cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Alpha, Beta, and Sigma of ESG: Better Beta, Additional Alpha?

Rather than treat investments as statistical objects to be optimally combined into portfolios, investors are increasingly interested in the environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) dimensions of their investments. Analysts traditionally evaluated these dimensions in qualitative ways, but many data providers are attempting to score these dimensions, effectively quantifying what was qualitative. For developed market equities, on the basis of one popular data provider’s ESG assessment, we evaluate the evidence on whether portfolios of highly rated ESG stocks are materially different from their complements (non-ESG stocks) in their investment opportunity sets. It is obvious that ESG stocks differ from non-ESG stocks in their ESG dimensions, but we show that ESG stocks returns are also different. Although the total return-to-total risk of ESG stocks may be lower than that for non-ESG stocks, after factor-adjusting the returns and risks, portfolios of ESG stocks with positive alpha have return-to-risk features comparable to those of portfolios of non-ESG stocks with positive alpha. For portfolios without statistically significant alpha, the portfolios of ESG stocks have lower residual volatility than portfolios of non-ESG stocks. It should be possible, by factor-neutralizing portfolios, to build better beta with comparable alpha portfolios by using ESG factors. TOPICS:ESG investing, equity portfolio management, portfolio management/multi-asset allocation
The effect of prior thecal puncture on cerebrospinal fluid analytes in normal adult horses

Background Serial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis might be required in clinical neurologic disease. The effect of lumbosacral (LS) or cervical (C1-C2) centesis on subsequent CSF cytologic analyses has not been investigated in horses. Objective To evaluate the effect of thecal puncture on subsequent CSF analyses ANIMALS: Ten healthy adult horses. Methods Prospective study. Horses were randomly assigned to undergo CSF collection twice, 14 days apart, from either the C1-C2 or LS space. After a 4-month washout period, CSF collection was repeated from the alternate site. Continuous data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and count data using mixed-effects negative binomial regression. Statistical significance was set at P Results There was no significant effect of collection day (day 0 or day 14) for any CSF analytes, including protein concentration (C1-C2: 45 [95% CI: 33-57] mg/dL day 0 vs 49 [95% CI: 39-62] mg/dL day 14, P = .12; LS: 64 [95% CI: 41-100] mg/dL day 0 vs 83 [95% CI: 53-129] mg/dL day 14, P = .37), or nucleated cell count (C1-C2: 2 [95% CI: 1-4] cells/μL day 0 vs 3 [95% CI: 1-4] cells/μL day 14, P = .65; LS: 3 [95% CI: 2-5] cells/μL day 0 vs 5 [95% CI: 3-8] cells/μL day 14, P = .10). There was no significant difference in EPM titer or EPM serum : CSF ratio between days 0 and 14. Conclusions and clinical importance Repeat thecal puncture from the LS or C1-C2 space 2 weeks apart does not appear to impact CSF analytes.
Neurofeedback Training to Address College Students’ Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress: A Quasi-Experimental Design

College students experience high levels of anxiety and stress, resulting in academic, interpersonal, and functional challenges. Despite awareness of anxiety and stress amongst students, universitie...
Predicting Components of Argumentative Writing and Achievement Gains in a General Chemistry Course for Nonmajor College Students

Argumentative writing advances students’ understanding of scientific concepts, ability to communicate, and scientific literacy. However, it remains unclear which components of argumentative writing drive such advancement. Further, most studies on argumentative writing have focused on students majoring in science, rather than in the nonsciences. The purpose of this study was to determine which components of argumentative writing are predictors of academic achievement in a general chemistry course designed for nonscience majors. The participants included 163 undergraduates at a public university. The quality of argumentative writing was positively and significantly correlated with student academic achievement. Five components of argumentative writing were predictors of success on student achievement tests: accuracy of the claim, relationship between claim and question, relationship between claim and evidence, use of multiple modes to represent an argument, and the degree to which writing style aligns with the writing type desired. Therefore, results from this study would allow teachers to modify their approaches to emphasize components of argumentative writing that can predict student academic achievement. Results from open-ended questionnaires reveal that students viewed argumentative writing as a tool that improves their conceptual understanding, advances their epistemic understanding of an argument, and can be applied in their future careers. Implications of this pedagogy for chemistry teaching and learning are discussed.
Hospital-Level Medicaid Prevalence Is Associated with Increased Length of Stay after Asymptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy and Stenting Despite no Increase in Major Complications

Background Length of stay (LOS) after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) for asymptomatic disease is used as a quality measure and affects hospital operating margins. Patient-level Medicaid status has traditionally been associated with longer hospital LOS. Our goal was to assess the association between hospital-level Medicaid prevalence and postoperative LOS after CEA and CAS. Methods The National Inpatient Sample was queried from 2006–2014 for CEA and CAS performed for asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Overall hospital-level Medicaid prevalence was divided into quartiles. The quartiles were further categorized into low Medicaid prevalence (LM) (lowest quartile), medium Medicaid prevalence (MM) (second and third quartiles), and high Medicaid prevalence (HM) (fourth quartile) cohorts. The primary outcome evaluated was postoperative LOS >1 day. The secondary outcomes included perioperative/in-hospital complications and mortality. Results There were 984,283 patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis who underwent CEA (88%) or CAS (12%). Mean postoperative LOS after CEA at hospitals with LM, MM, and HM prevalence was 1.4 ± 1.5, 2.1 ± 2.5, and 2.2 ± 2.8 days (P = 0.0001), respectively, and after CAS were 1.7 ± 2.6, 1.8 ± 2.1, and 2 ± 2.6 days (P 1 day (P = 0.009). After CAS, relative to LM prevalence, HM prevalence was associated with a higher likelihood of LOS >1 day (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06–1.91) (P = 0.003). After CEA, neurologic (0.8% vs. 0.9% vs. 0.9%, P = 0.83) and cardiac complications (0.9% vs. 1.2% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.24) were similar among hospitals with LM, MM, and HM prevalence, respectively. After CAS, the prevalence of neurological (1.1% vs. 1% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.42) and cardiac complications (2% vs. 1.3% vs. 1.5%, P = 0.46) were also similar. After both CEA and CAS, mortality was similar among Medicaid prevalence cohorts. Conclusions Higher hospital-level Medicaid prevalence was associated with longer LOS after CEA and CAS for asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Value-based payment models should adjust for hospital-level Medicaid prevalence to appropriately reimburse providers and hospital with higher Medicaid prevalence as well as investigate care pathways and systems improvement to help reduce LOS.
Probing surfaces and interfaces in complex oxide films via in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Emergent behavior at oxide interfaces has driven research in complex oxide films for the past 20 years. Interfaces have been engineered for applications in spintronics, topological quantum computing, and high-speed electronics with properties not observed in bulk materials. Advances in synthesis have made the growth of these interfaces possible, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies have often explained the observed interfacial phenomena. This review discusses leading recent research, focusing on key results and the XPS studies that enabled them. We describe how the in situ integration of synthesis and spectroscopy improves the growth process and accelerates scientific discovery. Specific techniques include determination of interfacial intermixing, valence band alignment, and interfacial charge transfer. A recurring theme is the role that atmospheric exposure plays on material properties, which we highlight in several material systems. We demonstrate how synchrotron studies have answered questions that are impossible in lab-based systems and how to improve such experiments in the future.
Efficiently mining rich subgraphs from vertex-attributed graphs

With the rapid collection of large network data such as biological networks and social networks, it has become very important to develop efficient techniques for network analysis. In many domains, additional attribute data can be associated with entities and relationships in the network, where the network data represents relationships among entities in the network and the attribute data represents various characteristics of the corresponding entities and relationships in the network. Simultaneous analysis of both network and attribute data results in detection of subnetworks that are contextually meaningful. We propose an efficient algorithm for enumerating all connected vertex sets in an undirected graph. Extending this enumeration approach, an algorithm for enumerating all maximal cohesive connected vertex sets in a vertex-attributed graph is proposed. To prune search branches that will not yield maximal patterns, we also present three pruning techniques for efficient enumeration of the maximal cohesive connected vertex sets. Our comparative runtime analyses show the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed approaches. Gene set enrichment analysis shows that protein-protein interaction subnetworks with similar cancer dysregulation attributes are biologically significant. Availability: The implementation of the algorithm is available at http://www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu/~ssalem/richsubgraphs.html
Revitalizing Northwood: Morgan State University’s Role in Economic and Community Development

This chapter presents Morgan State University’s role in revitalizing its community targeting economic and business development. Recognizing that building and maintaining significant university-community partnerships is a complex process, the purpose of this chapter is to discuss the role of an urban university in the redevelopment process of its surrounding community, drawing upon the current Morgan State University-Northwood Commons project as a frame of reference. In keeping with its mission, and with its position as Baltimore’s anchor urban research institution, Morgan State University is uniquely positioned to contribute its community’s business and economic development. This case study is especially unique in that as a Historically Black University, Morgan State has a particular opportunity to directly impact its neighborhood, which is made up almost exclusively of African Americans, and which has suffered from severe economic inequality over the past 50 years.
Right ventricular systolic pressure prediction by baseline EKG analysis

Purpose: Electrocardiography is a routine noninvasive method utilized to asses cardiac rhythm, chamber size as well as extra cardiac pathology. The science and methodology which underlies electrocardiography predates most other screening and diagnostic modalities currently used in cardiology practice. The amplitude of the R wave in lead V1 has been postulated to predict the RVSP. This study aims to determine if RVSP can be reliably …
Masculinities Theory as Impetus for Change in Feminism and Law

Abstract Feminist legal scholars have found much in the field of masculinities to enrich the feminist analysis of law. In drawing on and incorporating masculinities theories into legal feminism, feminist scholars have added their own insight into the meaning of “masculinities.” As Nancy Dowd, Nancy Levit, and Ann McGinley explain: “Masculinities” has multiple meanings. First, it is a structure that gives men as a group power over women as a group. Second it is a set of practices, designed to maintain group power, that are considered “masculine.” Third, it is the engagement in or “doing” of these masculine practices by men or women. Finally, the term refers to a body of theory and scholarship by gender experts in various fields of social science. Although masculinities originated in fields outside of law, legal scholars have adopted insights raised by masculinities scholars, combined with those of feminist theory, queer theory, and critical race theory, to develop a legal theory of masculinities that proposes new legal interpretations and policies that better correspond to the lived experiences of persons of different genders, races, and classes. This chapter explores how masculinities research has influenced legal feminism in the U.S.
Toward a clinical optoretinogram: a review of noninvasive, optical tests of retinal neural function.

The past few years have witnessed rapid development of the optoretinogram—a noninvasive, optical measurement of neural function in the retina, and especially the photoreceptors (Ph). While its recent development has been rapid, it represents the culmination of hundreds of experiments spanning decades. Early work showed measurable and reproducible changes in the optical properties of retinal explants and suspensions of Ph, and uncovered some of the biophysical and biochemical mechanisms underlying them. That work thus provided critical motivation for more recent work based on clinical imaging platforms, whose eventual goal is the improvement of ophthalmic care and streamlining the discovery of novel therapeutics. The first part of this review consists of a selective summary of the early work, and identifies four kinds of stimulus-evoked optical signals that have emerged from it: changes in light scattered from the membranous discs of the Ph’s outer segment (OS), changes in light scattered by the front and back boundaries of the OS, rearrangement of scattering material in and near the OS, and changes in the OS length. In the past decade, all four of these signals have continued to be investigated using imaging systems already used in the clinic or intended for clinical and translational use. The second part of this review discusses these imaging modalities, their potential to detect and quantify the signals of interest, and other factors influencing their translational promise. Particular attention is paid to phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) with adaptive optics (AO), a method in which both the amplitude and the phase of light reflected from individual Ph is monitored as visible stimuli are delivered to them. The record of the light’s phase is decoded to reveal a reproducible pattern of deformation in the OS, while the amplitude reveals changes in scattering and structural rearrangements. The method has been demonstrated in a few labs and has been used to measure responses from both rods and cones. With the ability to detect responses to stimuli isomerizing less than 0.01% of photopigment, this technique may prove to be a quick, noninvasive, and objective way to measure subtle disease-related dysfunction at the cellular level, and thus to provide an entirely new and complementary biomarker for retinal disease and recovery.
Fertilizing morality: How religiosity and orientations toward science shape the morality, immorality, and amorality of reproductive technologies.

Scientific innovations continue to advance the possibilities of human reproduction, raising important empirical and ethical questions. In vitro fertilization, disease reproductive genetic technolog...
Phthalate and novel plasticizer concentrations in food items from U.S. fast food chains: a preliminary analysis.

BACKGROUND Fast food consumption is associated with biomarkers of ortho-phthalates exposures. However, the chemical content of fast food is unknown; certain ortho-phthalates (i.e., di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) have been phased out and replaced with other plasticizers (e.g., dioctyl terephthalate (DEHT)). OBJECTIVE We conducted a preliminary study to examine ortho-phthalate and replacement plasticizer concentrations in foods and food handling gloves from U.S. fast food restaurants. METHODS We obtained hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, chicken burritos, cheese pizza (n = 64 food samples) and gloves (n = 3) from restaurants and analyzed them for 11 chemicals using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS We found DEHT at the highest concentrations in both foods (n = 19; median = 2510 µg/kg; max = 12,400 µg/kg) and gloves (n = 3; range: 28-37% by weight). We detected DnBP and DEHP in 81% and 70% of food samples, respectively. Median DEHT concentrations were significantly higher in burritos than hamburgers (6000 µg/kg vs. 2200 µg/kg; p < 0.0001); DEHT was not detected in fries. Cheese pizza had the lowest levels of most chemicals. SIGNIFICANCE To our knowledge, these are the first measurements of DEHT in food. Our preliminary findings suggest that ortho-phthalates remain ubiquitous and replacement plasticizers may be abundant in fast food meals. IMPACT STATEMENT A selection of popular fast food items sampled in this study contain detectable levels of replacement plasticizers and concerning ortho-phthalates. In addition, food handling gloves contain replacement plasticizers, which may be a source of food contamination. These results, if confirmed, may inform individual and regulatory exposure reduction strategies.
Zooplankton Community Grazing Impact on a Toxic Bloom of Alexandrium fundyense in the Nauset Marsh System, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.

Abstract Embayments and salt ponds along the coast of Massachusetts can host localized blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense. One such system, exhibiting a long history of toxicity and annual closures of shellfish beds, is the Nauset Marsh System (NMS) on Cape Cod. In order to measure net growth rates of natural A. fundyense populations in the NMS during spring 2012, incubation experiments were conducted on seawater samples from two salt ponds within the NMS (Salt Pond and Mill Pond). Seawater samples containing natural populations of grazers and A. fundyense were incubated at ambient temperatures. Concentrations of A. fundyense after incubations were compared to initial abundances to determine net increases from population growth, or decreases presumed to be primarily due to grazing losses. Abundances of both microzooplankton (ciliates, rotifers, copepod nauplii and heterotrophic dinoflagellates) and mesozooplankton (copepodites and adult copepods, marine cladocerans, and meroplankton) grazers were also determined. This study documented net growth rates that were highly variable throughout the bloom, calculated from weekly bloom cell counts from the start of sampling to bloom peak in both ponds (Mill Pond range = 0.12–0.46 d−1; Salt Pond range = −0.02 to 0.44 d−1). Microzooplankton grazers that were observed with ingested A. fundyense cells included polychaete larvae, rotifers, tintinnids, and heterotrophic dinoflagellates of the genera Polykrikos and Gymnodinium. Significant A. fundyense net growth was observed in two incubation experiments, and only a single experiment exhibited significant population losses. For the majority of experiments, due to high variability in data, net changes in A. fundyense abundance were not significant after the 24-h incubations. However, experimental net growth rates through bloom peak were not statistically distinguishable from estimated long-term average net growth rates of natural populations in each pond (Mill Pond = 0.27 d−1 and Salt Pond = 0.20 d−1), which led to peak bloom concentrations on the order of 106 cells l−1 in both ponds. Experimental net growth rates from the incubations underestimated the observed natural net growth rates at several time intervals prior to bloom peak, which may indicate that natural populations experienced additional sources of vegetative cells or periods of reduced losses that the 24-h incubation experiments did not capture, or that the experimental procedure introduced containment artifacts.
Routledge Handbook of South Asian Politics : India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal

1. Introduction Paul R. Brass Part 1 Colonialism, Nationalism, and Independence in South Asia: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka 1. India and Pakistan Ian Talbot 2. Sri Lanka's Independence: Shadows Over a Colonial Graft Nira Wickramasinghe Part 2 Political Change, Political Parties, and the Issue of Unitary vs. Federal Forms of Government 3. Political Change, Political Structure and the Indian State Since Independence John Harriss 4. Parties and Politics in India Virginia Van Dyke 5. Pakistan's Politics and Its Economy Shahid Javed Burki 6. Party Overinstitutionalization, Contestation and Democratic Degradation in Bangladesh Harry Blair 7. Politics and Governance in Post-Independence Sri Lanka Neil DeVotta 8. Trajectories of Democracy and Restructuring of the State in Nepal Krishna Hachhethu and David N. Gellner Federalism and Centre-State Relations 9. The Old and the New Federalism in Independent India Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph Part 3 The Judiciary 10. India's Judiciary: Imperium in Imperio? Shylashri Shankar 11. Balancing Act: Prudence, Impunity and Pakistan's Jurisprudence Paula R. Newberg 12. Confronting Constitutional Curtailments: Attempts to Rebuild Independence of the Judiciary in Bangladesh Sara Hossein and Tanjib-ul Alam 13. Executive Sovereignty: The Judiciary in Sri Lanka Shylashri Shankar Part 4 Pluralism and National Integration: Language Issues 14. Politics of Language in India E. Annamalai 15. Language Problems and Politics in Pakistan Tariq Rahman Part 5 Crises of National Unity 16. Crises of National Unity in India: Punjab, Kashmir and the Northeast Gurharpal Singh 17. Communal and Caste Politics and Conflicts in India Steven I. Wilkinson 18. Ethnic and Islamic Militancy in Pakistan Mohammad Waseem 19. Ethnic Conflict and the Civil War in Sri Lanka Jayadeva Uyangoda Part 6 Political Economy India 20. The Political Economy of Development in India Since Independence Stuart Corbridge 21. The Political Economy of Agrarian Change in India Jan Breman Sri Lanka 22. Economic Development and Socio-Political Change in Sri Lanka since Independence W. D. Lakshman Part 7 Comparative Chapters 23. The Militaries of South Asia Stephen P. Cohen 24. Corruption and the Criminalization of Politics in South Asia Stanley A. Kochanek 25. Radical and Violent Political Movements Sumanta Banerjee 26. The International Politics of South Asia Vernon Hewitt Bibliography
Genetic analysis of discrete reproductive traits in sheep using linear and nonlinear models: I. Estimation of genetic parameters.

Repeated records on fertility, litter size, and ovulation rate of Rambouillet ewes and on fertility and litter size of Finnsheep ewes were used to estimate heritabilities and repeatabilities with linear and nonlinear sire and animal models. Linear sire (LSM) and animal models were used with all traits. Nonlinear models were the threshold, Poisson, and negative binomial. Threshold sire (TSM) and animal models were used with all traits. Litter size and ovulation rate were analyzed also with Poisson sire and animal models and with negative binomial sire and animal models. Variance components for linear models were estimated using REML; in the threshold, Poisson, and negative binomial, they were estimated using approximate marginal maximum likelihood. Poisson and negative binomial analyses yielded results difficult to interpret due to problems in variance component estimation. Animal models resulted in slightly greater estimates of heritability for fertility than did sire models, but ovulation rate heritability estimates from sire models were much greater than estimates from animal models. Differ- ences between sire and animal models for heritability estimates for litter size were not consistent. Threshold models resulted in higher heritability estimates for all traits in both breeds and with both sire and animal models. In general, repeatabilities were consistent across models. For example, LSM (TSM) repeatabili- ties were .10 (.14) for fertility, .20 (.25) for litter size, and .25 ( .29) for ovulation rate in the Rambouillet, and .17 ( .17) for fertility and .11 (.13) for litter size in the Finnsheep.
Metamaterial inspired periodic structure used for microfluidic sensing

A novel metamaterial inspired resonating structure coupled with a microfluidic channel has been evaluated for sensing applications in the microwave frequency range. The structure is based on an open split ring resonator (OSRR) design, was simulated in a finite element analysis tool (Ansys HFSS®) and tested using a Vector Network Analyzer to detect changes in resonant frequency, amplitude, and phase due to dielectric loading from different chemicals in the microfluidic channel. The sensor was tested as a single unit cell, in a three cell aperiodic array and as an array of three different frequencies. Different concentrations of water-isopropanol (IPA) and watermethanol were used to characterize the sensor. Additionally, a biosensor application was demonstrated in detecting glucose-d concentration in deionized water.
Observations on non-commutative field theories in coordinate space

We discuss non-commutative field theories in coordinate space. To do so we introduce pseudo-localized operators that represent interesting position dependent (gauge invariant) observables. The formalism may be applied to arbitrary field theories, with or without supersymmetry. The formalism has a number of intuitive advantages. First it makes clear the appearance of new degrees of freedom in the infrared. Second, it allows for a study of correlation functions of (composite) operators. Thus we calculate the two point function in position space of the insertion of certain composite operators. We demonstrate that, even at tree level, many of the by now familiar properties of non-commutative field theories are manifest and have simple interpretations. The form of correlation functions are such that certain singularities may be interpreted in terms of dimensional reduction along the non-commutative directions: this comes about because these are theories of fundamental dipoles.
Insulin acts in hypokalemic periodic paralysis by reducing inward rectifier K current

Objective: To define how insulin acts in hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP). Background: HypoPP results from point mutations of the skeletal muscle L-type Ca 2+ channel. Attacks of flaccid paralysis are associated with hypokalemia and triggered by insulin. A persistent inward current causes depolarization-induced paralysis. The relationships of the Ca 2+ channel mutations to the persistent inward current and how insulin triggers paralytic attacks are not yet known. Methods: Intercostal muscle fibers from HypoPP and normal subjects were studied in vitro at 37 °C using two electrodes to determine action potential thresholds and a three-electrode voltage clamp to study membrane currents. Results: HypoPP fibers were depolarized in bathing solution with 4 mM K + . Reducing K + from 4.0 mM to 2.5 or 1.0 mM depolarized HypoPP fibers but hyperpolarized normal fibers. Adding 12 mU/mL of insulin to bathing fluids increased the depolarization of HypoPP fibers and increased the hyperpolarization of normal fibers. Depolarized HypoPP had increased action potential thresholds. The fraction of excitable muscle fibers decreased with increasing fiber depolarization. Blocking Na + channels or L-type Ca 2+ channels did not prevent depolarization induced by hypokalemia or by insulin. Insulin reduced the conductance of the inward rectifier K + channel for outward-flowing currents. Conclusions: Insulin potentiates depolarization of hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP) fibers by reducing inward rectifier K + conductance. The Ca 2+ mutations in HypoPP indirectly derange membrane excitability by altering the function of other membrane channels.
James Baldwin’s ‘Everybody’s Protest Novel’: Educating our responses to racism

AbstractThe aim of this article is to establish—and explore—James Baldwin’s significance for educational theory. Through a close reading of ‘Everybody’s Protest Novel’, I show that Baldwin’s thinking is an important (if unrecognized) precursor to the work of Stanley Cavell and Cora Diamond, and is relevant to a number of problems that are educationally significant, in particular problems of race and racism.
The partitioning of radionuclides during coal combustion

Abstract An important issue is the environmental impact of radionuclide-containing waste products from coal combustion. Radionuclides vaporize in the hot portions of the coal combustor and then return to the solid phase in cooler downstream zones. Understanding the mechanisms by which radionuclides transform from the vapor to the solid phase is an important step for predicting and mitigating the effect of these radionuclides upon the environment. This paper describes studies of post-combustion phase radionuclide transformations using a pilot-scale combustor. Particulates were collected at two locations and analyzed using neutron activation. Comparing the distribution of radionuclides at the two locations has suggested mechanisms for the partitioning of cesium, thorium, cobalt, and cerium. During combustion of Pittsburgh or Illinois #6 coals, some radionuclides are vaporized in the combustion zone then partition back to the solid phase onto the surface or within pores of supermicron-size particles in the post-combustion zone. Cesium and cobalt are reactive with aluminum–silica compounds (e.g. kaolinite) in the supermicron particle matrix. During the combustion of an Ohio 5/6/7 blend coal, a portion of the radionuclides vaporize well into the post-combustion zone then partition back to the solid phase onto the surface of submicron-size particles in the post-combustion zone. However, a greater portion of the radionuclides appear to remain non-volatilized in supermicron particle fragments passing through the combustor. Cesium, thorium, and cobalt are reactive with aluminum compounds in the submicron particles.
Stability in Mother-Child Interactions from Infancy through Adolescence.

Objective. This study examined homotypic stability in mother–child interactions, applying similar rating scales of mother–child interactions at 1 and 4.5 years, and heterotypic stability from 1 to 13 years and 4.5 to 13 years, using conceptually similar but not identical rating scales at age 13. Design. The authors coded videotaped mother–child interactions in 202 families when children were 1, 4.5, and 13 years of age during age-appropriate and developmentally salient structured tasks for relationship quality. Results. Multiple regression analyses controlled for the effects of child birth order and gender as well as maternal age and education. Maternal and dyadic, but not child, interaction qualities at 1 year significantly predicted similar or equivalent constructs at 4.5 and 13 years. Heterotypic stability from 1 to 13 years was partially or fully mediated by the same constructs at 4.5 years. Conclusions. Maternal behaviors showed a pattern of homotypic and heterotypic stability, whereas dyadic behavio...
A planned approach for transferring research knowledge

Several sources are quoted that substantiate the concept that for technology to be effectively used it is necessary to disseminate the technology using a variety of means. The paper then goes on to describe in detail the Forest Service approach to technology dissemination. Some data is shown that substantiates the effectiveness of the Forest Service planned approach to the transferring of research knowledge.
Transmembrane Domain Interactions and Residue Proline 378 Are Essential for Proper Structure, Especially Disulfide Bond Formation, in the Human Vitamin K-Dependent γ-Glutamyl Carboxylase†

We used recombinant techniques to create a two-chain form (residues 1-345 and residues 346-758) of the vitamin K-dependent gamma-glutamyl carboxylase, a glycoprotein located in the endoplasmic reticulum containing five transmembrane domains. The two-chain carboxylase had carboxylase and epoxidase activities similar to those of one-chain carboxylase. In addition, it had normal affinity for the propeptide of factor IX. We employed this molecule to investigate formation of the one disulfide bond in carboxylase, the transmembrane structure of carboxylase, and the potential interactions among the carboxylase's transmembrane domains. Our results indicate that the two peptides of the two-chain carboxylase are joined by a disulfide bond. Proline 378 is important for the structure necessary for disulfide formation. Results with the P378L carboxylase indicate that noncovalent bonds maintain the two-chain structure even when the disulfide bond is disrupted. As we had previously proposed, the fifth transmembrane domain of carboxylase is the last and only transmembrane domain in the C-terminal peptide of the two-chain carboxylase. We show that the noncovalent association between the two chains of carboxylase involves an interaction between the fifth transmembrane domain and the second transmembrane domain. Results of a homology model of transmembrane domains 2 and 5 suggest that not only do these two domains associate but that transmembrane domain 2 may interact with another transmembrane domain. This latter interaction may be mediated at least in part by a motif of glycine residues in the second transmembrane domain.
Rationale for anabolic therapy to facilitate rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) afflicts millions of people and is severely disabling. Exercise intolerance is usually the chief complaint. There are few effective therapies. Pulmonary rehabilitation seeks to return the patient to the highest possible level of function but cannot reverse the underlying pulmonary abnormalities. Several lines of evidence have recently pointed to abnormalities of the muscles of ambulation as a remediable source of exercise intolerance in COPD. Possible mechanisms of the muscle abnormalities include deconditioning, malnutrition, low levels of anabolic hormones and, perhaps, a specific myopathy. To date, most reports of attempts to reverse muscle dysfunction in COPD have focused on exercise training. However, abnormalities in the level of circulating anabolic hormones have recently been described, suggesting that anabolic hormone supplementation may be rational therapy for these patients. Accumulating evidence that anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and improve strength in older men is encouraging trials of anabolic steroids in men with COPD.
Fatigue crack propagation behaviour of unidirectionally solidified γ/γ′-δ eutectic alloys

Fatigue crack propagation (FCP) studies were conducted on a series ofγ/γ′-δ (Ni-Nb-Al) alloys by subjecting them to cyclic four-point bending loads at room temperature. The aluminium contents of the alloys investigated ranged from 1.5% to 2.5% by weight, with the niobium contents adjusted to maintain controlled eutectic microstructures. In addition to studies of as-grown alloys, heat treatments were performed on several of the alloys to determine the effect of resultant changes in microstructure on FCP behaviour. Crack growth rates from approximately 2×10−6 to 10−3 mm/cycle were recorded as a function of the crack tip stress intensity factor range. The growth rates for the heat-treated alloys differed little from the as-grown FCP behaviour. Comparison with other published results indicated that the addition of aluminium was beneficial to FCP resistance, although the level of aluminium addition (within the investigated range of 1.5 to 2.5% by weight) did not influence the crack growth rates. Based on a comparison with previously reported results, chromium additions were seen to have a detrimental effect on FCP behaviour. Fractographic studies revealed the superior fatigue behaviour of theγ/γ′-δ eutectic composite to be a result of repeated grain boundary delamination as the crack progressed through the microstructure.
Reactions to positive and negative feedback: Enhancement and consistency effects

Reactions of low, medium, and high self-esteem subjects to positive and negative feedback were explored in two studies of college undergraduates. Results indicated that feedback variables may be categorized along a continuum that includes affectively and cognitively mediated variables. Mood and satisfaction ratings were related to feedback and not to self-esteem level; attribution following failure feedback, source accuracy ratings, and performance improvement were related in some respects to both feedback and self-esteem level. Also, task importance ratings related to feedback and not to self-esteem, and changes in self-evaluations were unrelated to feedback or self-esteem.
Kohn-Sham calculations with self-interaction-corrected local-spin-density exchange-correlation energy functional for atomic systems.

We have investigated the accuracy of the local-spin-density approximation with orbital-density-dependent self-interaction correction (LSDSIC) as proposed by Perdew and Zunger within a Kohn-Sham approach in which electrons with a given spin projection all move in a single optimized effective potential (OEP). We have also studied the accuracy of the Krieger-Li-Iafrate (KLI) approximation to the OEP for the same energy functional in order to assess its applicability to systems in which the integral equation for the OEP cannot be reduced to a one-dimensional problem, e.g., molecules. Self-consistent Kohn-Sham LSDSIC calculations have been performed for atoms with atomic number Z=1--20 in the exchange-only case for the total energy, the highest-occupied orbital energy ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}_{\mathit{m}}$, and the expectation value of ${\mathit{r}}^{2}$. In addition, the structure of the resulting exchange potential is examined and compared with the exact exchange-only density-functional theory (OEP method with Hartree-Fock exchange-energy functional) results. Furthermore, we display ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}_{\mathit{m}}$, the ionization potential I, and the electron affinity A when both exchange and correlation energy effects are included. Finally, we also consider the results of evaluating the LSDSIC energy functional by employing the exact (in the central-field approximation) single particle orbitals as proposed by Harrison. We find that the LSDSIC energy functional generally leads to calculated values that are superior to those provided by the LSD approximation and that the KLI approximation yields results in excellent agreement with the corresponding exact OEP results for this energy functional. In particular, quantities strongly related to the behavior of the valence electrons are nearly identical in both the OEP and KLI calculations, i.e., the difference between the 〈${\mathit{r}}^{2}$〉 and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}_{\mathit{m}}$ is less than 0.2% on average, while the difference between the calculated I is less than 0.2 millihartree on average with the corresponding difference of only 0.1 millihartree for A. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Metaheuristics for meltshop scheduling in the steel industry

The scheduling of a meltshop at an integrated steel plant is a very complex and important logistical industrial problem. This problem requires the synchronization of several steelmaking furnaces, degassing facilities, ladle treatment stations, and continuous casters. In this paper, we discuss how an efficient domain-specific heuristic is combined with metaheuristic approaches in a prototype scheduling model. Specifically, given preliminary schedules for the continuous casters, the model determines the allocation, sequencing, and scheduling of batches of steel at the basic oxygen steelmaking furnaces, the degassing facilities, and the ladle treatment stations. It also makes the appropriate schedule modifications at the continuous casters. Computational results will be discussed.
Spatially discrete models of counter-current mass transport for application to the kidney

Abstract Within the kidney the transport of many solute species and water is accomplished by the parallel operation of several counter-current transport systems. The simulation of these processes requires the solution of a non-linear, two-point boundary value problem with many simultaneous equations. Standard formulations of the problem involve the solution of a set of one-dimensional, plug-transport equations. Rather than seek an accurate solution of this spatially continuous model, which is only an approximation to the real system, we investigated spatially discrete analogs. The motivation for use of spatially discrete models is to simulate with much more efficiency the detailed simultaneous transport processes of many solutes and water. The membrane flux equations of these models describe solvent drag as well as passive and active transport of solutes. In this study, we investigated a perfectly mixed compartment model and an improved Euler (semi-discretized) model. The solutions of these models were compared to the numerical solution of a standard spatially continuous model. For efficient numerical solution of the continuous model, the equations were arranged to yield a band matrix structure and a triangular decomposition procedure was applied. The model solutions were compared for convergence, efficiency, and accuracy for a variety of parameter values. With membrane parameter values typical of tubule segments of the rat kidney, a spatial step size as large as 1 mm (roughly one-seventh the length of the renal medulla of the rat) was found to be suitable for both discrete models.
Percutaneous Subclavian Artery Bypass for Myocardial Perfusion During Endovascular Intervention

A 75-year-old woman with familial hypercholesterolemia was admitted with unstable angina. Thirteen years earlier, she had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting with a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and subsequently bilateral common carotid bypass surgery through a second sternotomy 3 years later. Physical examination revealed left brachial hypotension, a left subclavian bruit, and features of severe aortic stenosis. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated severe valvular and supravalvular aortic obstruction with an area of 0.50 cm2. Noncontrast computed tomography showed complete calcification of the ascending aorta (porcelain aorta) and confirmed supravalvular obstruction with calcific plaque (Figure 1). She was subsequently offered placement of a left ventricular apex-descending aorta conduit through a left thoracotomy. Preoperative diagnostic angiography revealed a critical ostial left subclavian artery stenosis, with flow reversal in the vertebral artery and preferential entering of contrast into the LIMA (steal phenomenon, Figure 2, Movie 1). The LIMA graft was widely …
Parallelism versus Memory Allocation in Pipelined Router Forwarding Engines

A crucial problem that needs to be solved is the allocation of memory to processors in a pipeline. Ideally, the processor memories should be totally separate (i.e., one-port memories) in order to minimize contention; however, this minimizes memory sharing. Idealized sharing occurs by using a single shared memory for all processors but this maximizes contention. Instead, in this paper we show that perfect memory sharing of shared memory can be achieved with a collection of two-port memories, as long as the number of processors is less than the number of memories. We show that the problem of allocation is NP-complete in general, but has a fast approximation algorithm that comes within a factor of $\frac 32$ asymptotically. The proof utilizes a new bin packing model, which is interesting in its own right. Further, for important special cases that arise in practice a more sophisticated modification of this approximation algorithm is in fact optimal. We also discuss the online memory allocation problem and present fast online algorithms that provide good memory utilization while allowing fast updates.
Structure of Acetylcholine

IN a recent letter, Chothia and Pauling1 comment on our paper dealing with the determinants of specificity at cholinergic synapses2. They correctly point out that we do not define the conformation of acetylcholine which is responsible for its action at nicotinic sites. Moreover, they present a calculation to show that because the acetylcholine ester grouping is not planar in the conformation shown in the figures, it represents only a negligible proportion of the molecules in solution. From this they conclude that this model of acetylcholine is not relevant to the roles of the molecule as a neurotransmitter.
Reliability Assessment of Lead-Free Universal Solder for Direct Bonding in Power Electronics Packaging

A novel, lead-free universal (rare earth) solder is investigated for high temperature power electronics packaging. The material is Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu solder with small additions of a rare earth element exhibiting superb bonding properties. It is capable of direct, reliable bonding of dissimilar materials without the use of flux and eliminates the need for multilayer metallization which is typically required to aid in wetting. The problem of surface oxidation is done away with because of the strong thermodynamic affinity of the rare earth metal in the solder to oxygen. [1] This paper offers a first investigation of the thermal performance and reliability of this universal solder joint for power switching applications.