cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
We Continue to Fail the Wrongfully Convicted

Conviction of an innocent person represents one of the most egregious mistakes made in the criminal legal system. By nature, complex systems contain error; as one of the most complex systems existing, the United States criminal legal system inevitably contains errors, including convicting innocent people for crimes they did not commit. This paper explores the current system employed in the United States for identifying, investigating, and correcting these miscarriages of justice by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the current system for addressing wrongful convictions, weighing the efficacy of private versus public efforts to remediate these travesties of justice, and considering alternatives to the current model. The history of acknowledging wrongful convictions in the United States criminal legal system is explored, along with an analysis of the system's complexity faced by someone wrongfully convicted. Further, the piece demonstrates that even with all the efforts taken, the current system continues to fall far short of providing the wrongfully convicted a fair and reasonable path to exoneration. It discusses examples of alternative approaches used in other countries and a call for an alternative approach in the United States.
Turbulence in the Upper Layer

The role is examined of small scale turbulence in determining the distribution of chemical species and other scalar quantities. Turbulent stirring is identified as the cumulative effect of fluctuations in the velocity components combined with fluctuations in the concentrations. Recent work enables the vertical eddy diffusivity coefficient to be parameterized in terms of small scale parameters for two portions of the water column; the region just below the surface and the region that is stratified. Much more information is necessary before parameterizations can be related directly to bulk parameters such as wind speed or Vaisala frequency. Recent measurements from a submarine of turbulent fluctuations and salt fingers are shown as examples of the small scale processes in the ocean.
Protecting Abused, Neglected, and Abandoned Children: A Proposal for Provisional Out-of-State Kinship Placements Pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children

The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children deals with the interstate placement of abused, neglected and abandoned children. This article addresses the critical need for reform of the Interstate Compact and attempts to tackle its most serious flaw—the lack of a provisional placement for children awaiting approval of out-of-state kinship placements. The recently enacted Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act of 2006 (the “Act”) is seriously flawed to the detriment of one of our country’s most vulnerable groups and the very population it is designed to protect—children who have been abused, neglected and abandoned. This article criticizes the Act and other current reform efforts and proposes a provisional placement system that would allow children to be immediately placed with family members across state lines. The implementation of a provisional placement will: (1) encourage many courts who are currently ignoring the mandates of the Interstate Compact to comply with its provisions; (2) minimize the trauma associated with being separated from a biological parent; (3) enhance the likelihood that siblings can remain together while in foster placement; (4) decrease the overall number of placements to which a child is subjected; and (5) free up scarce traditional foster placements for other child placements.
Classical Mythology: A Guide to the Mythical World of the Greeks and Romans

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: William Hansen Year: 2005 Pages: 394 Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0-19-530035-1 (soft cover). Prices: $18.95 USD(soft cover).
Influence of Yttrium on Creep Behavior in Nano‐Crystalline Magnesium Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Due to their light weight, magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have great potential for reducing vehicular mass and energy consumption. However, the use of Mg alloys is currently restricted to low-temperature automotive components application. This work strives to gain a better understanding of the effect of yttrium (Y) (up to 3at%) on creep behavior of columnar nanocrystalline Mg with a grain size of 5nm and 10nm. Using molecular dynamics (MI)) simulations, nanocrystalline Mg with various local concentrations of Y was subjected to a constant-stress loading, ranging from 0–500MPa, at different initial temperatures, ranging from 473–723K. Our simulations reveal that the secondary stage creep rate \((\dot \varepsilon )\) decreases by 71% with the addition of only 1at% Y at 500MPa and 623K. With the addition of alloying elements such as Y, the creep rate in the secondary region decreases and the creep deformation mechanism is changed from the void nucleation, growth, and coalescence to GB rotation/sliding. The analyses of the diffusion coefficient and energy barrier reveal a stronger contribution to the overall deformation by the grain boundary diffusion at the low-temperature (423K) and by the lattice diffusion at the higher-temperature (723K).
Generating endomorphism rings of infinite direct sums and products of modules

Let R be a ring, M a left R-module, I an infinite set, N either the direct sum or product of |I| copies of M, and E the endomorphism ring of N as a left R-module. In this note it is shown that E is not the union of a chain of |I| or fewer proper subrings, and also that given a generating set U for E as a ring, there exists a positive integer n such that every element of E is represented by a ring word of length at most n in elements of U.
On metapopulations and microrefugia: palaeoecological insights

We highlight the importance of microrefugia in the light of population migration and genetic drift by synthesizing lessons learnt from metapopulation and palaeoecological studies. The concept of microrefugia is considered as a long-term variant of conventional metapopulations, in which microclimatic stability supersedes gene flow in determining species survival. Not all species can maintain populations in microrefugia. Life history traits such as small body size, the capacity for asexual reproduction, and species with light genetic loads favour survival. Microrefugia will facilitate faster rates of species responses to climate change than envisioned in diffusion models, and potentially provide a means to alleviate the negative effects posed by natural or anthropogenic barriers to migration. Predictive models based on relatively coarse-grained approaches that ignore microrefugia will lead to overestimates of extinction risk. Microrefugia should be identified and conserved, not for the species they contain, as these are likely to turn over with time, but as an important component of landscape diversity that will provide a safe haven for species not yet identified as at risk.
Recycling random bits in composed perfect zero-knowledge

In this paper we give techniques for recycling random bits both in the interactive and in the non-interactive model for perfect zero-knowledge proofs. Our first result is a non-interactive perfect zero-knowledge proof system for proving that at least one out of any given polynomial number of statements is true, in which the amount of public random bits used is the same as that for proving a single statement. Our second result is an interactive perfect zero-knowledge proof system for proving any given polynomial number of statements, in which the amount of private random bits used by the prover is, apart from a constant factor, the same as that for proving a single statement. In order to get a randomness-efficient proof system, we also reduce the random string of the verifier by using a multi-bit commitment scheme. The statements considered are of quadratic non residuosity modulo a Blum integer.
Genetic Methods of Polymer Synthesis

Genetic methods of polymer synthesis have become an increasingly prominent strategy for the synthesis of well-controlled polymer architectures. The exact control of molecular weight and sequence of protein biosynthesis permits the production of protein-based polymers in which functional group placement can be controlled on the angstrom length scale and for which hierarchical assembly affords structural control on the macroscopic length scale. Protein polymers, produced via protein engineering strategies, have captured many of the sequence, structural, and functional properties of naturally occurring structural proteins such as silk, collagen, and elastin. Artificial proteins with sequences designed de novo have also been shown to form well-controlled lamellar crystalline structures, liquid crystalline phases, and reversible hydrogels. The incorporation of nonnatural amino acids into protein polymers has further expanded their chemical versatility; appropriate engineering of the protein expression host permits the incorporation of alkenes, alkynes, azides, ketones, aryl halides, and other functional groups. The strategies permit the production of polymers for research and commercial applications including drug delivery, vascular graft engineering, tissue engineering, and high performance materials. Keywords: protein polymers; polymer synthesis; protein engineering; genetic engineering; fibrous proteins; artificial proteins; nonnatural amino acids
TELEVISION AND COMMUNICATIONAL SPACE

For the first time in history, religion is being discussed for what it truly is—dominant ideology of the most dangerous kind propelled by myth and ritual that is backed by enormous institutional force. In the case of Islam, the ultimate goal is nothing less than a totalizing global hegemony that aims to impose the religion on everyone—the ‘ummah’. Terrorism is but the most visible, ragged, sharp edge of a much larger and ultimately more dangerous movement. The hegemony of Western—especially American‐Anglo—power and interests has long been recognized and properly criticized. And for now, the policies and rhetoric of George W. Bush and Tony Blair have undermined any remaining moral authority the West might offer. The modern world has been stuck in recent years with the wrong messengers to respond to the Islamists' ambitions. However, what's been dubbed ‘TVIII’ is about more than simply TV: it encompasses television and the Internet, together with the culture industries and personal communications technologi...
Cutaneous Micrographic Surgery for Atypical Fibroxanthoma

background Atypical fibroxanthoma is a locally aggressive cutaneous tumor of the head and neck. Reported treatments include simple excision, cryosurgery, radiation, and cutaneous micrographic surgery. objective We wish to further document the use of cutaneous micrographic surgery for local control of atypical fibroxanthoma. methods A retrospective study of six cases from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a review of the literature. results Five (84%) of our cases were on the heads of elderly patients with strong evidence of photodamage. Subclinical extension of atypical fibroxanthoma required surgical margins averaging 9 mm. Cutaneous micrographic surgery has been associated with no recurrences. conclusion The results of our data demonstrate cutaneous micrographic surgery to be an excellent modality to address this locally aggressive tumor. Cutaneous micrographic surgery is an advantageous therapy for this tumor because of its meticulous tissue removal, tissue mapping, and tissue sparing qualities.
Enhancement of specific heat of ternary nitrate (LiNO3-NaNO3-KNO3) salt by doping with SiO2 nanoparticles for solar thermal energy storage

An enhancement of specific heat in a ternary molten nitrate salt eutectic doped with nanoparticles at a minute concentration is reported. SiO2 nanoparticles, whose nominal size is 60 nm, were doped into a ternary nitrate molten salt eutectic (LiNO3-NaNO3-KNO3) at 1% concentration by weight. A modulated differential scanning calorimeter was employed to characterise the specific heat of the eutectic mixture. According to a density weighted specific heat model, the effective specific heat of the mixture should not significantly change since the concentration of the nanoparticles is very small. However, the specific heat of the mixture of eutectic and nanoparticles was enhanced by 13%. From a subsequent material characterisation, a large amount of fractal-like nanostructure formation by the eutectic near embedded SiO2 nanoparticles was observed. The nanostructure has a very large specific surface area as have the embedded SiO2 nanoparticles. This can significantly amplify the effect of surface energy on the effective specific heat and is thus responsible for the enhanced specific heat of the mixture. Using the ternary molten salt eutectic with enhanced specific heat for thermal energy storage can significantly increase the energy storage efficiency and thus reduce the cost of electricity in a concentrated solar power system.
Promoting Use of Nutrition and Physical Activity Community Resources Among Women in a Family Planning Clinic Setting

Research increasingly supports promotion of nutrition and physical activity community resources to support individual-level health promotion interventions. However, even when such resources exist, they are often not well used. In this article, the authors describe the results of formative research regarding patient and health promotion professionals' perspectives on methods to encourage use of community resources among patients accessing family planning services at a local health department in eastern North Carolina. In March through May of 2010, the authors conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 30 female patients, aged 18-44 years, and five local key informants. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, imported into Atlas Ti for data management, and independently double-coded. Free, easily accessible, and family-friendly resources were most appealing to participants. Key informants offered creative ideas for promoting the use of resources, such as parks and farmers' markets, and included integration of such resources into health care provider prescriptions and taking group trips to resources. Results of this study can guide similar programs attempting to promote the use of resources among hard-to-reach groups.
Color-opponent receptive fields derived from independent component analysis of natural images

Abstract Independent Component Analysis (ICA) of images of natural scenes has been shown to generate basis functions, or filters, which resemble spatial [Bell & Sejnowski (1997). Vision Research, 37, 3327–3338; van Hateren & van der Schaaf (1998). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 265, 359–366] and spatiotemporal [van Hateren & Ruderman (1998) Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 265, 2315–2320] receptive fields of simple cells of the striate cortex. ICA yields statistically independent components which provide for a redundancy-reduced representation of the data. Using one of several published algorithms [Lee (1998). Independent component analysis: theory and applications. Boston; Kluwer Academic], we applied linear ICA to color images of natural scenes. The resulting independent component filters (ICFs) separate into either luminance or color filters. The luminance filters are localized and oriented edge detectors as reported previously. The color filters resemble either blue–yellow or red–green double-opponent receptive fields with various orientations. An equal number of each type of filter (luminance, red–green, and blue–yellow) is obtained. Thus, ICA predicts that spatiochromatic information is coded in statistically independent luminance, blue–yellow, and red–green opponent pathways with a relatively equal representation and specific spatial profiles at the cortical level.
Unnatural comparisons: commentary on Robert McCauley's Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not

Robert McCauley's basic point about science is that it is hard to practice. It entails “procuring cognitive skills that human beings find difficult to acquire, onerous to retain, challenging to exe...
Toward an alcohol use disorder continuum using item response theory: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

Background. Item response theory (IRT) was used to determine whether the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence are arrayed along a continuum of severity.Method. Data came from a large nationally representative sample of the US population, 18 years and older. A two-parameter logistic IRT model was used to determine the severity and discrimination of each DSM-IV criterion. Differential criterion functioning (DCF) was also assessed across subgroups of the population defined by sex, age and race-ethnicity.Results. All DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence criteria, except alcohol-related legal problems, formed a continuum of alcohol use disorder severity. Abuse and dependence criteria did not consistently tap the mildest or more severe end of the continuum respectively, and several criteria were identified as potentially redundant. The drinking in larger amounts or for longer than intended dependence criterion had the greatest discrimination and lowest severity than any other criterion. Although several criteria were found to function differentially between subgroups defined in terms of sex and age, there was evidence that the generalizability and validity of the criterion forming the continuum remained intact at the test score level.Conclusions. DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence form a continuum of severity, calling into question the abuse–dependence distinction in the DSM-IV and the interpretation of abuse as a milder disorder than dependence. The criteria tapped the more severe end of the alcohol use disorder continuum, highlighting the need to identify other criteria capturing the mild to intermediate range of the severity. The drinking larger amounts or longer than intended dependence criterion may be a bridging criterion between drinking patterns that incur risk of alcohol use disorder at the milder end of the continuum, with tolerance, withdrawal, impaired control and serious social and occupational dysfunction at the more severe end of the alcohol use disorder continuum. Future IRT and other dimensional analyses hold great promise in informing revisions to categorical classifications and constructing new dimensional classifications of alcohol use disorders based on the DSM and the ICD.
Fluid transfer concentration of airborne radioxenon to enhance monitoring capabilities

Abstract To facilitate airborne radioxenon monitoring, a xenon concentration method with potential advantages over current technology in simplicity, size, and cost has been developed. The concentration technique is based on the preferential absorption of heavy noble gases (krypton, xenon, and radon) by certain organic fluids. To implement this concentration technique, a radioxenon monitoring system requires three integrated sub-systems: (1) an absorption sub-system; (2) a degassing sub-system; and (3) a radiation detection sub-system. This study is focused on the characterization and optimization of the first two sub-systems. Measurements using a small prototype absorption tower have indicated a xenon removal factor of approximately 50% and the specific concentration at saturation of certain organic fluids to be about 2.5 times the specific concentration in the sampled air. Various techniques for degassing have been investigated, including heating, purging, agitation and vacuum. Ultrasonic agitation of a thin film in a strong vacuum has been shown to be an effective means of degassing the transfer fluid continuously. Various schemes for integrating all of the sub-systems are considered. Combining the small prototype absorption and degassing sub-systems should result in a transfer efficiency of about 33%. Each stage of an optimized concentration system should be able to increase the radioxenon concentration by approximately one order of magnitude.
Network Approach to a Welding Process and Its Experimental Verification With Stress Wave Emission Techniques

In order to better characterize the capacitance discharge welding operation, a stress wave emission (SWE) model has been devised. The transfer function existing between the welding? power supply and the SWE detector is found. From the impulse response of the transfer function, it is shown that the welding operation and SWE detection are linear (almost) time invariant processes.
Evidence for Depressed Catecholamine and Enhanced Serotonin Metabolism in Aging Male Rats: Possible Relation to Gondotropin Secretion2

The steady state concentration of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5HT) was determined and turnover estimated in several brain regions of young (3–4 months) and old (21 months) male Wistar rats. An estimate of DA and NE turnover was obtained by determining their depletion rates after treatment with α-methylpara- tyrosine, a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor. Serotonin turnover was estimated by determining its rate of increase after monoamine oxidase inhibition with pargyline. In old males, medial basal hypothalamic (MBH) DA concentration and depletion rate were significantly lower than in young males. DA concentration of the remaining hypothalamus also was lower in old than in young males, but depletion rates were not different. DA concentration and depletion rate in the olfactory tubercle were the same in both age groups. The steady state concentration of NE in the MBH and remaining hypothalamus, and the hypothalamic NE depletion rate, were significantly lower in old than in young animals....
Calcium Carbonate Concretions Formed by the Decomposition of Organic Matter

Bacterial decomposition of butterfish and smelts in small sealed jars containing seawater and other solutions, for periods ranging from 65 to 205 days, results in a large increase in concentrations of dissolved bicarbonate, carbonate, and ammonia (plus volatile amines). Accompanying this is a rise in pH and the precipitation of Ca(++) ion from solution. The Ca(++) is not precipitated as CaCO(3) but instead as a mixture of calcium fatty acid salts or soaps with from 14 to 18 carbon atoms. This can be explained by the thermodynamic instability of CaCO(3) relative to Ca soaps in the presence of excess free fatty acid. It is suggested that some ancient CaCO(3) concretions, especially those enclosing fossils of soft-bodied organisms, may have formed rapidly after death in the form of natural Ca soap (adipocere) which was later converted to CaCO(3).
Whose Code of Conduct Matters Most? Examining the Link Between Academic Integrity and Student Development

Although most colleges strive to nurture a culture of integrity, incidents of dishonest behavior are on the rise. This article examines the role student development plays in students’ perceptions o...
Fantasy in the discourse of ‘Social Theory of International Politics’

No doubt Wendt’s ‘Social Theory of International Politics’ (STIP) is a discourse. As such, the theory is built on certain discursive conditions of possibility. Drawing on Lacan’s theory of discourse, I analyse these conditions of possibility in arguing that a desire of discursive closure is created in STIP through a fantasy. The latter sustains itself not only by pre-empting its own failure but also by maintaining the desire for discursive closure. I argue that STIP cannot escape deploying such a fantasy. More broadly, what social constructivism based on critical realism does, especially in its thin version, is construct a dichotomy between intransitive and transitive objects in its theoretic discourses. It then endeavours, via constructing fantasies, to use transitive discursive objects to sustain the desire for the constructed dichotomies, which hankers for discursive closure. This means that Wendt is more constructivist than he knows, despite his move of ‘not going all the way down’. In short, I argue ...
Comparison of the effects of methamphetamine, bupropion, and methylphenidate on the self-administration of methamphetamine by rhesus monkeys.

The effectiveness of methadone as a treatment for opioid abuse and nicotine preparations as treatments for tobacco smoking has led to an interest in developing a similar strategy for treating psychostimulant abuse. The current study investigated the effects of three such potential therapies on i.v. methamphetamine self-administration (1 - 30 µg/kg/injection) in rhesus monkeys. When given as a pre-session i.m. injection, a high dose of methamphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) decreased i.v. methamphetamine self-administration but did not affect responding for a food reinforcer during the same sessions. However, the dose of i.m. methamphetamine required to reduce i.v. methamphetamine self-administration exceeded the cumulative amount taken during a typical self-administration session, and pretreatment with a low dose of methamphetamine (0.3 mg/kg) actually increased self-administration in some monkeys at the lower self-administration dose. Like pretreatment with methamphetamine, pretreatment with bupropion (3.2 mg/kg) decreased methamphetamine self-administration but did not affect responding for food. Pretreatment with methylphenidate (0.56 mg/kg) did not significantly alter methamphetamine self-administration. These results suggest that some agonist-like agents can decrease methamphetamine self-administration. Although the most robust effects occurred with a high dose of methamphetamine, safety and abuse liability considerations suggest that bupropion should also be considered for further evaluation as a methamphetamine addiction treatment.
Photo‐induced iron‐catalyzed allylic amination of unfunctionalized olefins with nitroarenes

Photochemical reactions between unfuctionalized olefins and nitroarenes under CO pressure, catalyzed by [Cp*Fe(CO)2]2, form the corresponding allyl amines. The use of mechanistic probes containing 2-nitrobiphenyl, 2,3-dimethylbutadiene and pentafluoronitrobenzene suggest that neither aryl nitrene nor nitrosoarene is the active aminating agent in these transformations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative determination of the partial oxygen pressure in the vitrectomized rabbit eye in vivo using 19F NMR.

We have quantitatively determined the PO2 within the vitreous space of the vitrectomized rabbit eye in vivo using 19F NMR and perfluorotributylamine (FTBA). The results of the present work are in good agreement with previous measurements of PO2, within the nonvitrectimized rabbit eye obtained using oxygen microelectrodes. In this study, good precision and accuracy were achieved by: (1) having minimal flow effects present, (2) optimizing the signal-to-noise through the use of neat FTBA and surface coil transmission and detection, and (3) performing an inversion-recovery pulse sequence, with adiabatic pulses, to optimize the dynamic range of the T1 experiment. Possible deleterious effects on the measured T1, due to the vitreal temperature gradient are discussed. To the best of our knowledge the results of this study demonstrate, for the first time, a quantitative determination of intraocular PO2in vivo using 19F NMR and FTBA. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Contraceptive self-efficacy in college women.

We examined the relationship between the theory of self-efficacy and its effect on contraceptive use along with other variables in a predominantly white female college population. Written survey questionnaires were administered to 356 subjects in college classrooms; the study sample was limited to those 250 female subjects who were age 17-25 years unmarried, and sexually active. The questionnaire was designed to measure contraceptive use, contraceptive self-efficacy, demographic variables, and other variables associated with the college psychosocial environment (i.e., alcohol use, history of sexual assault, and future orientation in education and career plans). Contraceptive self-efficacy (CSE) was highly correlated with effective use (r = .4, p < 0.01). Highly effective contraceptive users had a significantly higher mean CSE score (p < 0.01) than that of less effective users. Logistic regression analysis of effective contraceptive use resulted in a four-factor model that correctly classified 76.3% of users. Contraceptive self-efficacy was the most important predictor of contraceptive use for this sample. Lack of barriers to contraception was also important, with knowledge and length of time of sexual activity also included in the final regression model. Most demographic and future orientation variables were not significantly associated with effective use; variables measuring sexual experience and personal attitudes and perceptions about birth control were more significantly associated with effective use. A lack of interference from alcohol was highly associated with effective contraceptive use. Self-efficacy would seem to be important in predicting contraceptive use and effecting behavior change.
A network reformulation of an electric utility expansion planning model

We reformulate a multiperiod capacity expansion model of electric utilities as a network model. We show how to reconstruct the dual solution of the original mathematical program from the network model solution. To formulate the network model, we use information about the properties of the optimal solution of the mathematical program to reduce the number of constraints. The remaining constraints are then readily converted into network constraints. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
Manned simulation research in complex control systems

Two purposes guide the studies currently in progress in the RAND Logistics Systems Laboratory: one is to aid the Air Force in a substantive management or control problem, such as operations-support control of the ICBM force, or control and allocation of resources to perform the short-term job of procuring, repairing and distributing the Air Force's supply assets; and the second is to improve the RAND use of abstract (primarily, manned computer-assisted) simulations in designing and evaluating alternative, complex control systems.
Personal Intelligence Expressed: A Multiple Case Study of Business Leaders

An individual's intelligences promote success in a wide range of life areas, including at school and at work. A recently proposed intelligence, personal intelligence (PI), is defined as the “capacity to reason about personality and to use personality and personal information to enhance one's thoughts, plans and life experience.” This article employs a multiple case study of well-known business leaders to see if the expressions of PI are really identifiable in people's life expressions. High PI leaders, compared to other leaders, appeared interested in their own and others' personalities, possessed theories of how they were the same as and different from others, used their identities to motivate themselves, and were able to better speak from the heart.
Proxy evidence for an El Niño-like response to volcanic forcing.

Past studies have suggested a statistical connection between explosive volcanic eruptions and subsequent El Nino climate events. This connection, however, has remained controversial. Here we present support for a response of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon to forcing from explosive volcanism by using two different palaeoclimate reconstructions of El Nino activity and two independent, proxy-based chronologies of explosive volcanic activity from ad 1649 to the present. We demonstrate a significant, multi-year, El Nino-like response to explosive tropical volcanic forcing over the past several centuries. The results imply roughly a doubling of the probability of an El Nino event occurring in the winter following a volcanic eruption. Our empirical findings shed light on how the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system may respond to exogenous (both natural and anthropogenic) radiative forcing.
Photosynthetic carbon fixation pathways in Zostera marina and three Florida seagrasses

Abstract The photosynthetic carbon fixation pathways of four seagrass species, Zostera marina L. from Alaska and Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Konig, Syringodium filiforme Kutz. and Halodule wrightii Aschers. from the Gulf of Mexico, were investigated with a 14 C pulse-chase technique. All species were found to be principally of the C 3 type. However, Thalassia and Halodule had higher initial incorporation rates into organic acids than is typical for terrestrial C 3 plants. Of 11 seagrass species investigated thus far for C 3 or C 4 metabolism using this technique, 10 were found to be principally of the C 3 type while only one exhibited C 4 metabolism.
Global extremum criteria for finite elasticity

A unified theroy for the complementary-dual extremum energy theorems in nonlinear elastostatics is established under the global extremum criteria $$\int {\Omega \tfrac{1}{2}tr[(u\nabla )T(\nabla u)]d\Omega \geqslant 0 \forall u,} $$ which provides a sufficient condition for the validity of the Levinson-Zubov's principle, and plays a key role in the finite deformation theory. A truly complementary energy principle is also proved.
Simultaneous Confocal based 3D Tracking and Fluorescence Imaging

The response of the receptor, IgE-FceRI, to binding of a multivalent antigen begins a cellular signaling cascade resulting in the release of histamine, part of the human allergic response. The receptor's modes of motion and internalization process are investigated using a confocal based 3D tracking microscope. A Nipkow spinning disk has been added to the microscope to allow simultaneous confocal 3D tracking and wide field spinning disk imaging. The receptor is tracked in live cells while simultaneously imaging cellular structures labeled with fluorescent proteins.
A 0.32 THz SiGe 4x4 Imaging Array Using High-Efficiency On-Chip Antennas

This paper presents a 0.32 THz 4x4 imaging array based on an advanced SiGe technology. Each pixel is composed of a high efficiency on-chip antenna meeting all metal-density rules, which is coupled to a SiGe detector and a low noise CMOS operational amplifier. A quartz superstrate is used on top of the imaging chip to improve the radiation efficiency. The array results in an average NEP of 34 pW/Hz 1/2 at an IF of 10-100 kHz for a detector bias current of 50-150 μA, a responsivity of 18 kV/W and a 3-dB bandwidth of 25 GHz. The power consumption is 2.4 mW/pixel. Extensive measurements are presented which show the challenges encountered in obtaining accurate measurements at THz frequencies using a quasi-optical set-up, and the decisions taken to quote the average NEP values.
Profiling and imaging of tissues by imaging ion mobility‐mass spectrometry

Molecular profiling and imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) of tissues can often result in complex spectra that are difficult to interpret without additional information about specific signals. This report describes increasing data dimensionality in IMS by combining two-dimensional separations at each spatial location on the basis of imaging ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS). Analyte ions are separated on the basis of both ion-neutral collision cross section and m/z, which provides rapid separation of isobaric, but structurally distinct ions. The advantages of imaging using ion mobility prior to MS analysis are demonstrated for profiling of human glioma and selective lipid imaging from rat brain.
Role of nucleoporin induction in releasing an mRNA nuclear export block.

Signal-mediated nuclear import and export proceed through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Some NPC components, such as the nucleoporins (Nups) Nup98 and Nup96, are also associated with the nuclear interior. Nup98 is a target of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) matrix (M) protein–mediated inhibition of messenger RNA (mRNA) nuclear export. Here, Nup98 and Nup96 were found to be up-regulated by interferon (IFN). M protein–mediated inhibition of mRNA nuclear export was reversed when cells were treated with IFN-γ or transfected with a complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding Nup98 and Nup96. Thus, increased Nup98 and Nup96 expression constitutes an IFN-mediated mechanism that reverses M protein–mediated inhibition of gene expression.
The effect of vertical vibration of the ampoule on the directional solidification of InSbGaSb alloy

Abstract The effects of vertical vibration of the ampoule on the directional solidification of InSbGaSb alloy in the vertical Bridgman—Stockbarger configuration were investigated. The microstructure and compositional profile of In0.2Ga0.8Sb grown with and without vibration were studied. The axial composition profile with and without vibration corresponded to complete mixing of the melt. No significant radial composition variations were observed. Though twins were slightly increased by the application of vibration, the number of grain boundaries in the ingots grown with vibration was less than in ingots grown without vibration, especially in the first-to-freeze parts. With the application of vertical vibration with 20 Hz frequency 0.5 mm amplitude to the growth ampoule, the ingots had the fewest grain boundaries. Vibration did not change the interface shape significantly during the first part of the ingots. However, the interface became more concave during the last part of the solidification when vibration was applied. Twinning mostly initiated from the edge of the ingot where they contacted with the ampoule wall.
Qualitative differences in the visual retention test performance of older non-insulin dependent diabetic patients

To evaluate the qualitative and quantitative differences in the performance of older diabetic patients on Benton’s Visual Retention Test (BVRT), a cross sectional study of 46 non-insulin dependent diabetic men and 59 nondiabetic men over the age of 55 years was carried out. The recent memory was assessed with the Benton’s Visual Retention Test. Diabetic patients had a significantly higher error score (10.96 ± 4.07) compared to nondiabetic subjects (9.08 ± 4.45), F (1,103) = 4.923, p<0.029. Diabetic patients were more likely to make the following types of errors: omissions, distortions, size errors and left errors. Older diabetic patients appear to have mild impairment in recent memory compared to nondiabetic subjects. The qualitative pattern of the test results is suggestive of cerebrovascular etiology of the cognitive changes.
Determination of the Water Content of Wood and other Substances by means of Ternary Azeotropic Mixtures

Determination of the Water Content of Wood and other Substances by means of Ternary Azeotropic Mixtures
The Ironies of Human Resource Mobilization by Neighborhood Associations

This article explores the mobilization of human resources by sixty-one neighborhood associations in the Seattle area. Although support is generated for hypotheses that emphasize the importance of neighborhood composition, internal polity, association incentive systems, and communications channels, ironies of human resource mobilization are discovered and explained. Specifically, both newsletters and the value of residential property promote membership and discourage participation. The negative effect of newsletters is particularly evident for representative democracies in wealthy areas.
Departments in Academic Receivership: Possible Causes and Solutions

This article explores the concept of academic receivership in U.S. colleges and universities. Academic receivership occurs when control of an academic department or program is removed from the faculty and an outside chair is put in place by the college or university administration. A literature review is supplemented by a small survey to assess how common receivership is and how it is administered. Combined, these elements allow for a discussion of the warning signs that a department is becoming dysfunctional and a procedure to guide a department through the receivership process.
Simulation of a Miniature, Low-Power Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for In Situ Analysis of Planetary Atmospheres

We are implementing nano- and micro-technologies to develop a miniaturized electron impact ionization mass spectrometer for planetary science. Microfabrication technology is used to fabricate the ion and electron optics, and a carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode is used to generate the ionizing electron beam. Future NASA planetary science missions demand miniaturized, low power mass spectrometers that exhibit high resolution and sensitivity to search for evidence of past and present habitability on the surface and in the atmosphere of priority targets such as Mars, Titan, Enceladus, Venus, Europa, and short-period comets. Toward this objective, we are developing a miniature, high resolution reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Mini TOF-MS) that features a low-power CNT field emission electron impact ionization source and microfabricated ion optics and reflectron mass analyzer in a parallel-plate geometry that is scalable. Charged particle electrodynamic modeling (SIMION 8.0.4) is employed to guide the iterative design of electron and ion optic components and to characterize the overall performance of the Mini TOF-MS device via simulation. Miniature (< 1000 cm3) TOF-MS designs (ion source, mass analyzer, detector only) demonstrate simulated mass resolutions > 600 at sensitivity levels on the order of 10-3 cps/molecule N2/cc while consuming 1.3 W of power and are comparable to current spaceflight mass spectrometers. Higher performance designs have also been simulated and indicate mass resolutions ~1000, though at the expense of sensitivity and instrument volume.
The Effect of a Connectivity Requirement on the Complexity of Maximum Subgraph Problems

If Ir IS a property on graphs (or digraphs), the corresponding maximum subgraph problem is Given a graph G find a maximum (induced) subgraph of G satisfying property ~r The author has previously shown this problem to be NP-hard for a large class of properties (the class of properties that are hereditary on induced subgraphs) The effect of adding a connectwtty requirement to ~r is now considered It is shown that for the same class of properties the connected maximum subgraph problem is also NP-hard, moreover, for a certain important subclass of properties, even approximating the node-deletion version of it in any "reasonable" way is NP-hard A related set of problems is shown to testify to A~ # NP LI co-NP, In the case that NP # co-NP.
Acute Amphetamine Exposure Selectively Desensitizes κ -Opioid Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens

Acute Amphetamine Exposure Selectively Desensitizes κ -Opioid Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens
Modulation of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase in patients treated with alpha-interferon: effects of dose, schedule, and route of administration.

ABSTRACT The interferon (IFN)-induced intracellular enzyme 2′,5′-oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetase was measured in extracts of peripheral mononuclear cells isolated from patients receiving a 300-fold range of doses of alpha interferon (IFN-α). The range of enzyme induction was 2.3- to 5.7-fold. The maximum fold increase varied from individual to individual as did the dose required for maximum enzyme stimulation. The magnitude and endurance of the enzyme response was a function of IFN dose and was unrelated to the duration of treatment or number of injections or to the route of administration. The enzyme assay was a more sensitive indicator of IFN administration than was measurement of the level of circulating IFN. These results substantiate the potential of a clinical 2-5A synthetase assay for monitoring IFN treatment.
Resonance bonding patterns of peroxide chemistry: cyclic three-center hyperbonding in "phosphadioxirane" intermediates.

We investigate the nature of valency and bonding in the highly unusual O2PR3 “phosphadioxirane” species recently isolated as an intermediate in the reaction of 1O2 with organic phosphines PR3. Commonly, this species is depicted as a Lewis structure with five bonds at the phosphorus center, suggesting hypervalent involvement of extra-valence d-orbitals in the hybridization. However, nonhypervalent bonding patterns, such as open zwitterionic peroxides or R2PO2+R- ion pairs, could also achieve the observed hypercoordination. In the present work, we employ ab initio and hybrid density functional calculations with theoretical analysis by means of Natural Resonance Theory (NRT) and Natural Bond Orbitals (NBOs) to investigate the role of valence shell expansion versus nonhypervalent ionic resonance in phosphadioxiranes. We find that true hypervalency is relatively negligible in phosphadioxiranes, and hypercoordination is instead achieved through both conventional linear Pimentel−Rundle three-center, four-electro...
A Compressible Continuum Model for Ion Transport in High-Temperature Water

A compressible continuum model for the limiting electrical conductivity, Λ0, is presented. Solvent density as a function of the radial distance r from a solvated, spherical ion is calculated via th...
Measuring the stability of three copper alloys

In this paper we report measurements of the dimensional stability of samples of brass, beryllium copper, and tellurium copper taken over an 18 month time span. Of the materials, brass was the most stable, decreasing slightly in length at the rate of 1 part per million per year (ppm/y) with an uncertainty (3a) of about 1 ppm/y. Tellurium copper shrank at an average rate of 2.Li ppm/y and beryllium copper, the least stable, at the rate of 5.8 ppm/y. To measure the instrumental uncertainty 4 samples of each material were measured, and the measurement scheme was designed to detect and correct for thermal drift ,during measurements. The experiment design problems associated with these measurements and the associated uncertainties are discussed.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intraorbital squamous epithelial cyst : an unusual complication of silastic implantation

Thin Silastic sheet alloplasts (Dow Corning, Midland, MI, U.S.A) are commonly used to reconstruct posttraumatic orbital floor defects. Complications associated with orbital Silastic implantation include infection, migration, and extrusion. The authors report an unusual case of an intraorbital, squamous, epithelial-lined cyst appearing as progressive vertical globe dystopia and proptosis occurring after Silastic reconstruction of a traumatic orbital floor defect.
Give a Little or Lose a Lot? The Effects of Increased Transparency on Local Applications for Federal Grant Funds:

In this article, I examine the effects of the increased transparency and reporting requirements on the decisions of local education agencies (LEAs) to draw down federal dollars allocated to state programs in nonmission areas. Data from LEAs and program expenditures are used to develop a model detailing how transparency impacts the decisions of LEAs in two states in drawing down funds from a federal grant program. Findings suggest that rather than the theoretical expectation that managers act in an anticipatory manner, managers are more concerned with immediate financial needs.
Influence of Control on the Pitch Damping of a Floating Wind Turbine

This paper presents the influence of conventional wind turbine blade-pitch control actions on the pitch damping of a wind turbine supported by an offshore floating barge with catenary moorings.
Through thick and thin?: The dynamics of government support across income groups during economic crises

Students of economic voting have recently made substantial progress in their understanding of when the economy is and is not likely to impact election outcomes. Our knowledge of the lower level dynamics that drive these aggregate results remains fairly murky. In this paper we test competing theoretical claims about how individual level orientations toward political economy lead to observed aggregate trends in support for incumbent politicians. We do this with models of support for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom before and during the recent global economic turndown.