cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PHOTOREDUCTION OF SOME NITROBIPHENYL ETHER HERBICIDES TO NITRO RADICAL ANIONS BY β-CAROTENE AND RELATED COMPOUNDS

—The nitrobiphenyl ether herbicides; 4-nitrobiphenyl ether, bifenox, nitrofen, acifluorfen, acifluorfen-methyl, acifluorfen-ethyl, and oxyfluorfen were reduced to their corresponding nitro radical anions by visible light in the presence of β-carotene, lycopene, retinol, retinal, retinoic acid and retinyl acetate in anaerobic solutions at high pH. It was more difficult to obtain spectra of bifenox, nitrofen and oxyfluorfen than acifluorfen derivatives, probably due to their poor solubilities. In neutral solutions the steady-state concentration of the nitro radical anions was low due to their faster rate of dispropor-tionation and the poor solubility of β-carotene. In the presence of retinal, the nitro radical anion of acifluorfen was produced at pH 7.4. Compounds containing conjugated double bonds such as crotonaldehyde and 2.4-hexadienal also reduced acifluorfen and its derivatives to their respective nitro radical anions in the presence of light. Ubiquinone-50 which does not contain conjugated double bonds in the side chain did not reduce acifluorfen under similar conditions.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929: A Review Article

The stock market crash of 1929, a major trauma that still haunts the national memory, has received surprisingly little attention from scholars in seventy years and has produced even less agreement as to its causes and consequences. This review of the literature suggests that the disagreements and debates over the crash reveal as much about what can and cannot be known for certain about the event as they do about potential answers to the mysteries of the crash.
Certifying Permutations: Noninteractive zero-knowledge based on any trapdoor permutation

In cryptographic protocols it is often necessary to verify/certify the "tools" in use. This work demonstrates certain subtleties in treating a family of trapdoor permutations in this context, noting the necessity to "check" certain properties of these functions. The particular case we illustrate is that of noninteractive zero-knowledge. We point out that the elegant recent protocol of Feige, Lapidot, and Shamir for proving NP statements in noninteractive zero-knowledge requires an additional certification of the underlying trapdoor permutation, and suggest a method for certifying permutations which fills this gap.
Matrix q -hypergeometric series

Abstract After extending the basic hypergeometric series to series with matrix coefficients, we apply them to the solution of q -difference- q -differential equations, and to the formulation of a versatile tool for producing generating functions and series-product identities (incorporating transfer matrix method).
Alternate Assessment: Early Highlights and Pitfalls of Reporting

Alternate assessment scoring and reporting systems are emerging across states. This article highlights those of Delaware and Indiana. Delaware's alternate assessment portfolios are scored by two third parties using a multidimensional rubric. Scores are checked for agreement, and discrepancies are resolved. Delaware reports five dimension scores and a total portfolio score, aligned in format to the regular assessment reports. In Indiana, lead teachers use a rubric similar to that used in general education assessments to score alternate assessment electronic portfolios. The state is in the process of developing a common metric for domain and subdomain scores, which will allow alternate assessment scores to be reported with the same level of detail as general assessment scores. Although these states were selected for this report due to their preparedness in the area of reporting, both view their methods as still evolving and improving.
Comparison of Amino Acid Separations on High Performance Silica Gel, Cellulose, and C-18 Reversed Phase Layers and Application of HPTLC to the Determination of Amino Acids in Biomphalaria Glabrata Snails

Abstract The separation of 18 amino acids on high performance silica gel, cellulose, and reversed phase bonded silica gel plates has been compared. Zones were detected with ninhydrin reagent. The ability to identify amino acids in Biomphalaria glabrata snail hemolymph and digestive gland-gonad complex (DGG) by HPTLC was studied, and alanine and aspartic acid were quantified in hemolymph and DGG by scanning densitometry. Analytical results were compared to those reported earlier using column ion exchange and reversed phase liquid chromatography and paper chromatography.
5,6-dihydroxytryptamine, a serotonergic neutotoxin, is formed endogenously in the rat brain

Methamphetamine (MA) in high doses produces long-term toxic effects on the serotonergic system in the rat brain, including depletions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and reductions in 5-HT reuptake and tryptophan hydroxylase activity. In this study, the formation of 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine (5,6-DHT), a serotonergic neurotoxin, was observed in the rat hippocampus after a single 100 mg/kg injection of MA. The 5,6-DHT was detected by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in tissue samples taken 0.5-4 h after MA administration; the highest levels of 5,6-DHT (0.032 ng/mg wet tissue) were detected at 1 h. Following administration of MA, 5-HT was also depleted in the neocortex, but 5,6-DHT was not detected as frequently in this brain region as in the hippocampus. Comparisons were made between the long-term hippocampal 5-HT depletions seen either after an injection of MA or after intraventricular 5,6-DHT infusions and the levels of 5,6-DHT measured in the hippocampus shortly after each treatment. The amount of 5,6-DHT produced after MA administration appears to be adequate to cause the observed long-term 5-HT depletions. We suggest that 5,6-DHT formed from 5-HT may mediate the neurotoxic effects of MA on serotonergic nerve terminals.
Plant controls on decomposition rates: the benefits of restoring abandoned agricultural lands with native prairie grasses

Plant species can both directly and indirectly affect soil processes in various ways, including through functional traits related to the quantity and chemistry of biomass produced. Understanding how functional traits affect soil processes may be particularly important in restorations that specifically select a target plant community. In this study, I examined how species differing in litter traits alter decomposition, both directly via chemistry and indirectly via influences on soil microclimate. Decomposition dynamics of two old-field grasses were compared with the native prairie grass, Andropogon gerardii, in two Michigan old-fields. Decomposition rates were strongly, negatively related to tissue chemistry, but showed little effect of microclimate differences. Soil bacterial community composition differed between species at one site, while extracellular enzyme activities differed between species at the other site. These findings suggest plant species may be altering microbial community function. Overall, litter chemistry was the dominant factor determining decomposition rates, suggesting that restoring native prairie grasses with recalcitrant litter into grass-dominated old-fields could slow litter decomposition and ultimately lead to changes in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling. Eventually, this could lead to soils that more closely resemble the more organic-rich soils of native prairies and ultimately increase prairie plant community restoration success.
MM5-SMOKE-CMAQ as a modeling tool for 8-h ozone regulatory enforcement: application to the state of Arizona

The Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Meteorological Model 5 (MM5), Sparse Matrix Operator Kernal Emissions (SMOKE), and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling systems were employed to simulate ozone concentration distribution within the State of Arizona, in particular, Phoenix air basin, as supporting information to designate nonattainment areas of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new 8-h ozone standard. In general, based on statistical comparisons between predictions and available (sparsely distributed) observations, the modeling system performed reasonably well for the Phoenix basin, thus proving it to be a useful tool for both regulatory as well as research applications. Detailed inspection, however, revealed a serious problem with respect to the details of the ozone distribution in that for some days the transition from downslope flow to upslope flow in the Phoenix basin was delayed in the model, causing the ozone distribution to show an unrealistic high-ozone bias toward the west valley. Implementation of a modified subgrid parameterization improved the time of transition, and hence the prediction of ozone and its precursor distributions. This study points to possible inadequacies of commonly used subgrid parameterizations in dealing with rapidly changing flow conditions such as morning (and evening) transitions.
Evolving trends in multiple‐antibiotic–resistant bacteria in liver transplant recipients: A longitudinal study of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns

The incidence, sources, impact on outcome, and temporal trends in multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria in liver transplant recipients over the last decade (from 1990 through 1999) were assessed. Of 165 consecutive patients who underwent transplantation, 31% (51 of 165 patients) had at least 1 infection caused by multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Overall, 69% (66 of 96 infections) of all bacterial infections were multiple-antibiotic resistant. Ninety-one percent (45 of 49 isolates) of the Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 50% (6 of 12 isolates) of the enterococci, and 54% of the gram-negative bacteria (47%; 7 of 15 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 60%; 12 of 20 Enterobacteriaceae) were multiple-antibiotic resistant. A significant trend toward an increase in infections caused by multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria (P =.003), largely caused by an increase in gram-positive infections, was documented through the decade. There was a significant increase in infections caused by methicillin-resistant S aureus (P =.0001) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (P =.04) over time. The proportion of gram-negative isolates that were multiple-antibiotic resistant (P =.447) did not increase significantly over time. However, a strikingly high frequency of resistance to piperacillin or ceftazidime suggests that extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production in our Enterobacteriaceae may have been more prevalent than realized. Mortality at 1 year was significantly greater in patients with multiple-antibiotic resistant bacteria compared with all other patients (P =.001). These longitudinal trends have implications not only for guiding therapeutic practices, but ultimately for devising strategies to curtail multiple-antibiotic resistance in liver transplant recipients.
A calculation of the absorption continuum associated with the visible iodine spectrum

Abstract The absorption continuum associated with the 3Π0u+-1Σg+ transition of I2 vapor has been calculated. The appearance of the spectrum is in good agreement with the observed spectrum and the electronic transition moment calculated from absorption measurements in the continuum is equal, within experimental error, to the value calculated from absorption measurements performed on single rotational lines in the 5800Ato 6000Aregion of the discrete spectrum. It is concluded that essentially all of the continuous absorption observed in the spectrum of I2 from 4000Ato 5000Acan be assigned to this electronic transition.
Wall Shear Stress Fluctuations due to Flow Instability in Intracranial Aneurysms

Experimental studies of an impingement area inside aneurysms showed that loss of smooth muscle cells and degenerative remodeling of vessel walls occur at the region of high wall shear stress (WSS) and WSS gradient where the flow accelerates [1]. Also, a more sensitive response of endothelial cells to turbulent oscillatory shear rather than to laminar and steady shear has been demonstrated experimentally [2]. Therefore, it seems imperative to understand the spatio-temporal behavior of WSS vectors in the impingement (stagnation) locations. To this end, we investigate systematically the oscillatory behavior of WSS vectors inside aneurysms and the flow instability due to the presence of an aneurysm in the internal carotid arteries (ICA), more specifically, at the posterior communicating artery (PCoA) origin.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Electrophysiological control of ciliary motor responses in the ctenophore Pleurobrachia.

1. Prey capture by a tentacle of the ctenophorePleurobrachia elicits a reversal of beat direction and increase in beat frequency of comb plates in rows adjacent to the catching tentacle (Tamm and Moss 1985). 2. These ciliary motor responses were elicited in intact animals by repetitive electrical stimulation of a tentacle or the midsubtentacular body surface with a suction electrode. 3. An isolated split-comb row preparation allowed stable intracellular recording from comb plate cells during electrically stimulated motor responses of the comb plates, which were imaged by high-speed video microscopy. 4. During normal beating in the absence of electrical stimulation, comb plate cells showed no changes in the resting membrane potential, which was typically about − 60 mV. 5. Trains of electrical impulses (5/s, 5 ms duration, at 5–15 V) delivered by an extracellular suction electrode elicited summing facilitating synaptic potentials which gave rise to graded regenerative responses. 6. High K+ artificial seawater caused progressive depolarization of the polster cells which led to volleys of action potentials. 7. Current injection (depolarizing or release from hyperpolarizing current) also elicited regenerative responses; the rate of rise and the peak amplitude were graded with intensity of stimulus current beyond a threshold value of about −40 mV. 8. Increasing levels of subthreshold depolarization were correlated with increasing rates of beating in the normal direction. 9. Action potentials were accompanied by laydown (upward curvature of nonbeating plates), reversed beating at high frequency, and intermediate beat patterns. 10. TEA increased the summed depolarization elicited by pulse train stimulation, as well as the size and duration of the action potentials. TEA-enhanced single action potentials evoked a sudden arrest, laydown and brief bout of reversed beating. 11. Dual electrode impalements showed that cells in the same comb plate ridge experienced similar but not identical electrical activity, even though all of their cilia beat synchronously. 12. The large number of cells making up a comb plate, their highly asymmetric shape, and their complex innervation and electrical characteristics present interesting features of bioelectric control not found in other cilia.
Isolation of bovine brain microtubule protein without glycerol: polymerization kinetics change during purification cycles.

Abstract Microtubule protein was isolated from bovine brain without glycerol by three cycles of polymerization, utilizing conditions for maximum assembly. Maximum polymerization occurred over a narrow GTP concentration range in crude extracts, with peak polymerization at 2.5 m m GTP. Peak polymerization occurred at 1.5 m m GTP and 0.5 m m MgCl 2 after three polymerization cycles. In a typical purification, 72 mg of microtubule protein was obtained per 100 g (wet weight) of cerebral cortex. Of this, a minimum of 52% was tubulin and 24% was high molecular weight-microtubule associated proteins (HMW-MAPs). Microtubule polymerization kinetics changed during purification cycles. In initial cycles, the total quantity of microtubules decreased significantly after peak levels of assembly were attained. In the third cycle, the decrease was minimal and only apparent at high protein concentrations. Peak viscosity correlated with tubulin and HMW-MAPs, but the magnitude of the decrease was independent, suggesting that some other component, eliminated during purification, was responsible for the decrease.
Long-term nerve excitability changes by persistent Na+ current blocker ranolazine.

Abstract The persistent Na + current (Na p ) in peripheral axons plays an important functional role in controlling the axonal excitability. Abnormal Na p is believed to contribute to neurodegeneration and neuropathic pain, and thus it is an attractive therapeutic target. To assess the chronic behavior of selective Na p blockade, axonal excitability testing was performed in vivo in normal male mice exposed to ranolazine by recording the tail sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs). Seven days after administering ranolazine i.p. (50 mg/kg) daily for 1 week, nerve excitability testing showed decreased strength-duration time constant in the ranolazine group in comparison to the control ( P p . Importantly, ranolazine showed no effect on other ion channels that influence axonal excitability. Further study is needed to assess the chronic Na p blockade as a useful therapy in peripheral nerve diseases associated with abnormal nerve excitability.
Base-specific damage induced by 4-thiouridine photosensitization with 334-nm radiation in M13 phage DNA.

— Site-specific DNA damage caused by 334-nm radiation in the presence of the rare Escherichia coli base 4-thiouridine was investigated in vitro by detecting the sites of the termination of DNA synthesis with irradiated M13 phage DNA used as a template. Single-strand breakage was also examined. The results indicate that 334-nm radiation at very low fluences in the presence of 4-thiouridine induces termination of strand synthesis at thymine base sites and at the base immediately prior to thymine. Termination at these sites was diminished by treatment with hot piperidine. Strand cleavage by piperidine treatments was observed preferentially at the guanine site, but only after irradiation at much larger fluences. It is hypothesized that at low fluences 4-thiouridine forms photoadducts with thymine that block DNA synthesis, while at high fluences the guanine site is damaged via oxygen species.
Fluctuations and the Boltzmann equation. I

The evolution of a homogeneous dilute gas is treated as a Markov process in the complete set of $K$ coarsegrained velocity states of all $N$ particles. From the Siegert master equation for the process a Fokker-Planck equation is derived which describes, in the limit $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, the fluctuations in the occupation numbers ${n}_{i}(t)$, whose average behavior is governed by the (appropriately discretized) Boltzmann equation: The continuum limit $K\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ corresponds to fluctuations in the usual molecular distribution function $f(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{v}};t)$. On similar reasoning, a Fokker-Planck equation is obtained for the fluctuation process near equilibrium, where the average is governed by the linearized Boltzmann equation. The theory of linear irreversible processes, which offers a statistical description of fluctuations on a thermodynamical basis, is applied to the linearized Boltzmann equation---treated as a linear phenomenological equation---following the development given recently by Fox and Uhlenbeck: The resulting stochastic equation is seen to be equivalent to the Fokker-Planck equation obtained from the master equation, yielding a multidimensional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process which describes the fluctuations in molecular phase space.
Return Mobility and the Process of Stratification in Rural India

The relationship between social mobility and migration in rural India is analyzed using data collected in 1962-1963 on 906 heads of households from villages in Punjab and Haryana. In particular the author examines how return migration to place of origin affects the process of status attainment. Some comparisons are made with the United States. (ANNOTATION)
Drosophila Stem Cells Share a Common Requirement for the Histone H2B Ubiquitin Protease Scrawny

Stem cells within diverse tissues share the need for a chromatin configuration that promotes self-renewal, yet few chromatin proteins are known to regulate multiple types of stem cells. We describe a Drosophila gene, scrawny (scny), encoding a ubiquitin-specific protease, which is required in germline, epithelial, and intestinal stem cells. Like its yeast relative UBP10, Scrawny deubiquitylates histone H2B and functions in gene silencing. Consistent with previous studies of this conserved pathway of chromatin regulation, scny mutant cells have elevated levels of ubiquitinylated H2B and trimethylated H3K4. Our findings suggest that inhibiting H2B ubiquitylation through scny represents a common mechanism within stem cells that is used to repress the premature expression of key differentiation genes, including Notch target genes.
Dissociable processes in classification: Implications from sleep deprivation

Military personnel often continue at high levels of performance despite being deprived of sleep. This article examines sleep deprivation effects on two forms of classification learning. In AN class...
Blocked Time of Permitted Left-Turn Lane Group with Two Opposing Lanes for Two Arrival Types

The blocked time is a portion of effective permitted left-turn green time blocked by opposing traffic until the left-turn vehicle can get an acceptable gap to complete a permitted left turn. In the Highway Capacity Manual, it is designated as the opposing approach queue clearance time, gq The blocked time, denoted as gb, is a critical parameter in estimating delay for a signalized intersection because it affects not only left-turn saturation flow but also the shape of the delay area. This paper proposes a model for estimating blocked time for a left-turn lane group with two opposing lanes for well-and poorly coordinated signals. The proposed model was developed by directly considering the arrival types. Possible platoon arrival patterns during the green interval were categorized and then used to estimate the blocked time of the left-turn lane group. A comparison of the results from the proposed model and the existing models with CORSIM results indicated that the proposed model is more realistic in estimat...
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO NON-UNIFORMLY CHARGED MEMBRANE/SOLVENT INTERFACES

Abstract In this paper we present a procedure to calculate the number density of ions (and hence the electrostatic potential) adjacent to a model membrane with a discrete surface charge distribution and spatially variable dielectric.
Tissue-Specific Metabolism of Benzene in Zymbal Gland and Other Solid Tumor Target Tissues in Rats

In vitro studies were carried out to investigate whether target organ susceptibility to benzene-induced solid tumor formation is governed by tissue-specific differences in metabolism. The ability of several target and nontarget tissues to deconjugate and conjugate polar metabolites, to metabolize benzene to phenolic metabolites, to carry out peroxidative biotransformations, and to trap tissue glutathione was evaluated. The Zymbal gland, the organ most sensitive to benzene-induced tumorigenicity, showed extensive phenyl- and aryl-sulfatase activity but no phenol sulfoconjugating activity. Similarly, oral cavity tissue, mammary gland, and bone marrow showed sulfatase activity but lacked sulfotransferase activity. Sulfatase-mediated hydrolysis such as that observed in the Zymbal gland may represent an important pathway by which polar metabolites are shunted from urinary or biliary excretion as their sulfates to delivery to target tissues as phenolic or potentially reactive metabolite(s). Zymbal gland, nasal ...
Basal opioid receptor activity, neutral antagonists, and therapeutic opportunities

The mu opioid receptor (MOR, OPRM)--the principal receptor involved in narcotic addiction--has been shown to display basal (spontaneous, constitutive) signaling activity. Interaction with other signaling proteins, such as calmodulin, regulates basal MOR activity. Providing a mechanism for long-lasting regulation, basal MOR activity potentially plays a key role in addiction, in combination with gene regulation and synaptic remodeling. Recent results support a link to physical dependence--one of the main manifestations of addiction to drugs of abuse. The prototypical opioid antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone, were shown to act as inverse agonists in the morphine-dependent state (i.e., they suppress basal MOR signaling) and thereby appear to elicit or contribute to precipitated withdrawal. This affords the opportunity to explore therapeutic applications for neutral antagonists (blocking agonists at MOR without affecting basal activity) with reduced adverse effects. Neutral antagonists are promising drug candidates in the treatment of addiction and overdose, and of peripheral adverse effects of narcotic analgesics.
"Our Child Doesn't Talk to Us Anymore": Alienation in Immigrant Chinese Families

Drawing on ethnographic data on two Chinese immigrant families over a five-year period, I illustrate how and why growing alienation occurred in these families. My analysis shows that a host of developmental, immigration-related, and cultural factors lead to growing alienation in parent—child relations. Social class also plays an important role in shaping family relations after migration. This article complicates understandings of the Chinese American home context and provides educational anthropologists with a useful framework to understand changing dynamics in immigrant families.
Technical failures after pancreas transplants: why grafts fail and the risk factors--a multivariate analysis.

Background. Technical failure (TF) rates remain high after pancreas transplants; while rates have decreased over the last decade, more than 10% of all pancreas grafts continue to be lost due to technical reasons. We performed a multivariate analysis to determine causes and risk factors for TF of pancreas grafts. Results. Between 1994 and 2003, 937 pancreas transplants were performed at our center in the following transplant categories: simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) (n=327), pancreas after kidney (PAK) (n=399), and pancreas transplant alone (PTA) (n=211). Of these, 123 (13.1%) grafts were lost due to technical reasons (thrombosis, leaks, infections). TF rates were higher for SPK (15.3%) versus PAK (12.2%) or PTA (11.4%), though this was not statistically significant. Thrombosis accounted for 52.0% of all TFs. Other causes were infections (18.7%), pancreatitis (20.3%), leaks (6.5%), and bleeding (2.4%). Thrombosis was the most common cause for TF in all three transplant categories. By multivariate analysis, the following were significant risk factors for TF of the graft: recipient body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m 2 (relative risk [RR] =2.42, P=0.0003), preservation time >24 hr (1.87, P=0.04), cause of donor death other than trauma (RR=1.58, P=0.04), enteric versus bladder drainage (1.68, P=0.06), and donor BMI >30 kg/m 2 (1.66, P=0.06). Not significant were donor or recipient age, a retransplant, and the category of transplant. Conclusions. TFs remain significant after pancreas transplants. In SPK recipients, TF represents the most common cause of pancreas graft loss. For isolated pancreas transplants, TF is second only to rejection as a cause of graft loss. Increased preservation times and donor or recipient obesity seem to be risk factors. Minimizing these risks factors would be important to try to decrease TF.
Communication and delegation in collusive agencies

Abstract Collusion may benefit an organization if the employees, by sharing effort, information, or risk, can enhance production or lower costs. Collusion is detrimental if it leads to less effort or to withholding of information. A contract that utilizes the agents' cooperative behavior dictates less relative performance evaluation than does a noncooperative contract or a contract that ensures the employees do not cooperate. Delegation of decision authority is beneficial for a broader range of organizations if employees collude than if they do not. The constructed contracts are incentive compatible for coalitions as well as for individuals.
A Portable Fault-Tolerant Parallel Software MPEG-1 Encoder

MPEG video compression is quite difficult to achieve in real time, and hardware solutions for this problem are expensive. We present a portable, fault-tolerant, parallel, MPEG-1 encoder implemented in software. We detail the implementation strategy for the encoder and give performance results on a network of workstations and a massively parallel processor. We also show that our encoder can efficiently adapt to fluctuating processing power typical in workstation networks.
Granulofilamentous inclusions in a meningioma.

We have studied the histology, immunocytochemistry, and ultrastructure of a syncytial meningioma which contained the unusual feature of large eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions. Electron microscopic examination revealed that these bodies were granular, osmiophilic masses, closely associated with cytoplasmic filaments of intermediate size. Desmosomal junctions with a somewhat abnormal morphology were also observed, and the possible relationship between the inclusions and the dense components of desmosomes is discussed. This tumor is also compared to other tumors of the central nervous system with hyaline and granulofilamentous inclusions. Cancer 46:156–161, 1980.
Price controls, trade protectionism and political business cycles in the U.S. steel industry

Abstract The U.S. steel industry is subject to a microeconomic political business cycle resulting from U.S. Presidents designing protectionist policies on behalf of the steel industry; experiencing complaints from consumers and foreign producers as a result of the policy; modifying the policy which results in complaints from the steel industry; and finally, maneuvering policy back in favor of the industry to achieve re-election. Using a cointegrating vector error correction framework, this paper tests the hypothesized political business cycle for its effect on steel prices. We find that trade protectionism does not seem to have succeeded in its primary objective of supporting prices. By expending so much political capital on ineffective trade protection, the steel industry may have lost the opportunity to focus on more substantive issues that might have restrained factor cost and enhanced its competitive ability. The devolution of the steel industry, ironically, may have resulted from it's persistent pleas for protection. Political business cycles in the steel industry, with all its attendant negative consequences, would not occur if the steel industry did not continually lobby for protection.
Long-term device outcomes of artificial urinary sphincter reimplantation following prior explantation for erosion or infection.

Purpose: We evaluated clinical outcomes in patients treated with artificial urinary sphincter reimplantation after artificial urinary sphincter explantation for erosion or infection.Materials and Methods: We identified 704 consecutive artificial urinary sphincter implantation procedures performed at our institution from 1998 to 2012, including 497 (71%) as primary implantation and 138 (20%) as revision surgery for device malfunction. A total of 69 patients (10%) had undergone at least 1 prior artificial urinary sphincter explantation secondary to urethral erosion and/or device infection, of whom 36 (52%) were treated with 2 to 5 prior reimplantation procedures. Patient followup was performed through office examination, or written or telephone correspondence.Results: Patients treated with artificial urinary sphincter reimplantation had a median age of 78 years (IQR 72, 80) and a median followup of 34 months (IQR 5, 61). Artificial urinary sphincter reimplantation was done a median of 9 months (IQR 6, 13) a...
Incorporating prior biases innetwork models of conceptual rule learning

A series of simulations is reported in which extant formal categorization models are applied to human rule-learning data (Salatas & Bourne, 1974). These data show that there are clear differences in the ease with which humans learn rules, with the conjunctive the easiest and the biconditional the hardest. The original ALCOVE model (an exemplar-based model), a configuralcue model, and two-layer backpropagation models did not fit the rule-learning data. ALCOVE successfully fit the data, however, when prior biases observed in human rule learning were implemented into weights of the network. Thus, current empirical learning models may not fare well in situations in which learners enter the concept-formation situation with preconceived biases regarding the kinds of concepts that are possible, but such biases might nevertheless be captured within these models. By incorporating preexperimental biases, ALCOVE may hold promise as a comprehensive category-learning model.
On the solution of the fourth order parabolic equation by the decomposition method

In this paper, the fourth order parabolic partial differential equation, that governs the behavior of a vibrating beam, is solved by using the Adomian Decomposition Method. The solution is derived in the form of a power series with easily computable components. The nonhomogeneous problem is quickly solved by observing the self-canceling "noise" terms whose sum vanishes in the limit. Comparing this methodology with some known techniques shows that the present approach is highly accurate.
Socioscientific Controversies: A Theoretical and Methodological Framework

This paper describes a theoretical and methodological framework from critical discourse analysis for the study of the rhetoric of socioscientific controversies. The approach, based on the work of Norman n Fairclough (1992), describes the construction of such controversies in terms of chains of communicative events and particularly attends to intertextuality and interdiscursivity within and across orders of discourse. This framework is situated within extant work in the rhetoric of science and is illustrated through a case study of a controversy surrounding an evolutionary psychology study on gender and spatial cognition.
Teaching technical authorship

MA students in professional writing and editing researched technical writing in specific workplace cultures. Their research is interpreted in light of recent theory on authorship as a cultural rather than individual phenomenon. Students’ constructs for understanding their own writerly selves are discussed, as are constructs that emerged for the interpretations of selves and others in workplace cultures. Teaching technical authorship meant addressing such constructs, implicating issues of status, affect and effect, representation, and expertise.
Effects of feeding frequency on metabolism of juvenile walleye

Abstract The effects of feeding frequency (1, 2, 3, or 15 times daily) on oxygen consumption (OC, mg O2 kg−1 h−1) and ammonia excretion, (AE, mg TAN kg−1 h−1) of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) are described. Walleye were reared at a practical culture density of 35·4 kg m−3 in a single-pass system at 23·2°C. Diurnal variation in metabolic rates were related to feeding, not to photoperiod. Minimum OC rates occurred 30 min before the first feeding of the day, which was the longest average time since the last feeding. Metabolic rates increased immediately after feeding. The maximum rates for OC were 36–49% higher than the minimum rates, and 14–22% higher than the 24-h mean rate. Maximum rates for AE were 137–409% higher than the minimum rates, and 39–87% higher than the mean rates. There was a highly significant difference in the mean metabolic rates related to feeding frequency. The mean OC rate for 1 feeding day−1 (222·0 mg O2 kg−1 h−1) was greater than the mean rates for 2, 3 and 15 feedings day−1. The OC rate for 1 feeding day−1 was 50·6% greater than the rate for 15 feedings day−1 (147·4 mg O2 kg−1 h−1), the lowest mean rate. Mean and maximum oxygen/feed ratio (OFR, kg O2 kg−1 feed fed day−1), varied inversely with feeding frequency. The mean ammonia/feed ratio (AFR) was similar for all but the 3 feedings day−1 treatment, but the maximum AFRs for 2 and 15 feedings day−1 were lower than the AFRs for 1 and 3 feedings day−1. AE was directly proportional to OC; the regression equations were highly significant, but specific for feeding frequency.
Hemolysis with human complement, human cells, and tannic acid; application to complement fixation test.

SummaryHuman erythrocytes undergo lysis in the presence of tannic acid and human complement, even when cells and complement are obtained from the same blood sample. This reaction is dependent upon ...
5. Individual symbols and diacritics

In preparation for the IPA Kiel Convention in 1989, this report summarizes preliminary discussions of possible improvements and changes to individual symbols and diacritics in the International Phonetic Alphabet. It details responses to a questionnaire sent out on 22 October 1988. Specific questions were suggested by a number of sources: my own paper (Henton 1987), reactions to that paper, and from discussions with other phoneticians. The questionnaire was written with a view to eliciting simple and democratic input, rather than to promoting certain symbols or suggestions over others. It was sent to 38 members of the Association who rated the section on ‘Individual symbols and diacritics’ 1–5 (on a scale of 17, with 1 being highest preference) in their reponses to the invitation to revise the International Phonetic Association's alphabet. Eighty members originally replied to the call for input to the Kiel meeting, so the 38 who placed this section high in their preferences are a good portion (47%) of members actively concerned with this Convention.
Characterization of an insulin-related factor secreted by a teratoma cell line

The teratoma-derived insulin-independent cell line 1246-3A produces and secretes polypeptide mitogens in its culture serum-free medium. Mitogenic activities were separated by Sephadex G-50 chromatography into two fractions eluted, one in the void volume region, another one with an apparent Mr of 6 kDa. Only the 6 kDa mitogen presents properties similar to pancreatic insulin as estimated by radioimmunoassay, radio-receptor assay, and biochemical characterization. As a consequence, this factor is called insulin-related factor (IRF). Evidence presented in this paper indicate that ectopic IRF binds to insulin receptors on the producer cells, 1246-3A and acts in an autostimulatory manner.
Characterization using Phase-Contrast Enhanced X-Ray Imaging

Summary form only given. We demonstrate phase-contrast enhanced X-ray imaging (PCXI) for characterization of the solid deuterium-tritium surface inside of beryllium shells. This novel method of X-ray imaging takes advantage of the small refraction and diffraction of the X-rays at boundaries between materials. PCXI is more sensitive to small density changes in low atomic number materials than traditional absorption radiography. Point-projection X-ray microscopes were used in our laboratory to study the surface roughness of a solid deuterium-tritium layer inside of a beryllium capsule. This method can also be applied to plasma physics characterization
Gaussian distributed deployment of relay nodes for wireless Visual Sensor Networks

The visual sensing capability of a Visual Sensor Network (VSN) makes it a very effective tool for applications such as large scale surveillance, environmental monitoring and object tracking. The image sensing, processing and storing functions of the VSN, combined with its function of transmitting and forwarding data towards the sink, consumes more energy and increases the well known energy-hole problem in the network. In this paper, we propose to deploy a Gaussian distributed relay network over pre existing uniform random VSN so as to avoid the energy-hole problem. By forming a heterogeneous wireless sensor network with low-cost relay nodes (RNs), lifetime of the VSN is prolonged with minimal additional cost. We use the energy model of image compression enabled VSNs and determine optimal parameters for the Gaussian deployment of the relay network.
Environmental Correlations in Pedigree Estimates of Breeding Value

Abstract Effects of environmental correlations among the records of ancestors of bulls in artificial breeding were evaluated with data from the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. Formulas developed for the variances and covariances of means of records and progeny group means included the effects of distribution of records in both herds and year-seasons. Selection index procedures were used to estimate the breeding value of bulls from ancestor information. Estimates of heritability were 0.338 and 0.358 for first-lactation mature-equivalent milk and records deviated from their adjusted herdmate average. Repeatabilities were 0.622 for mature-equivalent milk and 0.501 for deviation milk. The environmental correlations among records of cows calving in the same herd and year-season, in the same herd but different year-seasons, and in the same year-season but different herds were 0.328, 0.226, and 0.028 for mature-equivalent records. Similar estimates for deviation records were 0.0, 0.0, and 0.003. Additional environmental correlations for half-sisters in the same herd were 0.0005 and 0.102 for mature-equivalent and deviation records. Correlations between computed indexes and the “predicted difference” of the bulls in artificial breeding were near zero for mature-equivalent records and near 0.25 for indexes of deviation records.
Androgen-uterine interaction: nuclear translocation of the estrogen receptor and induction of the synthesis of the uterine-induced protein (IP) by high concentrations of androgens in vitro but not in vivo.

High concentrations of androgens in itro [10-6 and 10-7M 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T)] translocate the estrogen receptor from the cytoplasmic to the nuclear fraction of the immature rat uterus, and the androgen translocated sites are capable of eliciting the synthesis of the specific uterine “induced protein” (IP), formerly attributed to estrogenic compounds only. The magnitude of receptor translocation and IP synthesis induction is related to the concentration of androgen, and, at equal concentrations, DHT is more effective than T. Competitive protein-binding assays with cell-free uterine cytosol indicate that DHT and T bind with barely detectable affinity to the cytosol estrogen receptor [relative binding ability ca. 0.001% that of estradiol (E2)], and radioactive E2 uptake into whole uterus after pretreatment with androgens indicates that the androgentranslocated nuclear sites are readily filled by E2. DHT and T translocate the estrogen receptor to the nucleus in vitro, and the sal...
Binding sites for corticotropin releasing factor in sensory areas of the rat hindbrain and spinal cord

Abstract Binding sites of 125 I-Tyr-O-ovine corticotropin releasing factor have been demonstrated in sensory areas of the rat hindbrain and spinal cord mainly in the posterior pan of the nucleus tractus solitarii, the substantia gelatinosa nervi trigemini and the superficial layers of the spinal cord (laminae I and II). Specific binding was inhibited in the presence of unlabeled synthetic ovine or rat/human CRF indicating that the receptors recognize both forms of CRF.
A System of Conservative Regridding for Ice-Atmosphere Coupling in a General Circulation Model (GCM)

Abstract. The method of elevation classes, in which the ice surface model is run at multiple elevations within each grid cell, has proven to be a useful way for a low-resolution atmosphere inside a general circulation model (GCM) to produce high-resolution downscaled surface mass balance fields for use in one-way studies coupling atmospheres and ice flow models. Past uses of elevation classes have failed to conserve mass and energy because the transformation used to regrid to the atmosphere was inconsistent with the transformation used to downscale to the ice model. This would cause problems for two-way coupling. A strategy that resolves this conservation issue has been designed and is presented here. The approach identifies three grids between which data must be regridded and five transformations between those grids required by a typical coupled atmosphere–ice flow model. This paper develops a theoretical framework for the problem and shows how each of these transformations may be achieved in a consistent, conservative manner. These transformations are implemented in Glint2, a library used to couple atmosphere models with ice models. Source code and documentation are available for download. Confounding real-world issues are discussed, including the use of projections for ice modeling, how to handle dynamically changing ice geometry, and modifications required for finite element ice models.
A functional optimization formulation and implementation of an inverse natural convection problem

Abstract A formulation and a FEM implementation for the solution of an ill-posed inverse/design natural convection problem is proposed. In particular, we consider an incompressible viscous liquid material occupying a given domain Ω where convection is driven by buoyancy. Thermal boundary conditions are only prescribed in the part ( Γ − Γ h 0 ) of the boundary Γ. In addition, the temperature distribution is also prescribed in the part Γ I of the boundary Γ h 1 where the heat flux is known, i.e. Γ I is a boundary with over-specified thermal boundary conditions. The inverse convection problem is posed as an optimization problem in L 2 ( Γ I ) × [0, t max ]) for the calculation of the boundary heat flux q o ( x , t ), with ( x , t ) ϵ (Γ h 0 × [0, t max ]) . The optimization scheme minimizes the discrepancy ∥ θ m ( x , t ) − θ( x , t ; q o )∥ l 2 (Γ 1 × [0, t max ]) between the temperature θ( x , t;q o ) calculated from the solution of a direct problem for each flux q 0 and the measured or desired temperature θ m ( x , t ) at the boundary Γ I . The gradient of the cost functional is obtained from the adjoint fields. The adjoint problem is defined from the sensitivity operators obtained by linearization of the equations governing the direct problem. The conjugate gradient method is employed to perform the optimization process. The FEM is used for the calculation of the direct, adjoint and sensitivity thermal and fluid flow fields. Finally, the method is demonstrated with the solution of some two-dimensional inverse problems with known solutions. The numerical results are discussed and future work with potential applications is addressed.
Increased relative growth rate of normal rat cells in vitro with crocetin

The carotenoid crocetin (earlier found to increase relative growth of Walker 256 tumor cells and their radiosensitivity), is shown to increase the relative growth of normal Sprague-Dawley rat muscle derived cells in vitro, presumably by increasing oxygen transport.
Transient type-inversion of semi-insulating GaAs under strong illumination at 140 K detected by the nondestructive surface-acoustic-wave technique

A nondestructive surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) technique is used to study the behavior of deep trap levels in semi-insulating, Cr-doped GaAs. The importance of these levels in producing high-quality, semi-insulating GaAs wafers is well recognized. The temperature dependence of the free energy of these levels as well as their trapping behavior at different temperatures has been the subject of increasing interest in the past few years. The SAW technique is extremely sensitive in detecting conductivity variations at the surface of the high-resistivity materials and also yields information about surface-conductivity type. At 140 K, high injection level is achieved by illuminating the wafer with a 100 W tungsten lamp. Under the illumination, the surface conductivity is n-type. When the illumination is turned off, the surface becomes p-type for a duration of 1 s. This duration is a function of light intensity and temperature. The type inversion can be attributed to the large-scale capture of electrons by the deep traps, resulting in momentary increase of the effective hole concentration.