cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collaborative Governance and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is the largest federal program focused on increasing the supply of affordable housing. The credit is designed as a collaboration among the federal government, states, localities, developers, and investors. But it is not meeting its goals. Budget hawks have noted that costs have increased while units have fallen and that there is waste and fraud. Civil rights and equity advocates focus on how LIHTC exacerbates segregation and traps children in poverty. But the solutions proposed are atomized and disparate. This Article seeks the root cause of these disparate problems. It draws on the concept of collaborative governance from public administration and administrative law as a framework for analysis. This analysis reveals that there are divergent preferences between the parties and the federal government. These divergent preferences are poorly managed and ineffectively monitored as-is, and the incentives indeed exacerbate these different preferences. The Article then proposes a series of reforms based on these insights. It first suggests some internal reforms to the program, mainly directed at better aligning party incentives with federal goals and at having IRS improve its financial monitoring of the projects. But, most importantly, the proposal seeks to draw in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist IRS in the management and administration of LIHTC. It provides a detailed framework as to how to achieve an effective interagency effort that can improve monitoring on other dimensions where IRS lacks expertise. This use of interagency efforts and the collaborative governance framework in LIHTC also serves as a case study of how to analyze and manage other social policy related tax expenditures.
Cognitive flexibility in critical CHD: a target for intervention

Most children born with even the most critical forms of CHD are now surviving well into adulthood. However, with increased survival has come increased recognition of the diverse neurobehavioural and psychosocial challenges these children experience. Among these challenges are deficits in executive function skills, including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Over the past several years, whereas inhibitory control and working memory deficits have garnered particular attention among clinicians and interventionists, relatively less attention has been paid to cognitive flexibility. This is unfortunate given both the high prevalence of cognitive flexibility deficits observed in children and adolescents with critical CHD, and also the far-reaching relevance of cognitive flexibility in helping individuals achieve optimal quality of life across the lifespan. This paper reviews the construct of cognitive flexibility, including its definition, development, measurement, and neuroanatomical basis, provides a summary of how cognitive flexibility is affected by CHD, and offers evidence-based recommendations to systematically support the development of cognitive flexibility within the context of CHD.
A New Paradigm for Addressing Health Disparities in Inner-City Environments: Adopting a Disaster Zone Approach

Inner cities are characterized by intergenerational poverty, limited educational opportunities, poor health, and high levels of segregation. Human capital, defined as the intangible, yet integral economically productive aspects of individuals, is limited by factors influencing inner-city populations. Inner-city environments are consistent with definitions of disasters causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of the affected community. This article presents a framework for improving health among inner-city populations using a multidisciplinary approach drawn from medicine, economics, and disaster response. Results from focus groups and photovoice conducted in Milwaukee, WI are used as a case study for a perspective on using this approach to address health disparities. A disaster approach provides a long-term focus on improving overall health and decreasing health disparities in the inner city, instead of a short-term focus on immediate relief of a single symptom. Adopting a disaster approach to inner-city environments is an innovative way to address the needs of those living in some of the most marginalized communities in the country.
Synthesis and Multiplexed Activity Profiling of Synthetic Acylphloroglucinol Scaffolds

Reported here are novel formic-acid-mediated rearrangements of dearomatized acylphloroglucinols to access a structurally diverse group of synthetic acylphloroglucinol scaffolds (SASs). Density-functional theory (DFT) optimized orbital and stereochemical analyses shed light on the mechanism of these rearrangements. Products were evaluated by multiplexed activity profiling (MAP), an unbiased platform which assays multiple biological readouts simultaneously at single-cell resolution for markers of cell signaling, and can aid in distinguishing genuine activity from assay interference. MAP identified a number of SASs that suppressed pS6 (Ser235/236), a marker for activation of the mTOR and ERK signaling pathways. These results illustrate how biomimetic synthesis and multiplexed activity profiling can reveal the pharmacological potential of novel chemotypes by diversity-oriented synthesis.
Application of templated vapor-liquid-solid growth to heteroepitaxy of InP on Si

Direct growth of III–V semiconductors on Si promises to combine the superior optoelectronic properties of III–Vs with the existing large-scale fabrication capabilities for Si. Vapor-liquid-solid-based growth techniques have previously been used to grow optoelectronic-quality III–Vs in polycrystalline films and various photolithography-defined features. We show that templated vapor-liquid-solid growth can produce epitaxial material when performed on crystalline substrates. In templated vapor-liquid-solid growth, the metal group-III precursor is evaporated along with a capping SiO 2 layer on the crystalline substrate, then melted and converted with exposure to a vapor-phase group-V precursor. We demonstrate homoepitaxial growth of InP on InP wafers using two forms of the SiO x capping layer to confine the liquid metal: evaporated SiO 2 and solgel SiO x, the latter of which is necessary for growth on Si. We then demonstrate heteroepitaxial growth of InP islands on Si substrates from both evaporated and electroplated In metals. The templated vapor-liquid-solid process provides better material utilization and growth rates than common vapor-phase techniques, with similar control and convenience, providing a path toward the large-scale fabrication of integrated optoelectronic components.
Judging a Book: Ginsburg Reviews 'The Curse of Bigness'

This article is part of an Expert Analysis series of book reviews from judges originally published on Law360.
Unsupervised Learning with Neural Networks: Autoencoders

In this chapter, we study an approach to unsupervised learning using neural networks called an autoencoder. An autoencoder attempts to find a small set of latent variables, called codes, that can be used to represent a larger data set. This is similar to the singular value decomposition we previously discussed where a small set of uncorrelated variables is sought to represent a larger set of variables. In an autoencoder, we fit a neural network of the identity: f(x) = x, where the hidden layers have an hourglass structure such that a central hidden layer has a smaller number of nodes than the inputs. The values of these central hidden units give us the latent variables. There are versions of autoencoders that use convolutions that we discuss as well. We apply autoencoders to hyper-spectral data from foliage, as well as image data from a set of physics simulations. Finally, we demonstrate that the latent variables found by an autoencoder can be used as inputs to supervised learning problems.
Direct Absorption Receiver System for High Temperature

A design study for a 900°C, direct absorption, solar central receiver concept has been performed. The eutectic mixture of sodium, potassium, and lithium carbonates was the heat absorbing fluid. This molten salt has several desired properties but is corrosive at 900°C, so that finding suitable materials of construction is one of the key problems in developing this technique. Such research, development, and design issues as flow and heat-transfer characteristics of the film, cavity layout, and downcomer piping design are discussed. The overall performance of the system has been predicted, based on current knowledge, and these results are presented.
Communication Model for Module-Based Knowledge Systems

Publisher Summary Module-based knowledge systems are alternative paradigms for knowledge-based system development. Based on the concept of open information systems, module-based systems consist of several smaller independently developed subsystems (or modules) those communicate and cooperate by passing messages (knowledge, data, information) during problem solving. This chapter presents a communication model based on the theory of language for module-based knowledge systems environments. The emphasis in proposing the communication model and its structure is not on specific hardware or software, but on mechanisms that are logical in nature and so independent of hardware and software. The communication model is described and implemented using open intelligent information system architecture. However, the implementation can also be performed on different hardware platforms as well as in an environment where the autonomous subsystems exist on varied hardware platforms. In the case of a heterogeneous hardware environment, the services of the upper layers of the OSI communication standard are utilized in the chapter. To facilitate implementation of the communication model, a conceptual framework for developing module-based knowledge systems called “open intelligent information system architecture” is utilized. The framework presented in the chapter outlines (1) the nature of autonomous (or independent) subsystems that exist in such an environment and (2) the mechanisms by which the autonomous subsystems cooperate during problem solving.
Tax Preferences and Mandates: Is the Danish Savings Experience Applicable to the United States?

In an environment where lawmakers are struggling to raise tax revenue, public-policy tax “expenditures” have come under heavy scrutiny. In particular, tax preferences to boost retirement savings in employer-provided retirement plans has been at the center of such discussions. A recent study by Chetty et al., based on data from Denmark, has called into question the usefulness of such retirement tax expenditures in boosting savings. Using quasi-experiments, rich data, and robust statistical methods, the authors of the Danish study offered evidence that changes in the tax preferences for the Danish work place retirement savings plans had virtually no effect on total savings. This has prompted discussions in the United States about the possible modification of tax preferences for employment-based retirement savings plans in this country. This paper examines whether the findings from Denmark are relevant to the United States. The two retirement systems have some similarities but also major differences -- mainly that, unlike in the United States, in Denmark the availability of employment-based, tax-deferred retirement plans is not tied to the tax-deferred status of the accounts. However, aside from the differences in incentive structures between the two countries, the EBRI paper notes that the study of Danish workers examined only the impact that changes in tax incentives for work place retirement plans might have on worker savings behaviors -- but did not address how employers might react to changes in retirement savings tax incentives. Evidence suggests U.S. employers would react negatively to a loss of tax incentives by reducing or ending their retirement plans. Unless the behavior of both employers and workers are considered, the likely effects of any change in tax preference for retirement plans are speculative, at best. Finally, while the study of Danish savings behaviors presented the impact of tax-incentives and the “nudges” of automatic mandatory savings as an “either/or” solution, the optimal solution -- certainly for a voluntary system such as the one currently in place in the United States -- may well be a combination of the two.The PDF for the above title, published in the January 2013 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another January 2013 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Views on Health Coverage and Retirement: Findings from the 2012 Health Confidence Survey.®”
Structure and Physical Properties of Columnar Liquid Crystals

This article has no abstract. Keywords: liquid crystals; disk-shaped molecules; mesophase; aliphatic chains; anisotropy; discotic nematics; discotics
Full wave electrical modeling of MCM by robust design methodology

The author describes the modeling of a glass ceramic multichip module (MCM) by using statistical design techniques. The electrical design of the MCM was achieved by a robust design technique using a full-wave electromagnetic solver. The design point was determined by modeling a five-level fractional factorial matrix covering the full range of the process capabilities. The design point yielded a 50- Omega characteristic impedance and a near-end noise of >
An Empirical Approach to Understanding Privacy Valuation

The purpose of this paper is to detect the presence of sophisticated economic motives behind individual concerns for privacy. Recent theories of privacy demands in commercial contexts have assumed an economically aware and sophisticated consumer, capable of evaluating the indirect consequences of information transmission. We present evidence, from a large-scale experiment evoking a realistic context, that privacy concerns are indeed sensitive to the indirect consequences of information transmission.
Abstract 1239: CDKN2B loss promotes progression from benign melanocytic nevus to melanoma

The CDKN2A locus on chromosome 9p21 encodes two tumor suppressors: the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p16INK4a and the MDM2 regulator p14ARF. Homozygous deletion of this locus is among the most common genetic events in human cancer across tissues, with the resultant selective advantage to cancer cells generally attributed to the loss of CDKN2A proteins, which help maintain functional Rb and p53. However, in greater than 90% of cancer tissues harboring CDKN2A deletion, the adjacent CDKN2B gene encoding the p15 cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, is also deleted. The degree to which CDKN2B-encoded p15 loss contributes to human tumorigenesis is unclear. Here we show that CDKN2B is highly upregulated in common, benign melanocytic nevi (moles) expressing the constitutively active BRAF(V600E) oncogene. A large percentage of melanomas develop in continuity with these pre-existing nevi, suggesting that nevus melanocytes are not permanently senescent, and can serve as tumor-initiating cells upon acquisition of additional genetic changes. By examining primary melanocytes isolated directly from freshly excised benign human nevi, as well as normal primary melanocytes engineered to inducibly express BRAF(V600E), we link BRAF activation to a TGFβ-dependent p15 induction that arrests nevi in their pre-malignant state. We also use the primary nevus cells to establish a new genetically-defined, human in vivo melanoma xenograft model, which maximizes medical relevance by utilizing the naturally occurring melanoma precursor cells in a native 3-dimensional environment. With this approach, we show that p15 depletion in benign nevi promotes progression to melanoma, establishing the reversibility of nevus melanocyte growth arrest, and the functional importance of CDKN2B loss in human cancer. Citation Format: Andrew McNeal, Kevin Liu, Vihang Nakhate, Christopher Natale, Brian Capell, Tzvete Dentchev, Shelley Berger, Meenhard Herlyn, John Seykora, Todd W. Ridky. CDKN2B loss promotes progression from benign melanocytic nevus to melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1239. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1239
An automated 476 MHz RF cavity processing facility at SLAC

The 476 MHz accelerating cavities currently used at SLAC are those installed on the PEP-II B-Factory collider accelerator. They are designed to operate at a maximum accelerating voltage of 1 MV and are routinely utilized on PEP-II at voltages up to 750 kV. During the summer of 2003, SPEAR will undergo a substantial upgrade, part of which will be to replace the existing 358.54 MHz RF system with essentially a PEP-II high energy ring (HER) RF station operating at 476.3 MHz and 3.2 MV (or 800 kV/cavity). Prior to installation, cavity RF processing is required to prepare them for use. A dedicated high power test facility is employed at SLAC to provide the capability of conditioning each cavity up to the required accelerating voltage. An automated LabVIEW based interface controls and monitors various cavity and test stand parameters, increasing the RF fields accordingly such that stable operation is finally achieved. This paper describes the high power RF cavity processing facility, highlighting the features of the automated control system and illustrating its operation with some recent high power processing results.
Aristotelianism and Atomism Combined: Gorlaeus on Knowledge of Universals

Seventeenth-century atomist David Gorlaeus rejects Aristotelian forms and real universals in things while accepting components of Aristotelian accounts of knowledge including sensible species, the immateriality of the intellect and key features of realist theories of universals. To resolve two puzzles raised by his theory of knowledge I interpret Gorlaeus’ claims about universals in light of a contemporaneous Aristotelian view. Whether the puzzles are adequately resolved or not, they create a problem space within which figures like Descartes and Locke developed their views on the role of universals in scientific knowledge.
Gene mapping and the transition from STRPs to SNPs

Linkage analysis based on DNA markers is a major activity in human genetics. Time, cost, and inability to extract complete mapping information are important considerations. While multiallelic single tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) have dominated for 15 years, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are an alternative that may have some advantages. In considering a transition to SNPs, it is important to highlight the assumptions that may need to be reconsidered and additional analytical and computational challenges that are posed by the use of densely spaced diallelic markers. These are the issues that will affect the analysis and interpretation of results obtained with SNPs, and the modifications to the analytical techniques needed to make full use of this new type of data. Keywords: diallelic; multiallelic; genetic maps; polymorphism; information; entropy; linkage analysis; computation
Colesevelam for the management of type 2 diabetes.

Background: At present there are 246 million individuals with diabetes worldwide and this is anticipated to grow to 380 million by 2025. Internationally, the control of glucose and cholesterol to targets is less than optimal in patients with type 2 diabetes. Objective: To summarize the chemistry, pharmacokinetics and metabolism of colesevelam hydrochloride, and review its clinical efficacy and toxicity in the management of type 2 diabetes. Methods: Literature search of colesevelam studies and abstracts assessing the benefits in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results/conclusions: Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of colesevelam hydrochloride in the treatment of hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes. The established dual role of cholesterol lowering and glucose lowering needs to be considered when managing patients with type 2 diabetes.
Inhibition of protein kinase activity of phorboid and ingenoid receptor by di(adenosine-5')oligophosphate.

Di(adenosine-5′)oligophosphate nucleotides of general structure ApnA (n = 3–6) inhibited the protein kinase activity of homogeneous phorboid receptor. These nucleotides did not affect the phorboid binding activity. Ap4A competed for an ATP binding site on the phorboid receptor. Km for ATP was increased from 0.5 to 2 μm in the presence of 0.2 mm of Ap4A. KI was calculated to be approximately 0.1 mm. Ap4A-elicited inhibition of phorboid receptor kinase activity was independent of receptor concentration as well as of phosphoacceptor substrate concentration.
Unbiased, scalable sampling of protein loop conformations from probabilistic priors.

Protein loops are flexible structures that are intimately tied to function, but understanding loop motion and generating loop conformation ensembles remain significant computational challenges. Discrete search techniques scale poorly to large loops, optimization and molecular dynamics techniques are prone to local minima, and inverse kinematics techniques can only incorporate structural preferences in adhoc fashion. This paper presents Sub-Loop Inverse Kinematics Monte Carlo (SLIKMC), a new Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for generating conformations of closed loops according to experimentally available, heterogeneous structural preferences. Our simulation experiments demonstrate that the method computes high-scoring conformations of large loops (> 10 residues) orders of magnitude faster than standard Monte Carlo and discrete search techniques. Two new developments contribute to the scalability of the new method. First, structural preferences are specified via a probabilistic graphical model (PGM) that links conformation variables, spatial variables (e.g., atom positions), constraints and prior information in a unified framework. The method uses a sparse PGM that exploits locality of interactions between atoms and residues. Second, a novel method for sampling sub-loops is developed to generate statistically unbiased samples of probability densities restricted by loop-closure constraints. Numerical experiments confirm that SLIKMC generates conformation ensembles that are statistically consistent with specified structural preferences. Protein conformations with 100+ residues are sampled on standard PC hardware in seconds. Application to proteins involved in ion-binding demonstrate its potential as a tool for loop ensemble generation and missing structure completion.
Structural Stability of Platinum-Group-Metal-Modified γ + γ ′ Ni-Base Alloys

The structural and surface stabilities of two experimental γ-Ni+γ′-Ni3Al-base alloys containing Pt or Ir were investigated. These alloys are representative of alloys currently being developed to occupy a unique domain with a good combination of high-temperature strength and resistance to oxidation and hot corrosion. Structural characterization included differential thermal analysis (DTA), transmission synchrotron X-ray analysis, precipitate morphology evolution, phase-partitioning behavior, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dislocation analysis, and isothermal precipitate-coarsening behavior. Electron microprobe investigations showed that Pt partitions largely to the γ′ phase, while Ir partitions more to the γ phase. As a consequence, the influence of these two elements on the γ-γ′ lattice-parameter mismatch was quite different. Specifically, synchrotron X-ray analysis confirmed a positive γ-γ′ misfit in both the Pt- and Ir-modified alloys in the temperature range 700 °C to 1200 °C; however, the Pt partitioning to the γ′ phase resulted in a much larger misfit. The coarsening kinetics of both alloys followed a cubic time dependence and Pt addition was more effective than Ir in slowing the coarsening rate. Thermodynamic predictions about elemental partitioning and about the solidus, liquidus, and γ′ solvus temperatures were made using the software package PANDAT; the results of these predictions were compared with experimental measurements.
Priority Update Intervals and Anomalies in Dynamic Ratio Type Job Shop Scheduling Rules

Dynamic priority dispatching rules in job shops require the computation of all job priorities in a work center queue every time a machine in the work center becomes idle. This is extremely costly. Alternative priority update procedures are studied and comparative results in terms of performance measures and costs are reported. Ease of implementation of the various procedures in a real world job shop environment is discussed. A second problem related to an anomaly in ratio type dynamic priority rules is also studied; a simple modification to remove the anomaly is suggested and the performances of the "old" and "modified" procedures are compared.
Preliminary injector, accelerator, and beamline design for rf-linac-driven XUV free-electron lasers

Abstract The proposed Los Alamos National Laboratory XUV free electron laser (FEL) facility requires exceptional beam quality at high peak currents. Although the beam quality needed for a demonstration machine lasing at 50 nm is not far from what can be expected with extensions of present linacs to higher energy, conventional injector technology will not meet the requirements needed for lasing at 12 or 4 nm. We have conceived a preliminary injector and accelerator design that will meet these requirements. Using the Los Alamos photoelectric injector, it appears that normalized 90% emittances of 24 π mm mrad can be attained in a relatively straightforward manner, and emittances down to 4 π mm mrad are possible. Beamline simulations have been performed with the particle-pushing code PARMELA, using particle-dump inputs from the particle-in-cell code ISIS. The latter models the photoelectric gun up to the range between 0.75 and 1 MeV. Designs including electron guns with Pierce geometries have also been studied. Using an injector with a large planar-cathode Pierce gun seems to satisfy the 50 nm lasing requirements. We believe it could serve as a reliable backup to the photoelectric injector for the demonstration machine. In addition, other beamline questions have been studied. Beamline bends have been designed that are achromatic and nearly isochronous. The threshold for cumulative beam breakup and the emittance growth caused by transverse resistive-wall beam instability have been calculated. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building a straight-line machine versus a recycling machine, including recycling instability current levels.
Energetic Effects of Substitution of La–Nd and Si–Ge Oxyapatite‐Type Materials

A series of lanthanide oxyapatites, neodymium silicates (Nd9.33−xM3x/2(SiO4)6O2; x = 0.0 and 2.0 and M = Ca, Sr, and Ba), and lanthanum germanate (La10(GeO4)6O3) were prepared by a variety of heat treatments and characterized. High-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry in molten 2PbO–B2O3 solvent at 1078 K was performed to determine their enthalpies of formation from constituent oxides at room temperature. The energetics of these materials is discussed in terms of the effects of doping on two crystallographic sites, the lanthanide and tetrahedral sites. The enthalpy of formation from oxides becomes less exothermic by substituting La with Nd throughout the whole series, in both doped and undoped compositions, reflecting the smaller radius and lower basicity of Nd compared with La. Cation stoichiometric lanthanum germanate apatite (La10(GeO4)6O3) shows a more endothermic enthalpy of formation than the corresponding silicate, reflecting the larger radius and lower acidity of Ge than Si.
A phylogeny of the gulls (Aves: Larinae) inferred from osteological and integumentary characters

— Gulls (Aves: Larinae) are among the best-studied of birds, yet prior attempts to reconstruct gull relationships have met with little success. In the present study I use 117 characters from the skeleton and 64 from the integument to test gull monophyly and estimate gull phylogeny. One shortest tree, requiring 9747 unweighted changes and having a CI of 0.267, wasLarusis polyphyletic. Although the tree is fully resolved, support for many of the inferred clades is poor. In a comparison of osteological and integumentary evidence, I found that incongruence between the osteological and integumentary character sets accounts for only a minority of the total incongruence observed, and suggest that low between-set incongruence may be a consequence of the low signal-to-noise ratio in each set of characters. I also found that osteological evidence is particularly important for determining higher-level structure, whereas integumentary evidence is important for resolving lower-level relationships within the gull group. Finally, I found that integumentary characters are not dramatically more homoplasious than osteological characters, and argue that casual dismissal of integumentary characters as “too labile” is unwarranted.
Nonmetric multidimensional scaling: A monte carlo study of the basic parameters

Metric determinacy of nonmetric multidimensional scaling was investigated as a function of the number of points being scaled, the amount of error in the data being scaled, and the accuracy of estimation of the Minkowski distance function parameters, dimensionality and the r-constant. It was found that nonmetric scaling may provide better models if (1) the true structure is of low dimensionality, (2) the dimensionality of recovered structure is not less than the dimensionality of the true structure, (3) degree of error is low, and (4) the degrees of freedom ratio is greater than about 2.5. It was also found that (5) accurate estimation of the Minkowski constant leads to a better model only if the dimensionality has been properly estimated.
Strain rate effects during reversed loading

Abstract Results of an exploratory study of the effect of strain rate on metal behaviour during reversed loading are presented. All test specimens were made from commercially pure aluminium; these specimens were prestrained in tension and then strained in compression at several strain rates. The effect of tensile prestrain rate and compressive strain rate is shown. Also, the compressive strain rate dependence of aluminium with a tensile prestrain is compared to the strain rate dependence of aluminium with no prestrain.
Analysis And Processing Of Phase-Only Reconstruction In Acoustical Imaging

Data acquisition and image reconstruction in acoustical imaging often requires high bit rates and complicated calculations in order to achieve good quality images in reasonable time. Therefore reducing the bit rates and simplifying the reconstruction algorithms are of great importance in this technology. It is possible to produce high-quality images by using only the phase information of the detected signal. The phase-only technique constitute a way of performing high-quality imaging at lower bit rates. This paper analyzes phase-only reconstruction, considers bit-rate reduction both in sampling and quantization, and develops the resolution enhancement algorithm associated with the phase-only technique.
Function and regulation of hepatic and intestinal fatty acid binding proteins

Abstract Two structurally different fatty acid binding proteins (FABP) have been isolated from rat liver and small intestinal epithelium. hFABP is a 14 184 Da protein found in abundance in both liver and small intestine, whereas gFABP (15 063 Da) is abundantly present only in small intestine. This review discusses studies which have provided insight into the physiological functions of these proteins. These include analyses of endogenous and exogenous ligand binding to FABP in vitro; examination of the modulating effect of FABP preparations on enzyme activities in vitro; exploration of relationships between alterations in cytosolic FABP content in response to hormonal, pharmacological, and dietary manipulations and changes in the rates of cellular fatty acid uptake and utilization; and studies of hFABP turnover and the mechanisms of FABP regulation. These experiments provide compelling evidence for a broad role of the FABPs in the transport, utilization and cellular economy of free fatty acids in the liver and small intestine, and also in protecting several aspects of cellular function against the modulatory effects of fatty acids, fatty acyl-CoA esters, and other ligands. Studies of FABP regulation also suggest a role in long-term rather than short-term modulation .of hepatic fatty acid metabolism and indicate that hFABP and gFABP may perform different functions in the small intestine.
Comparative evaluation of residual and total metal analyses in polluted soils

Abstract Two digestion procedures, employing aqua regia‐HF (ARHF) and HNO3‐HCIO4‐HF (HHH), were used to analyze residual metals (following a chemical fractionation scheme) and total metal content of two soils, one moderately polluted by municipal sludge applications and the other a grossly‐contaminated sample (20.8% Pb) from a battery recycling site. Although commonly used in sequential extraction analyses, the ARHF method solubilized only 53% (significant at p = 0.05) of the HHH‐determined residual Pb in the battery soil. For the sludge‐amended soil, residual Cd, Pb, and Zn were not statistically different by the two methods. For the battery soil, a single ARHF extraction also underestimated total Pb and Cu relative to HHH, but both methods gave statistically‐similar total Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn for the sludge‐amended soil. As the sample metal concentration increased, the ability of ARHF to solubilize HHH‐equivalent metal quantities generally decreased. Since the degree of contamination is often unknown for ...
Vascular Clips Have No Significant Effect on the Cellular Proliferation, Intimal Changes, or Peak Systolic Velocity at Anastomoses in Rabbit Vein Grafts☆

Abstract Objective. This study compares vascular closure staples (VCSs) with conventional sutures in the rabbit carotid vein graft model to determine whether anastomotic technique affects cellular proliferation, blood velocity, or intimal changes when measured over a period of 3 months postoperatively. Methods. Twenty-six New Zealand White rabbits weighing 3.0–3.2 kg underwent interposition of jugular vein grafts in left carotid arteries. Half of the animals had anastomoses performed with small VCSs ( n = 13) and half had anastomoses performed with 8-O interrupted polypropylene suture. Animals were allowed to survive for 1 week ( n = 4, VCS; n = 4, suture), 2 weeks ( n = 4, VCS; n = 4, suture), and 3 months ( n = 5, VCS; n = 5, suture). The peak systolic velocity (PSV) at the distal anastomosis was measured after completion of the graft and again at sacrifice in the 3-month survival groups. At sacrifice, sections were taken from the middle and distal end of the vein graft and the distal carotid artery. Vascular cell proliferation was measured using 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine labeling and intimal changes were measured using digitized microscopic images. Results. All 26 grafts were open at the time of sacrifice. PSV at the distal clipped anastomosis was 40.52 cm/s ( t = 0) and 34.3 cm/s ( t = 3 months, P = 0.31). PSV at the distal sutured anastomosis was 38.30 cm/s ( t = 0) and 39.23 cm/s ( t = 3 months, P = 0.82). There was no difference between the two techniques at either t = 0 or t = 3 months ( P = 0.51 and P = 0.31, respectively). Endothelial cell proliferation and smooth muscle cell proliferation at the anastomosis was highest during the 2 weeks after the procedure, then returned to baseline levels by 3 months. But there was no significant difference between the clipped and sutured groups with respect to vascular cell proliferation postoperatively. The intimal thickness changed significantly in the vein graft at the anastomosis for both the clipped and sutured groups ( P = 0.0007 and P = 0.002). But there was no difference when the intimal changes for each technique were compared ( P = 0.94). Conclusion. No differences were observed when peak systolic velocity, vascular cell proliferation, and intimal changes were compared between sutured and stapled anastomoses in rabbit vein interposition grafts over a period of 3 months after surgery.
Growth of Cognitive Skills in Preschoolers: Impact of Sleep Habits and Learning-Related Behaviors.

Research Findings: The present study used a longitudinal design to identify how sleep habits and learning-related behaviors impact the development of cognitive skills in preschoolers (ages 3–5). Sixty- seven children with parental report and cognitive skill assessment data were included. Scores on the Differential Ability Scales (C. Elliott, 1990) were obtained at ages 3, 4, and 5. A Sleep Questionnaire (D. Gozal, 1998) with 12 items from the Child Behavior Checklist (T. M. Achenbach & L. A. Rescorla, 2000) related to children's attention and activity levels was administered at age 3. Growth curve changes in cognitive scores were estimated using hierarchical linear modeling. Parental reports of nighttime sleep duration predicted level of cognitive skills at 3 years. The effect of sleep duration on cognitive scores was constant across age. Practice or Policy: Sleep and learning-related behaviors distinguish the cognitive skills children bring to preschool programs and impact gains made in skills while in p...
On the validity of approximations for the calculation of the pion decay constant

Abstract We examine the accuracy of the Pagels-Stokar formula for the calculation of the pion decay constant fπ in comparison to the more elaborate treatment involving the solution of the ladder Bethe-Salpeter equation. By using the gluon propagator model of K.-I. Aoki, M. Bando, T. Kugo, M.G. Mitchard and H. Nakatani we find that the Pagels-Stokar formula overestimates the pion decay constant by two to three times. This result is in agreement with our previous conclusions regarding other phenomenologically reasonable models of the gluon propagator. We argue that in their study of the calculation of the pion decay constant, Aoki et al. arrive at a positive conclusion concerning the validity of the Pagels-Stokar formula because of their use of approximated solutions to the ladder Schwinger-Dyson and Bethe-Salpeter equations and their incorrect assumption that these approximate solutions respect the axial Ward identify.
A comparison of the estrone-estradiol-binding proteins in the plasmas of prepubertal and pregnant rats

Abstract The specific binding substances for estrone and estradiol-17β in prepubertal and pregnancy plasma of the rat were compared. Property Prepubertal Plasma Pregnancy Plasma Sedimentation Coefficient (S) 4.1 4.1 Stokes Radius (A) 37 30 Molecular Weight 64,000 51,500 Ka, estradiol-17β (M−1) 108 109 Binding Capacity, estradiol-17β (μM) 23 0.36 Ligand Specificity estrone > estradiol-17β > > > any other estrogen or steroid The characteristics of the two binders are similar but not identical.
Compositional Reservoir Simulation on CM-5 and KSR-1 Parallel Machines

Recently, use of parallel machines in reservoir simulation has received considerable attention from the petroleum industry. This paper presents parallelization of a 3D compositional, equation-of-state reservoir simulator on the CM-5 and KSR-1. To the best of the authors` knowledge, this is the first time that the parallelization of a compositional reservoir simulator has been performed on both the CM-5 and KSR-1. For new users of the CM-5 machines, the software and hardware of CM-5 architecture is presented, as well as details of the parallelization techniques. For example, domain decomposition, I/O`s, phase equilibrium computations, and well model are described. The parallelism techniques on the KSR-1 are presented with the emphasis on the porting of the phase equilibrium calculation. The performance of each machine is evaluated by showing the speedup on different sets of processing nodes. Two test problems were used to explore the capability of the parallelized version of the code; one is a waterflood problem and the other is a CO{sub 2} multiple contact miscible flood, both in a West Texas oil field. These field problems were run on 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 processors to get insight into the locations of communication bottlenecks, generally occurring in themore » programming with distributed memory machines. The problems of latency and bandwidth which are associated with communication efficiency of the CM-5 are also addressed.« less
Functional characterization of cytochromes P450 2B from the desert woodrat Neotoma lepida.

Mammalian detoxification processes have been the focus of intense research, but little is known about how wild herbivores process plant secondary compounds, many of which have medicinal value or are drugs. cDNA sequences that code for three enzymes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B subfamily, here termed 2B35, 2B36, and 2B37 have been recently identified from a wild rodent, the desert woodrat (Malenke et al., 2012). Two variant clones of each enzyme were engineered to increase protein solubility and to facilitate purification, as reported for CYP2B enzymes from multiple species. When expressed in Escherichia coli each of the woodrat proteins gave the characteristic maximum at 450 nm in a reduced carbon monoxide difference spectrum but generally expressed at lower levels than rat CYP2B1. Two enzymes, 2B36 and 2B37, showed dealkylation activity with the model substrates 7-ethoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin and 7-benzyloxyresorufin, whereas 2B35 was inactive. Binding of the monoterpene (+)-α-pinene produced a Type I shift in the absorbance spectrum of each enzyme. Mutation of 2B37 at residues 114, 262, or 480, key residues governing ligand interactions with other CYP2B enzymes, did not significantly change expression levels or produce the expected functional changes. In summary, two catalytic and one ligand-binding assay are sufficient tomore » distinguish among CYP2B35, 2B36, and 2B37. Differences in functional profiles between 2B36 and 2B37 are partially explained by changes in substrate recognition site residue 114, but not 480. The results advance our understanding of the mechanisms of detoxification in wild mammalian herbivores and highlight the complexity of this system. - Highlights: • Three CYP2B enzymes from Neotoma lepida were cloned, engineered, and expressed. • A mix of catalytic and binding assays yields unique results for each enzyme. • Mutational analysis indicates CYP{sub 2}B substrate recognition remains to be clarified. • Reported N. lepida gene sequences allow for larger scale analyses of CYP{sub 2}B enzymes.« less
Extending the Information Commons: From instructional testbed to Internet2

Abstract The author’s conceptualization of an Information Commons (IC) is revisited and elaborated in reaction to Bailey and Tierney’s article. The IC’s role as testbed for instructional support and knowledge discovery is explored, and progress on pertinent research is reviewed. Prospects for media-rich learning environments relate the IC to the implementation of Internet2.
Short-Term Administration of Selegiline for Mild-to-Moderate Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type

As a follow-up to an earlier study showing short-term benefit in inpatients with more severe dementia, the authors studied the short-term cognitive, functional, and behavioral effects of selegiline in outpatients with mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) by means of a double-blind, randomized, crossover study of placebo vs. selegiline. Fifty outpatients with mild-to-moderate DAT and no behavioral disturbances were given selegiline in two 8-week treatment periods separated by a 4-week washout. Outcome was assessed with standardized measures of dementia severity, daily functioning, behavior, and cognition. There was no drug–placebo difference in any outcome measure. Selegiline did not show short-term benefit in this study, contrary to the earlier study, perhaps because the patients were studied less intensively and/or lacked behavioral problems that could show response, although the medication was well tolerated.
Ge(Li)Na(Tl) angular correlation studies of gamma cascades in the decay of 119mTe

Abstract Angular correlation measurements have been performed with a Ge(Li)NaI(Tl) detector combination on several gamma-ray cascades present in the decay of 4.7 d 119m Te. Results obtained for the 153-1213, 942-270, 1095-270, 976-979, 976-979-270, 2089-270, 1137-270 and 912-153-1213 keV cascades are in substantial agreement with previous spin assignments which were based primarily on conversion electron studies. Possible multipolarity mixing ratios are suggested for the 153, 270, 912, 942, and 1213 keV transitions.
WOMEN IN NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICAN BOTANY; A GENERALLY UNRECOGNIZED CONSTITUENCY'

Botany was thought to be a suitable study for young women in schools and an amateur avocation in the Nineteenth Century. A surprisingly large number of American women identified themselves as being seriously interested in botany. For example, in the first published directory of American botanists in 1873, 13 percent of the 599 names are women's and that increased to 16 percent of the 982 names in 1878. In this paper, 1,185 women have been identified as a sample of those actively interested in botany during the century. Less than 2% of them were active before 1870, and most of them, 67%, resided in New England and the Middle Atlantic States. Almost three quarters of them were unmarried, and only 10o had higher educational degrees although 15% had some identifiable profession. Some particular individuals are noted for their contributions to science, their activity as plant collectors, and their support of botanical societies. Though few American women became professional botanists in the Nineteenth Century, they constitute an important overlooked constituency for the developing profession of botany. ALTHOUGH WOMEN were seldom professional botanists in the United States during the Nine
Stress-induced eating in restrained eaters may not be caused by stress or restraint.

Restrained eaters tend to increase and unrestrained eaters to decrease their food intake when stressed. This relationship, though robust, does not appear to be caused by restrained eating or by stress per se. For restraint, evidence indicates that none of the common operationalizations of restraint can account for restraint-related effects that have been examined to date. It is therefore unlikely that restraint is responsible for stress-induced eating in restrained eaters. Rather, behavioral and physiological data suggest that restrained eating may be a proxy risk factor for vulnerability to weight gain. For stress, a variety of minimally stressful perturbations (e.g. nonthreatening cognitive loads) have been shown to elicit increased intake in restrained eaters. Thus, the negative affect created by manipulations used to create stress (e.g. scary movies, failure at a task) does not appear to be necessary to provoke overeating. An adequate explanation for stress-induced eating in restrained eaters remains elusive.
Rotations in quantum mechanics

Abstract A description of an angular coordinate in regular space and phase space is given in the basis of the kq-representation. A new quantum-mechanical representation for the phase of a harmonic oscillator is constructed.