cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Corporate Value Clusters in Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Performance: A Study of Financial Professionals and Implications for the Financial Meltdown

This article delves into a potential mindset that may be responsible for the recent financial meltdown. Research relating to this mindset from different perspectives is reviewed. The findings from this literature review are used to create a conceptual framework for the empirical, ethical, and corporate social responsibility study of financial professionals. Data were collected from a survey of the professional membership of a large national association of financial professionals. This article reports the results of the analysis of data relative to the relationships among the four constructs—financial professionals’ perceived organizational value clusters, ethics, corporate social responsibility, and corporate performance. The findings indicate that organizational core values significantly affect corporate ethics, social responsibility, and financial performance. We propose that organizations in the financial industry can move toward being more ethical and socially responsible by adopting organic core values (e.g., democratic, open, trusting, enterprising, creative, stimulating) and moving away from mechanistic values (e.g., structured, regulated, procedural, authoritarian, closed, callous). We also found the adaptation of organic core values does not require the organization to suffer a loss in financial performance.
Unitary symmetry and the photoproduction of η-mesons

The leading singularities in the amplitude for γ+p→η+p are examined within the framework of unitary symmetry. If some recent ideas about strong interaction symmetries are correct, the cross-section for η photoproduction should be an order of magnitude smaller than the cross-section for π0 production.
An analysis of live cattle option hedging strategies

Options on cattle futures have expanded the realm of alternative marketing strategies available to cattle feeders. This study utilized actual feedlot data to compare the return distributions from 31 separate fed cattle marketing strategies using cash, futures, put option, and call option markets. The results indicate that different strategies are preferred depending upon the risk preferences of the cattle feeder and the length of the feeding period. In general, over the 1980 through 1985 period, cash, hedging, and in-the-money put option purchases dominated spread and fence strategies for risk averse agents.
Granulosis virus in the intestinal lumen of Neoaplectana carpocapsae: Retention of infectivity after treatment with formaldehyde or high pH

Abstract High p H values (>11.0) cause the dissolution of occlusion bodies of the granulosis virus (GV) of Pseudaletia unipuncta and subsequent inactivation of the virus within 24 hr. The GV is also inactivated within 48 hr by 0.04% formaldehyde. The GV is found in the intestinal lumen of infective third stage nematodes (dauer juveniles) of Neoaplectana carpocapsae when development occurs in GV-infected hosts. The GV in these dauer juveniles retains its infectivity even when the nematodes are placed into an alkaline solution with p H values of 11.1 or 12.1 or in 0.04% formaldehyde up to 336 hr. However, significant loss of infectivity of GV occurs when the nematodes are in formaldehyde but not at high p H values. The dauer juveniles are ensheathed by the second stage cuticle. This cuticle probably protects the GV in the intestinal lumen of the nematode from the high p H and formaldehyde.
Make the SIGUCCS experience last: become a local chapter

In 1997, as a result of conversations that started during a SIGUCCS conference, several NY state schools formed a regional conference called NYCHES (New York Computing in Higher Education Symposium). SIGUCCS attendees from these schools wanted to continue the 'SIGUCCS dialogs' throughout the year, so NYCHES has met a few times a year since 1997, with participation increasing to include dozens of schools across central and western NY state. Schools would volunteer to host the day-long meeting, and provide food for the attendees. There was no membership fee to be involved in NYCHES, so costs to attendees were minimized to travel expenses. Cost containment, particularly in the face of constricting travel budgets for many schools, made a regional conference an attractive option for schools that could not afford to send many people to national conferences. Even so, based on their experiences in NYCHES many members became active SIGUCCS attendees, and conversations started during SIGUCCS would continue on in NYCHES meetings through the year.On March 19 2012, NYCHES became the first local chapter for SIGUCCS. SIG Chapters, and their membership, receive considerable benefits from the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) including website hosting, membership tools, mailing list hosting, recruitment tools, ACM email addresses, subscriptions to ACM publications, and access to the ACM Distinguished Speakers Program. Chapter members are not required to pay for membership, unless they wish to serve on the Board of the Chapter, so despite the substantial benefits, costs to their respective institutions are still minimized.This paper will discuss how NYCHES was successful as a regional conference, and how this format could be duplicated in other parts of the country. It will also discuss how the members of a regional conference would benefit from a formal association with both ACM and SIGUCCS.
"Chance" and mixed-species associations

Spatial associations between members of different animal species may arise through mutual behavioral attraction, through attraction to common resources or locations, or by “chance”. I outline a means of calculating the expected duration of associations based on the null hypothesis that members of different species move independently and randomly. Observed association durations can be compared to these expectations to identify those cases of association (or avoidance) that have biologically interesting causes. The method is applicable to any species in which the presence of a second species can be recorded during focal samples of an individual or a cohesive social group. The data required are readily collected in the field; I illustrate the use of the technique with data from several East African forest primates.
Molecular genetics of the K end of the murine MHC

Abstract A systematic search of cloned DNA from the region between the Pb (A μ3 ) and Ob (A μ2 ) genes of the murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has revealed the presence of at least seven new genes. Three of these genes show significant similarity to MHC class II antigens. Two of the other genes are members of a superfamily of transport protein genes and are believed to function in the transport of antigenic peptides during antigen processing. Genes encoding at least two subunits of a large intracellular protein complex (the LMP complex) that is believed to be involved in antigen processing were previously mapped to the same genetic region. This data suggests that this region of the MHC contains, in addition to MHC class I and class II genes whose products provide the scaffolding for antigen presentation, a cluster of genes required for antigen processing.
Extrinsic photodiodes for integrated mid-infrared silicon photonics

Silicon photonics has recently been proposed for a diverse set of applications at mid-infrared wavelengths including spectroscopy, chemical and biological sensing, free-space communications, and nonlinear optics. While optical-to-electronic signal conversion is essential to these applications, on-chip photodetection remains an important and challenging task. In this Letter, we present room temperature operation of Zn+-implanted Si waveguide photodiodes from 2.2 to 2.4 μm, with measured responsivities of up to 87±29 mA/W and low dark currents of <10 μA. Photocurrent generation is achieved by transitions from dopant-induced sub-bandgap trap states located ≈0.58 eV above the valence band to the conduction band, resulting in a peak detection wavelength of ≈2.3 μm. The wavelength of operation can be increased by choosing a dopant with an appropriate trap level, opening the possibility for on-chip detection throughout the mid-infrared.
Synthetic peptide sequence from the C-terminus of the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor that induces apoptosis and inhibition of tumor growth.

Although the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis, its C-terminus sequence sends contradictory signals, including a clearly proapoptotic signal. We have synthesized a peptide, peptide 2, having the sequence of the IGF-IR from residue 1282 to residue 1298 (C-terminus of the β subunit). To favor its uptake into cells, we linked it to a stearic acid moiety at its NH-terminus. Peptide 2 is taken up by the cells, where it inhibits DNA synthesis and causes apoptosis, while a scrambled peptide (with stearic acid) and peptide 2 without stearic acid are completely ineffective. Peptide 2 is more effective when cells are in anchorage-independent conditions than when they grow in monolayer cultures. Accordingly, we find that peptide 2 can inhibit the growth of a human prostatic cell line in nude mice. The proapoptotic effect of peptide 2 is inhibited by the expression of Bcl-2 or by a dominant negative mutant of caspase 9. These and other data indicate that peptide 2 does not seem to be competing directly with the IGF-IR for common substrates, but that its proapoptotic effect is related to its ability to activate the caspase cascade. J. Cell. Physiol. 181:124–135, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mössbauer studies of cytochrome c′ from Rhodospirillum rubrum

Abstract Cytochrome c′ from Rhodospirillum rubrum has been investigated in the ferric form with Mossbauer and EPR spectroscopy. In the pH range from 6 to 9.5, three species are observed which belong to two pH-dependent equilibria with pK values near 6 and 8.5. The pK  6 transition is resolved only with high-field Mossbauer spectroscopy. For the three species we have determined the zero-field splitting parameters and the hyperfine coupling constants. The data were fitted to a spin Hamiltonian which takes into account a weak mixing of excited S  3 2 states into the sextet ground manifold. The low temperature spectra clearly show that the quadruple coupling constant δEo is positive for ferricytochrome c′ and thus in accord with all other high-spin ferric heme proteins.
Economic Freedom and Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries

This paper employs cross-country growth regressions for a sample of developing countries to examine the determinants of FDI. In addition to economic factors affecting foreign direct investment, the analysis also tests for the role of institutional quality (enforcement of property rights, corruption, etc.) and policy orientation factors (openness). The paper evaluates whether foreign investment responds to changes in levels of economic freedom. In addition it tests whether the insignificant coefficient found in previous studies is the result of the level of aggregation in the economic freedom data. Finally, it disaggregates the data on economic freedom and re-estimates the relationship between FDI and components of economic freedom. Foreign direct investment is found to vary positively with increases in certain components of economic freedom.
A CONTROLLER ENABLING PRECISE POSITIONING AND SWAY REDUCTION IN CRANES WITH ON-OFF ACTUATION

Abstract Precise manipulation of payloads is difficult with large cranes. Oscillation can be induced into the lightly damped system by motion of the overhead support point, or from environmental disturbances. A combined feedback and input shaping controller is presented here. The controller uses feedback to detect and compensate for positioning error in the overhead support unit (e.g. the bridge or trolley), and input shaping is used to negate motion-induced oscillation in the payload. The controller is implemented on a 10-ton bridge crane at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The controller generates simple on-off commands, suitable for typical cranes that employ on-off, relay-driven motors. The controller achieves good positioning accuracy, and significant payload sway reduction.
Interactive effects of generalized and situational expectancies on the arousal of cognitive and emotional components of social anxiety

Abstract This study examined the arousal of social anxiety in an interview setting as a function of anticipated self-disclosure. Of 88 college students who completed the Social Avoidance and Distress (SAD) scale and other measures of social anxiety, self-disclosure, need to affiliate, and interpersonal trust, 24 volunteered for the interview. During the interview, both components of anxiety (worry and emotionality) were affected by expectancy conditions, and emotionality was higher for high- than for low-SAD subjects. The prediction of an interaction between SAD level and expectancy condition on worry was confirmed: only high-SAD subjects exposed to the negative-expectancy condition experienced significant elevations in worry. Though social anxiety and self-disclosure measures correlated negatively, anxiety did not affect self-disclosure during the interview.
Sixty Hertz Neurostimulation Amplifies Subthalamic Neural Synchrony in Parkinson’s Disease

High frequency subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves the cardinal motor signs of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and attenuates STN alpha/beta band neural synchrony in a voltage-dependent manner. While there is a growing interest in the behavioral effects of lower frequency (60 Hz) DBS, little is known about its effect on STN neural synchrony. Here we demonstrate for the first time that during intra-operative 60 Hz STN DBS, one or more bands of resting state neural synchrony were amplified in the STN in PD. We recorded intra-operative STN resting state local field potentials (LFPs) from twenty-eight STNs in seventeen PD subjects after placement of the DBS lead (model 3389, Medtronic, Inc.) before and during three randomized neurostimulation sets (130 Hz/1.35V, 130 Hz/2V, 60 Hz/2V). During 130 Hz/2V DBS, baseline (no DBS) STN alpha (8 – 12 Hz) and beta (13 – 35 Hz) band power decreased (N=14, P < 0.001 for both), whereas during 60 Hz/2V DBS, alpha band and peak frequency power increased (P = 0.012, P = 0.007, respectively). The effect of 60 Hz/2V DBS opposed that of power-equivalent (130 Hz/1.35V) DBS (alpha: P < 0.001, beta: P = 0.006). These results show that intra-operative 60 Hz STN DBS amplified whereas 130 Hz STN DBS attenuated resting state neural synchrony in PD; the effects were frequency-specific. We demonstrate that neurostimulation may be useful as a tool to selectively modulate resting state resonant bands of neural synchrony and to investigate its influence on motor and non-motor behaviors in PD and other neuropsychiatric diseases.
Evidence for Paleoindians in Wisconsin and at the Skare Site

AbstractThe Skare site, situated along the Yahara River in southern Wisconsin, has produced evidence of human activity spanning from Paleoindian times to the early Euro-American settlement of Wisconsin. During recent excavations at the site, two Paleoindian artifacts, the base of a Folsom biface and a heavily reworked Dalton biface, were found below the plow zone. Inventories of Paleoindian sites and fluted biface distributions primarily documented in the surface archaeology of Wisconsin are examined to establish a regional settlement context for the Skare site and to investigate the nature of Paleoindian exploration and colonization of the state. Areas with the highest numbers of known Paleoindian sites and reported fluted bifaces correspond with resource-rich habitats, unique lithic raw material sources, and regions that have been the focus of Paleoindian research and fluted biface collecting. Clovis bifaces are found across the state, while Folsom bifaces are largely restricted to the southern half of ...
Effects of Practice on Variability, Effects of Variability on Transfer.

Five experiments examined how practice early in skill acquisition affected variability and accuracy during skill retention (Experiments 1-5) and skill transfer (Experiments 3, 4, 5). Lag constraints required that each path from apex to base of a computer-generated pyramid display differ from some number (the lag) of immediately prior paths. Location constraints specified end points at which paths must exit the pyramid. In all experiments, an early optimal period for acquiring a variability level was identified. Both low and high levels of variability were sustained during retention; high levels facilitated transfer. The results suggest that (a) early practice that requires high variability sensitizes learners to changes in condition and (b) such perception-performance links facilitate transfer by activating appropriate alternative strategies/schema or initiating their construction.
Identification-adaptive quadratic-cost linear system control

A recent publication [1] proposes a solution requiring complete recalculation of a sequence of matrices (backward from the end of the interval) with each model change provided by the concurrent real-time system identification. The new result here is a control algorithm which incorporates the identification with a computationally simpler forward-calculation correction technique.
On (k,n) -arcs

We construct (k,n)-arcs in PG(2,q) with k approximately q^2/d and n approximately q/d for each divisor d of q-1.
Serum growth hormone and insulin but not insulin-like growth factor-1 levels are elevated in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

Standard radioimmunoassay (RIA) was employed to quantify basal serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1), and insulin levels in 32 normoglycemic patients with clinically active fibromyalgia and in 29 normoglycemic control subjects. The GH concentration was significantly higher (P<0.001) in female fibromyalgia patients than age-matched, normal female subjects. In contrast, basal serum IGF-1 concentrations did not differ between these groups. A scatter plot generated from two-stage, least-squares analysis showed that serum GH lacked correlation with the serum IGF-1 concentrations of normal female subjects (P=0.73) and female fibromyalgia patients (P=0.19). In addition to the results from serum GH and IGF-1 RIA, we also found significantly higher fasting serum insulin levels (P=0.03) in male fibromyalgia patients and a trend toward elevated fasting serum insulin levels in the female fibromyalgia population (P=0.07), with the mean fasting level in the male fibromyalgia group (35.7 μU/ml-1) exceeding the upper limit of normal serum insulin levels (i.e., 27 µU/ml-1). Based on these results, basal serum GH and fasting serum insulin levels appear to be valuable surrogate markers in clinically active, normoglycemic fibromyalgia patients.
The Influence of Cognitive Status on Elder Food Choice and Meal Service Satisfaction.

Background:This article describes the testing of a new nursing home food delivery system that empowers elders to choose the foods they want to eat and gives them an active voice in menu development...
Application of surface pressure measurements from O2-band differential absorption radar system in three-dimensional data assimilation on hurricane: Part I – An observing system simulation experiments study

Abstract Sea level pressure (SLP) is an important variable in regulating hurricane motion. However, SLP generally cannot be measured in open oceans due to limited buoys. Because of the potential availability of an O 2 -band differential absorption radar for sea surface barometry, we investigate the value of assimilating various patterns of SLP from such a system on hurricane prediction using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) three-dimensional variational data assimilation system (3DVAR) based on Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs). An important objective of this series of study is to explore the potential to use space and airborne sea surface air pressure measurements from an O 2 -band differential absorption radar currently under development for server weather including hurricane forecasts. The surface pressure patterns include an area of SLP, and a band of SLP either through the center or tangent to the hurricane position; the latter two distributions are similar to what could be obtained from the differential absorption radar system, which could be installed on spaceborne satellites and/or mounted on reconnaissance aircraft. In the banded pressure cases, we propose a vortex reconstruction technique based on surface pressure field. Assimilating observations from the reconstructed surface pressure leads to a better representation of initial SLP and vertical cross-section of wind, relative to the control where no data is assimilated and to the assimilation without vortex reconstruction. In eight of the nine OSSEs simulations on three hurricanes with three leading times of integration, which cover a wide range of initial minimum SLP from 951 to 1011 hPa, substantial improvements are found not only in the hurricane track and position, but also in the hurricane intensity, in terms of the SLP and maximum surface wind. The only case without significant improvement is resulted from the very weak initial condition (SLP 1011 hPa), which had no clear indication of tropical disturbance at the stage for initialization. The improvements of assimilation are generally enhanced for the stronger hurricanes whose differences in initial minimum SLP between nature run and control are larger.
Effect of cycloheximide on adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate level in rat epididymal fat tissue.

Abstract Cycloheximide at 0.1 to 0.2 m M increases cAMP concentration up to five-fold in epididymal fat tissue in vitro . This increase in cAMP concentration is accompanied by a 40% activation of glycogen phosphorylase. Propranolol, a specific β-adrenergic antagonist, blocks the cycloheximide-mediated cAMP increase. Epinephrine stimulates cAMP formation up to 25-fold under the same condition. This increase is also blocked by propranolol. Cycloheximide also partially blocks the epinephrine stimulated cAMP increase, suggesting that both compounds act at the same site.
Laws of biological design: a reply to John Beatty

In this paper, I argue against John Beatty’s position in his paper “The Evolutionary Contingency Thesis” by counterexample. Beatty argues that there are no distinctly biological laws because the outcomes of the evolutionary processes are contingent. I argue that the heart of the Caspar–Klug theory of virus structure—that spherical virus capsids consist of 60T subunits (where T = k2 + hk + h2 and h and k are integers)—is a distinctly biological law even if the existence of spherical viruses is evolutionarily contingent.
Levels of monoamine oxidase in the brain of C57BL-6J mice after exposure to defeat.

IT has been widely demonstrated during the past several years that changes in brain levels of serotonin have a direct effect on changes in behaviour1–12. Norepinephrine has also been shown to be directly involved with behaviour9,13. In addition, norepinephrine has been demonstrated to be connected with the behavioural changes observed when an animal is attacking or being attacked14, and both serotonin and norepinephrine have been reported to be involved in the learning ability of mice15–17. These observations were all made after changing the brain amine levels by the administration of drugs or by electrically stimulating the brain. No work, however, has been reported to show the effect of purely behavioural manipulation on the brain amine levels.
Guiding choice--ethically influencing referrals in ACOs

How can accountable care organizations influence where patients receive specialty care in order to assure quality and control cost, while respecting physicians' autonomy to prioritize their patients' best interests and patients' autonomy to choose their own physicians?
Fatih Akin's Cinema of Intersections

A career survey of the work of Turkish German director Fatih Akin, whose films (notably The Edge of Heaven and Soul Kitchen ) combine comedy with darker notes, emphasizing the theme of dual identity and paying particular attention to the use of music.
Yang-Mills equations and parallel propagation on closed paths.

A new variable for Yang-Mills theory is introduced. This variable, denoted by H, is the differential holonomy operator, i.e., the variation of the holonomy operator associated with a variation of a specific set of closed paths in Minkowski space. The main purpose of this paper is to show how the vacuum Yang-Mills equations can be restated as relatively simple equations for H. We will present two separate approaches to this problem. The first is a global approach involving Stokes's theorem and global regularity whereas the second uses purely local arguments. The self-dual non-Abelian case and Maxwell case are considered as particular examples.
Effect of low versus high intravenous amino acid intake on very low birth weight infants in the early neonatal period.

Greater protein intakes are required than have been commonly used to achieve fetal in utero protein accretion rates in preterm neonates. To study the efficacy and safety of more aggressive amino acid intake, we performed a prospective randomized study in 28 infants [mean wt, 946 +/- 40 g (SEM)] of 1 (low amino acid intake, LAA) versus 3 g.kg(-1).d(-1) (high amino acid intake, HAA) at 52.0 +/- 3.0 h of life. After a minimum of 12 h of parenteral nutrition, efficacy was determined by protein balance and was significantly lower in the LAA versus HAA groups by both nitrogen balance (-0.26 +/- 0.11 versus 1.16 +/- 0.15 g.kg(-1).d(-1), p < 0.00005) and leucine stable isotope (0.184 +/- 0.17 versus 1.63 +/- 0.20 g.kg(-1).d(-1), p < 0.0005) methods. Leucine flux and oxidation and nonoxidative leucine disposal rates were all significantly higher in the HAA versus LAA groups (249 +/- 13 versus 164 +/- 8, 69 +/- 5 versus 32 +/- 3, and 180 +/- 10 versus 132 +/- 8 micro mol.kg(-1).h(-1), respectively, p < 0.005), but leucine appearance from protein breakdown was not (140 +/- 15 in HAA versus 128 +/- 8 micro mol.kg(-1).h(-1)). In terms of possible toxicity with HAA, there were no significant differences between groups in the amount of sodium bicarbonate administered, degree of acidosis as determined by base deficit, or blood urea nitrogen concentration. Parenteral HAA versus LAA intake resulted in increased protein accretion, primarily by increasing protein synthesis versus suppressing protein breakdown, and appeared to be well tolerated by very preterm infants in the first days of life.
The effect of tube feeding of glucose or corn oil on adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity and uptake of 14C-labeled palmitic acid of chyle triglycerides in vitro.

Abstract The feeding of pure glucose or fat loads to fasted rats increased both the amount of lipoprotein lipase released from adipose tissue by heparin and the uptake in vitro of the 14C of triglycerides of very low-density chyle lipoproteins by that tissue. In both instances feeding glucose had a greater effect than feeding fat. Feeding a combination of glucose and fat had an effect similar to feeding glucose alone.
Further results on stabilization of a non-stationary system with delays

The problem of stabilizing a non-stationary time-delay control system is solved. An algorithm is formulated for constructing controls of a linear non-stationary system of differential equations with variable delays. The method is illustrated by the construction of a stabilizing control for linear non-stationary second-order delay differential systems.
The future of software engineering: enhancing human expertise in tackling software quality

This paper argues that the essential point of software engineering is not to (semi-automatically) improve the quality of software, but rather to help human problem solvers to improve the quality of software. This paper argues that this essential point of software engineering research has been forgotten, and that without regaining that perspective, significant progress is not likely.
The interaction concept in scientific discourse and in the analysis of variance

ABSTRACT The article discusses the meaning of the interaction concept in scientific discourse and in the analysis of variance and the correspondence between the two. Reasons and examples are given to show that the correspondence is poor. It is recommended that the researcher pay more attention to substantive interactions, of which one way is by using assessment means that are sensitive to the such interactions.
Oral Mucosal Smokeless Tobacco Lesions among Adolescents in the United States

The presence of oral smokeless tobacco lesions among adolescents may be an early indicator of increased risk for oral cancers. Data from the 1986-1987 National Survey of Oral Health in US School Children were used to examine the cross-sectional relationship between the use of tobacco and alcohol and the presence of white or whitish oral soft-tissue lesions. The sample included 17,027 schoolchildren (aged 12 to 17 years) who provided information on the use of snuff, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, and alcohol and who received oral clinical examinations. Smokeless tobacco lesions were detected in 1.5% of students (projects to about 300,000 nationally), including 2.9% of males and 0.1% of females. These lesions were more prevalent among whites (2.0%) than among African-Americans (0.2%) or Hispanics (0.8%). Modeling with multivariate logistic regression revealed that, among white males, current snuff use was the strongest correlate of lesions [odds ratio (OR) = 18.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 8.5-39.8], fol...
Nitrogen oxides in the nocturnal boundary layer: Simultaneous in situ measurements of NO3, N2O5, NO2, NO, and O3

[1] We report the first simultaneous in situ observation of a suite of compounds important in nocturnal nitrogen oxide chemistry. Measurements took place at a ground site near Boulder, Colorado, during the fall of 2001. Chemical measurements included NO3, N2O5, NO, NO2 and O3; meteorological data were also available. The concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 showed large dynamic ranges that were consistent with variations in NO2 and NO and with shifts in meteorological conditions at this site. The observed ratio of N2O5 to NO3 agreed with the ratio calculated from the measured NO2 concentration and the temperature-dependent equilibrium constant. In addition, NO3 and N2O5 showed large short-term variability that may indicate inhomogeneously mixed source and sink compounds and/or deposition at this ground-based measurement site. Finally, N2O5 reached a peak concentration of nearly 3 ppbv under polluted conditions and accounted for an appreciable fraction of the total concentration of measured nitrogen oxide species.
Designing the optimal structure of the petrochemical industry for minimum cost and least gross toxicity of chemical production

Abstract The factor of toxicity associated with chemical production is incorporated into the simulation of the industrial development of the petrochemical industry which was previously studied for production economics. Choosing threshold limit value as chemical toxicity index, a toxicity model is formulated capable of structuring the industry for the least amount of toxicity resulting from the emission of organic pollutants. The optimal industry also points out the industrial sectors which contribute more to the industry-wide toxicity of chemical production. The industrial structure corresponding to the least gross toxicity is observed to be in conflict with that of the minimum production cost in terms of process selection. Using the theory of multiobjective programming this conflict is then explicitly displayed as a noninferior solution set which comprises a host of optimal structures each representing a particular value judgment between the cost of chemical production and its associated toxicity. Further, based on a balanced view on the two objectives, a small solution set is proposed as the best compromise. Within this solution region, the industrial structures corresponding to both design objectives are observed to be practically identical. This can be seen as a flexible as well as a reasonable compromise solution to the dual-objective industrial problem.
In-plane anisotropy of as-rolled copper sheet

The focus of this study is the quantitative prediction of elastic and plastic in-plane anisotropy in copper sheet. Texture measurements were made on rolled copper using x-ray diffraction. Elastic moduli were measured and are compared with Voigt-Reuss bounds as calculated from the measured texture. Experimental contraction ratios are compared with theoretical predictions based on incorporation of the measured initial texture into polycrystal plasticity models.
Identifying dendroecological growth releases in American beech, jack pine, and white oak: Within-tree sampling strategy

The objective of this project was to identify the timing of growth release events detected from tree ring widths and compare whether two cores taken from the same tree reconstructed the same disturbance history. This research question is important because current dendroecological reconstructions of canopy disturbance rely on sampling one core per tree; however, the variation of releases from different cores from the same tree has never been evaluated. We sampled two increment cores from 20 jack pine, 17 white oak, and 19 American beech and identified release events with two commonly employed methods: radial growth averaging technique and boundary line criteria. In jack pine, 85% of the paired cores showed identical releases with the radial growth averaging technique, but 15% of the paired cores varied in reconstructed growth releases. In the jack pine, no releases were identified with the boundary line criteria for any of the paired cores. In the white oak, 65% had identical releases identified with the radial growth averaging technique and 35% of the pairs showed differences. The boundary line criteria for white oak had agreement between releases for 76% of the pairs and different release histories for 24% of the pairs. In the American beech, we were only able to use the radial growth averaging technique and this method showed identical release timing for 79% of the paired cores and differences in 21% of the paired cores. This level of within-tree growth variation is unlikely to influence identification of stand-wide disturbances; however, for reconstructions of small-scale disturbances it is likely to under-represent disturbance events. Therefore, for small-scale disturbance reconstructions, we recommend dendroecologists consider sampling two cores per tree instead of the standard sample of one core per tree.
Automated design of halftoned double-exposure phase-shifting masks

In our earlier work, we have proposed an efficient algorithm for phase- shifting mask design of an arbitrary IC pattern. Experimental results have shown that the algorithm works well for patterns such as gratings, contact-holes, U-patterns, etc.. In this paper, we use the concept of moment expansion to give a rigorous proof of the well-known fact that two-phase masks such as alternating phase-shifting masks or attenuated phase-shifting masks possess a better depth of focus; thus, our proposed double-exposure masks have depth-of-focus enhancement property. In addition, we also investigate the quantization problems related to our algorithm and develop a new quantization scheme based on the so-called halftoning techniques, which is commonly used in the printing industry to render the illusion of the continuous-tone images on binary output devices such as laser printers. Simulation results have shown that the new quantization scheme performs very well even for much larger and complicated patterns. Currently, empirical verification is underway in cooperation with HP ULSI Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA.
Visualization of distal spinal cord on F-18 FDG PET/CT.

Aim:The purpose of this study was to evaluate frequency, intensity, and associations of distal spinal cord F-18 FDG uptake visible on PET/CT. Normal cervical, but not distal cord uptake, has been reported previously.Methods:This is a retrospective review of consecutive oncologic whole body PET/CTs f
Distribution of trinucleotide microsatellites in different categories of mammalian genomic sequence: implications for human genetic diseases.

The distribution of all trinucleotide microsatellite sequences in the GenBank database was surveyed to provide insight into human genetic disease syndromes that result from expansion of microsatellites. The microsatellite motif (CAG)[sub n] is one of the most abundant microsatellite motifs in human GenBank DNA sequences and is the most abundant microsatellite found in exons. This fact may explain why (CAG)[sub n] repeats are thus far the predominant microsatellites expanded in human genetic diseases. Surprisingly, (CAG)[sub n] microsatellites are excluded from intronic regions in a strand-specific fashion, possibly because of similarity to the 3[prime] consensus splice site, CAGG. A comparison of the positions of microsatellites in human vs rodent homologous sequences indicates that some arrays are not extensively conserved for long periods of time, even when they form parts of protein coding sequences. The general lack of conservation of trinucleotide repeat loci in diverse mammals indicates that animal models for some human microsatellite expansion syndromes may be difficult to find. 20 refs., 5 tabs.
Acute nephrotoxicity of N-phenyl and N-(monochlorophenyl) succinimides in Fischer 344 and Sprague-Dawley rats.

Abstract The experimental fungicide N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) has been shown to be nephrotoxic in Sprague—Dawley and Fischer 344 rats. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of the chlorine atoms in NDPS-induced nephropathy. Male Sprague—Dawley or Fischer 344 rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of a phenylsuccinimide (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) or sesame oil (2.5 ml/kg), and renal function was monitored at 24 h and 48 h. In Sprague—Dawley rats urine volume was increased by NDPS and N -(3-chlorophenyl)succinimide (3-NCPS) (0.4 and 1.0 mmol/kg) at 24 h but only by NDPS at 48 h. Accumulation of both p -aminohippurate (PAH) and tetraethylammonium (TEA) was decreased only by NDPS (1.0 mmol/kg) administration. N -(2-chlorophenyl)succinimide (2-NCPS) or N -(2-chlorophenyl)succinimide (4-NCPS) (1.0 mmol/kg) administration reduced only basal and lactate-stimulated PAH accumulation. Only NDPS increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration and kidney weight. In Fischer 344 rats results were similar to those obtained in Sprague—Dawley rats, except that 3-NCPS was the only monochlorophenylsuccinimide which produced a decrease in PAH accumulation by renal cortical slices. N -Phenylsuccinimide had little effect on any renal parameter studied in either rat strain. The order of increasing nephrotoxicity generally paralleled the increasing partition. coefficients of the compounds. These results indicate that reducing the chlorine substitution of NDPS produces compounds with reduced nephrotoxic potential. In addition, lipophilic character might be a predictor for the nephrotoxic potential of N -(halophenyl)succinimides in Sprague—Dawley and Fischer 344 rats.
Negative regulation of ErbB family receptor tyrosine kinases

Receptors of the EGF receptor or ErbB family of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases are frequently overexpressed in a variety of solid tumours, and the aberrant activation of their tyrosine kinase activities is thought to contribute to tumour growth and progression. Much effort has been put into developing inhibitors of ErbB receptors, and both antibody and small-molecule approaches have exhibited clinical success. Recently, a number of endogenous negative regulatory proteins have been identified that suppress the signalling activity of ErbB receptors in cells. These include intracellular RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligases such as cbl and Nrdp1 that mediate ErbB receptor degradation, and may include a wide variety of secreted and transmembrane proteins that suppress receptor activation by growth factor ligands. It will be of interest to determine the extent to which tumour cells suppress these pathways to promote their progression, and whether restoration of endogenous receptor-negative regulatory pathways may be exploited for therapeutic benefit.
Kienböck’s Disease and Gout:

A relationship between gout and Kienbock's disease has been proposed on the basis of a previously published case report. A review of patients at our institution identified a single case with the combination of both Kienbock's disease and gout. We believe that the association is coincidental.
Restraint stress alters the expression of interleukin-1 and keratinocyte growth factor at the wound site: an in situ hybridization study.

Abstract Stress has a negative impact on wound healing. This murine study evaluated the effect of restraint stress (RST) on interleukin-1 (IL-1) and keratinocyte growth factor-1 (KGF-1) gene expression in cutaneous wounds by in situ hybridization. At day 1, RST mice had reduced frequency of IL-1β mRNA-expressing fibroblasts compared to control mice. At day 3, RST mice had reduced frequencies of IL-1β mRNA-expressing leukocytes, KGF-1 mRNA-expressing fibroblasts, and thin proliferating zones of epithelium. At day 5, RST mice had persistent leukocytic foci and reduced granulation tissue. Therefore, stress-induced alterations in cutaneous proinflammatory cytokine and growth factor expression are associated with significant histological changes in healing wounds.
The Kurdish mosaic of discord

This article aims to analyse Kurdish collective movements and to examine the impact of Kurdish ethno-nationalism on the politics of Turkey, Iran and Iraq today. The Kurds, an ethnic minority numbering some 19 million people, are primarily concentrated in these three countries, with residual communities found in Syria and the USSR. Modern-day Kurds trace their origins to the Medes, a tribe that descended from Central Asia into the Iranian plateau at the end of the second millenium and ruled the area from 614 BC to 550 BC as one of the principal pre-Islamic dynasties.1 After the Arab conquest in the middle of the seventh century, the name 'Kurd' was used to refer to the people inhabiting the Zagros mountain ranges of northwestern Iran. Although the Kurds have never ruled for a sustained period over Kurdistan (land of the Kurds), Kurdish personalities have had a significant impact on the contours of Middle Eastern politics for centuries. Perhaps the most notable Kurdish leader was the legendary Salah-ed Din Ayubbi (Saladin) who led the Islamic forces against the Crusaders. Saladin, however, did not emphasise his Kurdish ethnicity and considered himself to be a Muslim leader and warrior, not a Kurdish nationalist. With the advent of the Safavid dynasty in Iran in 1501 and the intensification of Ottoman-Persian rivalry, the Kurdish-inhabited buffer zone between these two competing empires gained strategic prominence in regional politics, and the Kurds were wooed by the Persians and the Ottoman Turks. This allowed the Kurdish tribal chiefs to become more assertive politically, and some of them succeeded in establishing semiindependent principalities in the region, a few of which survived into the first half of the nineteenth century.2 Following the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the delegates of the Allied Powers and the defeated Ottoman Sultan signed the Treaty of Sevres, which promised the Kurds an independent homeland of their own. However, due to the emergence of Mustafa Kemal as an important stabilising factor in the new Turkey and the rise of British economic interests in Iraq, the provisions of the Treaty of Sevres were never implemented with regard to the creation of a sovereign Kurdish nationstate.3
A Simple, Safe Method for Preparation of Biodiesel

An experiment suitable for organic chemistry students is described. Biodiesel, a “green” fuel, consists of methyl or ethyl esters of long-chain fatty acids called FAMES (fatty acid methyl esters) or FAEES (fatty acid ethyl esters). A quick way to make FAMES is a base-catalyzed transesterification of oils or fats derived from plants or from animal sources. This experiment utilizes a safe, convenient basic catalyst, K2CO3, anhydrous methanol, and any of several sources of oil to make biodiesel in 20–25 min. Only simple apparatus is required and the product floats on the top of the byproducts. IR spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography, or relative viscosity are used to evaluate the product.
First Step in Folding of Nonconstitutive Membrane Proteins: Spontaneous Insertion of a Polypeptide into a Lipid Bilayer and Formation of Helical Structure

There are two questions we would like to address: 1) what is the molecular mechanism of a polypeptide insertion into a lipid bilayer and formation of transmembrane helix? 2) Are there any transient changes of a lipid bilayer in process of a polypeptide insertion and folding? As a convenient system we are studying pHLIP (pH (Low) Insertion Peptide) insertion into a membrane and folding, which is modulated by pH. Previously we showed, that insertion of pHLIP occurs in several steps, with rapid (0.1 sec) interfacial helix formation followed by a much slower (100 sec) insertion pathway to form a transmembrane helix. The reverse process of unfolding and peptide exit from the bilayer core, which can be induced by a rapid pH jump from acidic to basic, proceeds much faster than folding/insertion and through different intermediate states. We designed two truncated pHLIP-variants by removing Asp and Glu residues from the C-terminus, which goes across a membrane. Our kinetic studies indicate that truncated versions of pHLIP insert across a membrane much faster than original (WT) sequence and with less number of intermediate states. Thus, the rate of insertion directly depends on probability of protonation of C-terminal Asp and Glu residues, and translocation of the C-terminus across a bilayer. To understand what are the structural intermediates along the folding pathway, we designed three single-tryptophan pHLIP-variants, where a Trp residue is positioned at the beginning, middle and end of the transmembrane part of the peptide. To study changes, which might occur with a lipid bilayer in a process of peptide insertion and folding, we employed SAXS (small-angle x-ray scattering) technique. A new kinetic model of pHLIP insertion/exit will be discussed.
Magnetostratigraphy susceptibility of the Upper Ordovician Kope Formation, northern Kentucky

Abstract As a test of the utility of magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements for correlation among lithified marine sequences, samples were collected from well-studied shale and limestone outcrops of the Upper Ordovician Kope Formation, northern Kentucky. The bulk (initial) low-field MS of these samples is compared among two litho- and biostratigraphically correlated sections containing the same beds. The results of this comparison demonstrated an excellent correlation among equivalent beds. Thermomagnetic susceptibility analysis supports previous XRD work indicating that illite is primary and is the main paramagnetic mineral responsible for the MS variations observed in this study. A composite of MS results for a sequence of 31 named shale–limestone couplets is used to build a composite section of Kope sequences for the area. These MS variations permit division of the various sections into a set of 28 MS cycles within the Kope Formation, covering ∼ 50 m of section. These cycles suggest a systematic control by climate on the influx of detrital material that formed these sedimentary sequences, and support other work indicating Kope climate cyclicity.
Interaction of rifampin and chlorpropamide

A 62-year-old man who had been taking 250 mg of chlorpropamide daily for several years received rifampin concomitantly and had a subsequent increased dosing requirement of chlorpropamide. When rifampin was discontinued several months later, the serum chlorpropamide concentration rose dramatically.