication to establish pairwise keys, thus significantly reducing the communication overhead. Our security analysis and performance evaluation illustrate the superiority of GKE in terms of resilience, connectivity, communication overhead and memory requirement.
Long-Term Divergent Selection for Eight-Week Body Weight in White Plymouth Rock Chickens

Abstract This paper provides an overview of results from a long-term (38 generations) selection experiment. Lines were developed from individual phenotypic selection for high or low body weight at 8 wk of age. Included are data for the selected lines, sublines in which selection was relaxed, crosses of the selected lines, and sublines in which the sex-linked dw gene was introduced. Periodically (and in some cases every generation) data were obtained for unselected traits. These unselected traits included feed consumption and intake behavior, reproduction, allomorphic relationships, and metabolic, immunological, endocrine, and molecular factors. These responses have been integrated into a resource allocation paradigm.
High Frequency of Virus-Specific B Lymphocytes in Germinal Centers of Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Monkeys

The etiology of the lymphadenopathy and follicular hyperplasia associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection has remained unclear. To determine whether the B-lymphocyte expansions characteristic of this syndrome represent polyclonal and virus-specific processes, the antigen specificity of B cells in lymphoid tissues of monkeys infected with simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) chimeras was assessed using an inverse immunohistochemical assay with biotinylated HIV-1 envelope gp120 (Env) as an antigen probe. Env-binding B cells were found aggregated in lymph node and splenic germinal centers (GCs). Most Env-binding GCs also contained an unstained population of B cells, suggesting the GCs were formed by a polyclonal (oligoclonal) process. By day 42 following infection, Env-binding B cells were present in 19% of all lymph node GCs. Env-binding cells were present in 25% of GCs even during chronic infection. This extraordinarily high frequency of Env-specific B lymphocytes suggests that the expansion of virus-specific B cells may largely account for the follicular hyperplasia in AIDS virus-infected individuals.
Dual epileptic foci in a single patient express distinct temporal patterns dependent on limbic versus nonlimbic brain location

How timing information is transferred from the suprachiasmatic nucleus to other regions of the brain to mediate activity, either physiological or pathological, is largely unclear. A patient with medically refractory epilepsy and a well-documented, long-term seizure diary provided a unique means to demonstrate how susceptibility to chronobiological modulation varies with brain region. Evaluation for epilepsy surgery disclosed two independent epileptic foci, one limbic and the other nonlimbic. Seizures from both foci occurred periodically with a dominant period of 24 hours but were out of phase with each other. Temporal lobe seizures occurred maximally in the light portion of the daily light-dark cycle, and parietal lobe seizures occurred nocturnally and out of phase with limbic seizures. These data suggest that neuronal excitation and inhibition, depending on the anatomical system involved in epilepsy, may be differently affected by circadian modulation.
Films from Laboratory-Extracted Sorghum Kafirin

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Systems Engineering at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications by an authorized administrator ofDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. For more information, please contactproyster@unl.edu.
Sonic hedgehog is required early in pancreatic islet development.

Pancreatic organogenesis relies on a complex interplay of cell-autonomous and extracellular signals. We demonstrate that the morphogen sonic hedgehog (Shh) is required for pancreatic development in zebrafish. Genetic mutants of Shh and its signaling pathway establish this dependence as specific to endocrine, but not exocrine, pancreas. Using cyclopamine to inhibit hedgehog signaling, we show that transient Shh signaling is necessary during gastrulation for subsequent differentiation of endoderm into islet tissue. A second hedgehog-dependent activity occurring later in development was also identified and may be analogous to the known action of Shh in gut endoderm to direct localization of pancreatic development. The early action of Shh may be part of a more general process allowing neuroendocrine cells to originate in nonneuroectodermally derived tissues.
The assembly of AP-3 adaptor complex-containing clathrin-coated vesicles on synthetic liposomes.

The heterotetrameric adaptor protein complex AP-3 has been shown to function in the sorting of proteins to the endosomal/lysosomal system. However, the mechanism of AP-3 recruitment onto membranes is poorly understood, and it is still uncertain whether AP-3 nucleates clathrin-coated vesicles. Using purified components, we show that AP-3 and clathrin are recruited onto protein-free liposomes and Golgi-enriched membranes by a process that requires ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) and GTP but no other proteins or nucleotides. The efficiency of recruitment onto the two sources of membranes is comparable and independent of the composition of the liposomes. Clathrin binding occurred in a cooperative manner as a function of the membrane concentration of AP-3. Thin-section electron microscopy of liposomes and Golgi-enriched membranes that had been incubated with AP-3, clathrin, and ARF·GTP showed the presence of clathrin-coated buds and vesicles. These results establish that AP-3–containing clathrin-coated vesicles form in vitro and are consistent with AP-3–dependent protein transport being mediated by clathrin-coated vesicles.
Assessing comparative efficiency of the state-owned mixed and private sectors in Indian industry

This paper evaluates performance differences between government owned, mixed sector and private sector enterprises in India for the period 1973-1974 to 1988-1989. The results establish that enterprises owned by the central government and state governments are less efficient than mixed or private sector enterprises, while mixed sector enterprises are less efficient than those in the private sector. The results contradict extant evidence finding no performance differences between government-owned and private firms in India. There have, however, been inter-temporal efficiency gains for the sector as a whole, perhaps resulting from reforms undertaken towards improving government-owned enterprises' performance.
UNDERSTANDING MUSIC SHARING IN RUSSIA

This paper reviews attitudes toward acceptance and usability of file sharing for music downloading in Russia. There is a significant issue with respect to the copyright law legislation and enforcement. Since infrastructure, market conditions, social and economical situations in developing countries are different from those of developed countries, we decided to apply a well establish theory to a new population. We surveyed 67 young Russian people in terms of their attitudes, perceptions, and technology use for music downloading. As a general model, over 52% amount of variance was explained for in behavioral intention. However, perceived ease of use was not found to be significant or have any predictive power for behavioral intention. More importantly, external variables related to age, gender, Internet connection, and education were not found to have influence on any of the hypothesized variables. This study makes a first step at examining the way music downloading technologies are used in Russia.
Mutual Benefits and Equity amid Racial Diversity: A Generational Strategy for Growing a Broader Base of Support for Social Equity

A mutual benefits strategy is proposed to reduce political resistance to greater social equity. Growing racial diversity signals a new era, but emphasis on projected change provokes defensive reactions. The twenty-first-century demography also includes massive aging and a white voting majority until 2060, so benefits of equity should be detailed for the older generation. Those include better workers, taxpayers, and home buyers resulting from investment in the new generation. Emphasis on intergenerational mutual benefits bridges divides and can build support for a broader agenda of a shared future. The mutual benefits strategy could help curb the polarization widening in America.
Pharmacokinetics of (R, S)-Albuterol after Aerosol Inhalation in Healthy Adult Volunteers

The pharmacokinetics of inhaled (R,S)-albuterol following pulmonary absorption were studied in healthy human subjects. Ten subjects (5 females and 5 males) inhaled two puffs (180 microg) of albuterol via a metered-dose inhaler and spacer device. All subjects were nonsmoking and had normal pulmonary function. Charcoal slurries were ingested to block gastrointestinal absorption of drug. Venous samples were obtained from each subject at thirteen time points from 0 through 12 h post dose. (R,S)-Albuterol concentration in plasma was measured using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) assay. The plasma concentration-time profiles conformed to a two-compartment extravascular model with first-order absorption kinetics. The drug levels reached maximum in 12.6 +/- 2.2 (SD) minutes, which is in contrast with previous reports that maximum plasma concentrations occur within 2 to 4 h. The mean peak plasma level was 1469 +/- 410 pg/mL. The mean half-life of distribution was 17.9 +/- 8.2 min. The mean half-life of elimination was 4.4 +/- 1.5 h. Female subjects achieved peak concentration more rapidly than male subjects (10.4 vs 14.8 min, p = 0.01) and had a higher mean peak concentration (1778 vs 1159 pg/mL, p = 0.04).
Silicon and GeSi Raman lasers and amplifiers

This paper presents the design and operation of Si and GeSi Raman lasers and amplifiers. Different laser applications in various practical fields are also discussed.
Subchannel-Division Adaptive Resource Allocation Technique for Cooperative Relay-Based MIMO/OFDM Wireless Communication Systems

In this paper, we propose cooperative division relay- based allocation technique jointly with adaptive bit/power loading for multiple-input-multiple-output/orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO/OFDM) system. In this cooperative division technique, the transmitted stream of bits is divided into two parts. The first part is sent directly from the source to the destination, whereas the second part is relayed to the destination through an indirect link. The sub-channel division is jointly optimized with adaptive bit/power loading among different sub-channels to maximize the overall MIMO/OFDM received signal in the relay- based system according to the channel state information (CSI). The bit error rate (BER) performance using this cooperative division technique is presented and compared with non-cooperative one. The use of this type of cooperative technique in relay- based MIMO/OFDM system has shown high BER performance improvement. Such improvement comes from the fact that this technique jointly with adaptive bit/power loading, in relay-based system, enables us to exploit the inherent system diversities in the frequency, space, and time to maximize the system power efficiency, and to guarantee the fulfillment of the required quality of service (QoS) including BER and transmission rate. It is noticed that the advantage of cooperation in terms of BER increases as the order of MIMO system increases.
Collateral Flow and Brain Changes on Computed Tomography Angiography Predict Infarct Volume on Early Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Background We investigated whether a computed tomography (CT)–based score could predict a large infarct (≥80 mL) on early diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). Methods Acute stroke patients considered for endovascular therapy within 8 hours of the onset of symptoms were included. The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) was determined on noncontrast CT and computed tomography angiography source images (CTA-SI). Limited collateral flow was defined as less than 50% collateral filling on CTA-SI. Results Fifty-six patients were analyzed. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 20 (15-24) in the large infarct group and 16 (11-20) in the small infarct group ( P = .049). ASPECTS on noncontrast CT and CTA-SI was 5 (3-8) and 3 (2-6) in the large infarct group and 9 (8-10) and 8 (7-9) in the small infarct group (both P P P = .044) and limited collateral flow (OR, 114.64; 95% CI, 1.93-6812.79; P = .023) were associated with a large infarct. Absence of ASPECTS less than or equal to 5 and limited collateral flow on CTA-SI predicted absence of a large infarct with a sensitivity of .89, specificity of 1.00, positive predictive value of 1.00, and negative predictive value of .71. Conclusions Assessment of ASPECTS and collateral flow on CTA-SI may be able to exclude a patient with large infarct on early DWI.
Origins of diversity jurisdiction, the rise of legal positivism, and a brave new world for Erie and Klaxon

The conventional explanation for the inclusion the grant of diversity jurisdiction (i.e., federal court jurisdiction in cases between citizens of different states) in the Constitution and the first Judiciary Act is that it was necessary to prevent state-court discrimination against out-of-staters. However, the weight of the historical evidence supports the conclusion that diversity jurisdiction was also aimed at the application of parochial state laws, particularly state debtor protection enactments. This second purpose of diversity jurisdiction cuts against the Supreme Court's 1938 decision in Erie Railroad v. Tompkins which held that federal courts exercising diversity jurisdiction must apply the same substantive law as their state court counterparts. This article proposes a partially implementing diversity jurisdiction by over-ruling the Supreme Court's 1941 decision in Klaxon v. Stentor Electric which held that the Erie principle also requires federal courts to adhere to state choice-of-law rules. If diversity courts were to apply an independent choice-of-law approach they could avoid the forum-law bias that pervades most of state choice-of-law doctrine.
The QCD Critical Point and Related Observables

Abstract The search for the critical point of QCD in heavy-ion collision experiments has sparked enormous interest with the completion of phase I of the RHIC beam energy scan. Here, I review the basics of the thermodynamics of the QCD phase transition and its implications for experimental multiplicity fluctuations in heavy-ion collisions. Several sources of noncritical fluctuations impact the observables and need to be understood in addition to the critical phenomena. Recent progress has been made in dynamical modeling of critical fluctuations, which ultimately is indispensable to understand potential signals of the QCD critical point in heavy-ion collision.
Competency-Based Talent Management: Three Perspectives in an Academic Library

ABSTRACTThis article describes how the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library implemented a competency-based talent management system across the organization to address organizational, departmental, and individual needs. Success of the implementation was mixed. Designing human resources systems around core competencies made organizational values and goals concrete but proved unsustainable in the long-term. Using core competencies to shape departmental goals, coach staff and library faculty, and onboard new employees proved beneficial at the middle management level.
Phase change and thermal performance analysis for green roofs in cold climates

Abstract A green roof, a vegetative layer grown on a building roof, has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its environmental benefits. A large number of research studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance and benefits of green roofs through experiments and modeling analysis. However, only a few studies in the past literature addressed the energy performance of green roofs in cold climates. This paper, therefore, aimed to fill this gap by evaluating their energy performance in cold climates through experiments and modeling. The test bed was the green roof located on the roof of Schleman Hall on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. It is equipped with a data logger and various sensors for measuring soil temperature, water content, etc. The experiment presented in this paper focuses on the thermal performance of green roof in cold climates and the impact of the phase change of water in the growth medium on the thermal performance of green roof. A transient numerical thermal model was developed and validated by the experimental data. The paper provides new insight of the impact of the phase change of water in green roofs on their thermal performance as well as their thermal characteristics.
Barrier Limited Transport Mechanisms in Doped μc-Si and μc-Si,C

An analysis of the room-temperature dark conductivities and activation energies for doped µc-Si and µc-Si,C is used to develop a band alignment model which shows that the maximum attainable dark conductivities in these materials are determined by transport through, or over interfacial potential barriers between Si crystallites, c-Si, and the intervening amorphous regions: a-Si:H or a-Si,C:H, respectively. For all levels of doping in µc-Si,C, the transport is limited by thermionic emission over interfacial barriers at the c-Si/a-Si,C:H interface, placing a significant constraint on applications requiring both high optical transparency and high conductivity.
Comparing five statistical methods of differential methylation identification using bisulfite sequencing data

We are presenting a comprehensive comparative analysis of five differential methylation (DM) identification methods: methylKit, BSmooth, BiSeq, HMM-DM, and HMM-Fisher, which are developed for bisulfite sequencing (BS) data. We summarize the features of these methods from several analytical aspects and compare their performances using both simulated and real BS datasets. Our comparison results are summarized below. First, parameter settings may largely affect the accuracy of DM identification. Different from default settings, modified parameter settings yield higher sensitivity and/or lower false positive rates. Second, all five methods show more accurate results when identifying simulated DM regions that are long and have small within-group variation, but they have low concordance, probably due to the different approaches they have used for DM identification. Third, HMM-DM and HMM-Fisher yield relatively higher sensitivity and lower false positive rates than others, especially in DM regions with large variation. Finally, we have found that among the three methods that involve methylation estimation (methylKit, BSmooth, and BiSeq), BiSeq can best present raw methylation signals. Therefore, based on these results, we suggest that users select DM identification methods based on the characteristics of their data and the advantages of each method.
Ovipositional Behavior and Site Selection by a Sunflower Stem Weevil, Cylindrocopturus Adspersus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Initial oviposition sites of Cylindrocopturus adspersus (Le Conte) were in the glabrous zones around the cotyledonous (first node) and second nodes, but they moved up the main stalk below successive leaf axils as the growing season progressed. Female C. adspersus oviposited at a mean height of 4.5 cm above the first node area in 1980 and 20.7 cm above the first node in 1981, which encompassed utilization of the lower 6 and 17% of the stems in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Oviposition a greater distance above the cotyledonous node in 1981 than in 1980 probably was due to increased weevil populations, and to increased competition for egg deposition sites. Fifty percent of oviposition occurred on a date separated by only 5 days in successive years.
The Effect of US Troop Deployments on Human Rights

US noninvasion troops deployed abroad often try to promote greater respect for human rights in the host country. The host country, having an incentive to retain the troop presence, may choose to co...
The effect of valproate on bipolar spectrum temperamental disorders.

BACKGROUND Cyclothymic or hyperthymic temperaments may belong to a bipolar spectrum of disorders. Patients with such temperaments, especially if there is a family history of bipolar disorder or an exacerbation of these conditions when exposed to tricyclic antidepressants, should be conceptualized as possessing variants of bipolar disorder. This conceptualization suggests that standard psychopharmacologic regimens used in treating bipolar disorder may be useful. In this report I examine the potential usefulness of valproate in treating temperamental variants of bipolar disorder. METHOD The author reports his experience of treating patients with bipolar temperamental disorders in an Outpatient Affective Disorder Specialty Clinic. Three representative case reports are offered, as well as a discussion of the general issues in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. RESULTS In these cases, valproate not only treated the acute symptomatology that caused these patients to seek treatment, but also led to an amelioration of noxious life-long temperamental traits. These findings strengthen other research findings that suggest a link between bipolar disorder and limbic dysfunction and add to the validation of the concept of bipolar temperamental disorders. CONCLUSION Valproate may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments.
The myth of the first African-American electrical engineer: Arthur U. Craig and the importance of teaching in technological history

AbstractIn recent years, historians of technology including Bruce Sinclair, Rayvon Fouche, and Amy Slaton have analyzed the intersection of technological and African-American history to redress the historical and enduring correlation between whiteness and technology. This paper contributes to this conversation by chronicling the story of Arthur U. Craig, a faculty member at the Tuskegee Institute who installed the university’s famous lighting system. During Craig’s tenure at the Institute, he was touted to be the ‘first black electrical engineer’ – but he resisted that title. This article examines why. In so doing, ‘The Myth of the First African-American Electrical Engineer’ builds upon three scholarly conversations. First, it discusses how the cultural meanings of electricity inflected how Tuskegee advertised Craig’s contributions to campus. Second, it re-situates the often-overlooked Craig within the history of Tuskegee Institute. Finally, it examines Craig’s contribution to debates about engineering ed...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: pathogenesis, differential diagnoses, and potential interventions.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron disease. The etiology is likely multifactorial, involving both genetic and environmental factors.Meth...
Development of an isoelectronic line ratio technique for improved diagnosing of temperature and temperature gradients in photoionzed plasma

In preparation of a systematic study of spectral absorption line formation in a multi-element photo-ionized plasma heated by z-pinch radiation, the predicted dependence of the ratio of isoelectronic lines to temperature and density was calculated using the PrismSPECT and SPECT3D software. The objective is to improve the precision and accuracy in the determination of time-averaged electron temperature, electron density, and charge-state distribution beyond that possible with techniques reliant on determining all three parameters with spectra from a single element. The predicted dependence of the line ratio on a temperature gradient and different levels of temperature inhomogeneity was also documented. Candidate combinations of isoelectronic lines were identified based upon condition-relevant diagnostic utility and scientific relevance. Based on these factors, multi-element, identical-charge-state line combinations were compared to single-element, difference charge-state line combinations. These techniques are applied to absorption spectra obtained from the Z machine at Sandia National Labs, where multi-element (NaF and NaF/Mg) foil was irradiated, heated, and photo-ionized by the z-pinch. The usefulness for improving current models of atomic processes in dense plasmas used to interpret spectra relevant to high-energy-density astrophysics experiments will be discussed.
Queering the State of Exception, 1973–1990

This chapter argues that the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet was able to portray itself as economically exceptional, thanks to its interruption of democracy, paradoxically couched in the perpetuation of conservative societal conventions like the heterosexual family. It then figured families as the ideal protagonists of its neoliberal reforms. However, this manipulation of teleologies made for a simplistically forward-looking vision of time, and other loopholes in the dictatorship’s discourse. The performance art of Carlos Leppe (1974–1981), Carlos Flores’ 1984 documentary El Charles Bronson chileno, and Alberto Fuguet’s novel La azarosa y sobreexpuesta vida de Enrique Alekan (1990) thus all use queer forms of masculinity to contest the heterosexual, reproductive, masculine teleologies within which Pinochet’s state of exception was imposed.
Oxidative Stress and Vascular Injury

Oxidative stress is responsible for aggravating vascular injury associated with atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The present chapter reviews the mechanisms responsible for oxidative stress contributing to vascular injury. We will discuss the role in hemodialysis vascular access failure, chronic kidney disease, and atherosclerosis.
Emissions of forest floor and mineral soil carbon, nitrogen and mercury pools and relationships with fire severity for the Pagami Creek Fire in the Boreal Forest of northern Minnesota

Forest fires cause large emissions of C (carbon), N (nitrogen) and Hg (mercury) to the atmosphere and thus have important implications for global warming (e.g. via CO2 and N2O emissions), anthropogenic fertilisation of natural ecosystems (e.g. via N deposition), and bioaccumulation of harmful metals in aquatic and terrestrial systems (e.g. via Hg deposition). Research indicates that fires are becoming more severe over much of North America, thus increasing element emissions during fire. However, there has been little research relating forest floor and mineral soil losses of C, N and Hg to on-the-ground indices of fire severity that enable scaling up those losses for larger-scale accounting of fire-level emissions. We investigated the relationships between forest floor and mineral soil elemental pools across a range of soil-level fire severities following the 2011 Pagami Creek wildfire in northern Minnesota, USA. We were able to statistically differentiate losses of forest floor C, N and Hg among a five-class soil-level fire severity classification system. Regression relationships using soil fire severity class were able to predict remaining forest floor C, N and Hg pools with 82–96% confidence. We correlated National Aeronautics and Space Administration Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Classic imagery to ground-based plot-scale estimates of soil fire severity to upscale emissions of C, N and Hg to the fire level. We estimate that 468 000 Mg C, 11 000 Mg of N and over 122 g of Hg were emitted from the forest floor during the burning of the 28 310 ha upland area of the Pagami Creek fire.
Germline Mutations Associated with Leukemia in Childhood: New Discoveries and Emerging Phenotypes

Acute leukemia is the most common cancer of childhood. The pathogenesis of childhood leukemia is multifactorial, and most cases occur sporadically. Although the majority of genetic changes are acquired somatic mutations, recent discoveries have revealed that inherited germline mutations are present in an increasing proportion of children, predisposing them to leukemia. Recently described germline mutations in ETV6, SH2B3, and PAX5 have been associated with increased risks of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A high incidence of germline mutations in GATA2 is seen in pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Susceptibility genes for adult leukemia are found at increased incidence in children with MDS/AML. Recent findings have broadened the phenotype of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes, with a decreased emphasis on phenotypic abnormalities. Newly identified germline susceptibilities to hematologic malignancies are emerging at a rapid pace with the advent of next-generation sequencing approaches. A higher incidence of germline mutations accounts for childhood leukemia more than previously thought, and affected children do not necessarily fit into previously described syndromic presentations; therefore, careful clinical consideration is required for accurate diagnosis. Furthermore, children with inherited predisposition require a multidisciplinary approach to ensure proper evaluation and treatment, including but not limited to genetic counseling for the patient and family members and close management by a hematologist and oncologist, plus evaluations by a psychologist, as well as by a stem cell transplantation specialist.
Friends and Strangers: The Making of Creole Culture in Colonial Pennsylvania by John Smolenski

“Quaker Pennsylvania” was made,not born, argues John Smolenski. From the time of its settlement in the 1680s until the 1720s, the colony’s Quaker pioneers, a contentious charter generation, struggled mightily to establish who among them would rule and which Quaker principles would guide the colony. Smolenski characterizes this tense process of cultural adaptation and change as “creolization”; it is the central theme of his book.
Re-Imagining International Law for Global Migration: Migration as Decolonization?

If the “field of global migration law explores transnational movement of people,” modern international law emerges decidedly as an antagonist. Existing international law does a poor job of regulating international migration — it authorizes too narrow a slice of the type of international movement that nonetheless occurs across the globe, and it contributes to the chaos and inhumanity that characterizes international migration outside the law. The root of international law’s dysfunctional relationship with international mobility is this law’s steadfast protection of the almost unfettered right of a state to exclude non-citizens. For scholars of international law within the field of global migration law, a pressing challenge remains a re-imagination of the relationship between the nation state and the non-national that destabilizes territorial exclusion as a fundamental feature of state sovereignty. In this essay, I propose that re-conceiving the movement of certain migrants across international borders today as decolonization offers a new and productive logic, ethics, and lens for international law’s application to global migration.
Theoretical axial wall angulation for rotational resistance form in an experimental-fixed partial denture.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine the influence of long base lengths of a fixed partial denture (FPD) to rotational resistance with variation of vertical wall angulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Trigonometric calculations were done to determine the maximum wall angle needed to resist rotational displacement of an experimental-FPD model in 2-dimensional plane. The maximum wall angle calculation determines the greatest taper that resists rotation. Two different axes of rotation were used to test this model with five vertical abutment heights of 3-, 3.5-, 4-, 4.5-, and 5-mm. The two rotational axes were located on the mesial-side of the anterior abutment and the distal-side of the posterior abutment. Rotation of the FPD around the anterior axis was counter-clockwise, Posterior-Anterior (P-A) and clockwise, Anterior-Posterior (A-P) around the distal axis in the sagittal plane. RESULTS Low levels of vertical wall taper, ≤ 10-degrees, were needed to resist rotational displacement in all wall height categories; 2-to-6-degrees is generally considered ideal, with 7-to-10-degrees as favorable to the long axis of the abutment. Rotation around both axes demonstrated that two axial walls of the FPD resisted rotational displacement in each direction. In addition, uneven abutment height combinations required the lowest wall angulations to achieve resistance in this study. CONCLUSION The vertical height and angulation of FPD abutments, two rotational axes, and the long base lengths all play a role in FPD resistance form.
Increasing Quality and Involvement in Online Peer Feedback Exchange

Design instructors are integrating the use of online peer review platforms to keep pace with growing class sizes. However, these platforms typically prioritize randomized peer assignment strategies and show only the current solution to peers when writing feedback. This can result in low quality feedback in project-based design courses. We report on an experiment in which students (N=59) worked on twelve-week design projects and both wrote and received online feedback at four stages. The experiment tested a novel assignment strategy of peer mentorship, where peers were assigned to give feedback to all stages of the same project, and tested showing the context from the preceding design stage when composing feedback. The results showed that displaying the context from the preceding design stage led to feedback with higher perceived quality at the late design stages (but not at earlier stages) and feedback from mentors prompts longer responses from the feedback recipients. Our work contributes deeper empirical understanding of how assignment strategies and showing additional context affects peer feedback and provides practical guidelines for instructors to implement these methods in design courses.
SEU-Aware Low-Power Memories Using a Multiple Supply Voltage Array Architecture

Electric devices should be resilient because reliability issues are increasingly problematic as technology scales down and the supply voltage is lowered. Specifically, the Soft-Error Rate (SER) increases due to the reduced feature size and the reduced charge. This paper describes an adaptive method to lower memory power using a dual V dd in a column-based V dd memory with Built-In Current Sensors (BICS). Using our method, we reduce the memory power by about 40% and increase the error immunity of the memory without the significant power overhead as in previous methods.
Estimation of Eddy Current Probability of Detection (POD) Using Finite Element Method

A considerable amount of attention has been focused in recent years towards the development of probability of detection (POD) models for a variety of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods. Interest in these models is motivated by a desire to quantify the variability introduced in the measurements during the process of testing. As an example, sources of noise in eddy current methods of NDE include those caused by variations in liftoff, material properties such as conductivity and permeability, probe canting angle, scan format, surface roughness and measurement noise. Fig. 1 pictorially depicts some of the factors that contribute to variations in the measured signal.
From Single-Party to Electoral Authoritarian Regimes: The Institutional Origins of Hegemony and Competitiveness in Post Cold War Africa

This paper studies the subset of African electoral authoritarian regimes that have transitioned from established single-party rule. Extended periods of single-party rule provide regimes with the time to develop robust institutional structures for the retention of elites and social mobilization. This paper highlights differences in party institutionalization and patterns of social incorporation as key factors that explain both the extent of electoral coercion and the size of incumbent hegemony during multiparty elections. Single-party regimes that forged credible internal structures and invested more heavily into rural sectors were more likely to transition to more competitive, yet still hegemonic forms of electoral authoritarianism. The paper compares nine cases of former single-party regimes within a typological space that along with single-party structure incorporates the role of economic performance, opposition capacity, and international leverage as potential causal factors.