cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Inquiry into Mental Models of Web Interface Design

Here we adopt a cognitive science orientation to inquire into web interface design using the lens of mental models. A mental model is an internal cognitive representation of some aspect of the real world. The human mind automatically constructs and refines these models to provide a basis from which we can reason, make decisions, and form expectations. Even without conscious awareness, cognitive theory suggests that each web user has developed a mental model of what constitutes agreeable web interface design. But what is the nature of these mental models? Further, to what extent do people possess a general, shared mental model of web interface design? We examine these questions using a novel methodological approach in conjunction with statistical analyses and thermal imaging. We find not only that people possess a shared mental model of web interface design, but also that this shared model is remarkably cohesive from person to person.
Commercial Banks in Underwriters and the Decline of the Independent Investment Bank Model

The period from 1997 to 2008 has witnessed a dramatic transformation of the investment banking sector. While, prior to 1999, securities firms comprised most of the top fifteen placed underwriters in the League Tables, commercial banks had come to dominate the League Tables by 2008. Part of the disappearance of prominent independent investment banks can be traced to heavy losses or declines of reputational capital. For example, First Boston was folded into Credit Suisse in 1989 after suffering enormous losses from merchant banking loans. Salomon Brothers, unable to recover from the hit to its reputation due to trading irregularities in the early 1990’s, sold to Travelers in 1998. In 2008, heavy losses in their proprietary portfolio of mortgaged-backed and collateralized debt obligations forced Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch to sell to JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, respectively, and Lehman to succumb to bankruptcy. Nonetheless, most securities firms lost independence through takeovers by commercial banks. Thus, contrary to the expectations of those advocating the full deregulation of investment banking in 1999, eleven years later the industry has undergone a consolidation wave that has perpetuated the traditional structure of investment banking as an industry dominated by a limited number of organizations. Moreover, deregulation led to the emergence of the commercial plus investment banking model that gradually has replaced the traditional integrated investment bank model adopted earlier by securities firms. Interestingly, the new model has materialized through the acquisition of securities firms by commercial banks. This article purports to examine two questions. First, what explains the acquisitive strategy of commercial banks? Second, does the commercial plus investment banking model possess any distinct advantages over the pure investment banking model in the conduct of underwriting business? The answer
A Transformation-Based Mechanism for Face Recognition

This paper proposes a novel mechanism to seamlessly integrate face detection and face recognition. After extracting a human face x from an input image, not only x but also its various kinds of transformations are performed recognition. The final decision is then derived from aggregating the accumulated recognition results of each transformed pattern. From experiments, the proposed method has shown a significantly improved recognition performance compared with the traditional method on recognizing human faces.
Studies on the origin of amniotic fluid lipids. I. Normal composition.

Abstract A specially adapted technique of microquantitation of lipids of human amniotic fluid was used to obtain a lipid profile at different stages of pregnancy. The amounts and the percentage composition of the various lipid classes were the same in the three groups examined: 27 to 33 weeks, 34 to 40 weeks, and labor. Phospholipids constituted the only lipid class that increased in amount, from 3.15 mg. per 100 ml. in Group I to 5.19 mg. per 100 ml. in Group III. Total nonpolar lipids amounted to about 10 mg. per 100 ml. The average values for the other lipid classes were (mg./100 ml.): monoglycerides, 0.23; diglycerides, 0.90; triglycerides, 1.40 (less in earlier group); free fatty acid, 2.11; free cholesterol, 1.41; cholesterol ester, 1.97; hydrocarbon, 1.74. Sediment obtained from labor amniotic fluid was very rich in lipids. Comparisons with maternal plasma, fetal plasma, placenta, and vernix caseosa emphasized a highly characteristic specificity of the amniotic fluid lipid composition. Variations from this normal pattern were shown in some pathologic conditions.
The resonating star gyroscope

This paper introduces the resonating star gyroscope (RSG), a new vibratory shell-type structure for rate sensing. The structure formed as a merged superposition of two square shells, yields in-plane degenerate flexural modes that are used to sense z-axis rotation. A high aspect ratio polysilicon implementation utilizing the primary degenerate flexural modes of the gyroscope exhibits an open-loop rate sensitivity of 1.6mV//spl deg//s. The Brownian noise floor of the sensor with a quality factor (Q) of 1500 and drive amplitude of 100nm is 0.03/spl deg//s//spl radic/Hz. The RSG may also function at higher-order flexural modes. A single crystal silicon design explores such an operation. Preliminary characterization results yield matched-mode operation and very high-Q higher-order degenerate flexural modes (Q/spl sim/100k).
Tuck Float Skills for Beginning Swimmers

(1957). Tuck Float Skills for Beginning Swimmers. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 18-80.
Analysis of the fluctuating microbial counts in commercial raw milk - a case study.

Microbial counts of raw milk from eight commercial dairy farms recorded over a period of about 2 years were obtained from a processing plant. All the counts formed irregular fluctuating series whose statistical properties were examined. In all eight cases the autocorrelation function indicated that the counts were random and had no underlying periodicity. This suggested that the fluctuations, at least to some extent, reflected the combined effect of numerous factors, some unknown, and that these factors operate randomly and independently. In five out of the eight cases the fluctuating pattern of the record could be described by a probabilistic model based on the assumption that the counts have a lognormal distribution. The validity of the model was confirmed by comparing the calculated frequencies of counts exceeding preselected levels with those actually observed in fresh data. The model enabled ranking the five sources on the basis of anticipated frequencies of excessive counts rather than on the basis of mean performance. Two sequences had clearly identified regions with different statistical characteristics. They were interpreted as a reflection of changes in the sanitary conditions at the corresponding farms. In one case, both the overall magnitudes and the fluctuation amplitude of the counts progressively decreased, a situation for which the described model as formulated was inapplicable.
International Agreements and Internal Heterogeneity: The 'Two Chinas' Problem

Economists, legal scholars, and climate scientists have made a persuasive case that the international community stands to benefit greatly if the United States and China can be persuaded to participate in a global agreement on climate change. Scholars have thus focused on constructing regimes that will incentivize China to join such an accord. We argue that the extant literature and proposals fail to examine fully the Chinese Communist Party's (“CCP’s”) unique internal incentive structure, leading to conclusions and proposals that overstate both the CCP's interest in reaching an agreement and its capacity to implement a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on a careful examination of the unique role of economic growth as a means of political legitimization, we argue that the CCP has very strong incentives to reject an international climate agreement and, even were one reached, limited capacity to enforce such an agreement internally. First, the CCP has created special economic zones in the eastern coastal provinces of the country and neglected the inland, western provinces. Such policies have produced rising income inequality, social instability and dramatic divisions between East and West, rural and city, and peasant and urban residents. High rates of economic growth in the West are of paramount political importance to the regime, and the CCP cannot take any steps that might endanger this growth. Second, the CCP suffers from an erosion of state capacity. Despite the fact that China is an autocracy, the CCP has surprising difficulty providing public goods such as environmental protection. Third, current quantitative forecasts of Chinese greenhouse gas emissions have improperly relied upon country-level data and incorrectly assumed nationwide homogeneity. In so doing, they have missed important East-West regional variations and are likely to have significantly understated the extent to which Chinese emissions will grow over the next decade. Our paper highlights these problems, all of which are invisible to any analysis that treats China as a black box. We then assess the impact of this theory on a number of the leading proposals for international climate accords. We conclude by suggesting the form that we believe any feasible agreement must assume - one that involves massive transfers of technology from the United States and Europe to China - though we remain pessimistic that the relevant parties will succeed in reaching such an agreement.
Prediction of unsaturated shear strength of an adobe soil from the soil–water characteristic curve

Abstract This paper studied the unsaturated shear strength properties of a soil with the gradation characteristics of the material typically used in adobe construction. The main goal was to predict the unsaturated shear strength of the adobe soil using the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) and the effective cohesion and friction angle of the material. Specimens were trimmed from adobe bricks made according to the traditional technique of the southwestern region of the United States. The SWCC of the adobe soil was constructed using data obtained with the filter paper test. The effective cohesion and friction angle were found to be 11.7 kPa and 31.4°, respectively, from the results of consolidated drained direct shear tests. In addition, unconsolidated undrained direct shear tests were done on specimens at different water contents to determine the apparent shear strength parameters. The predicted shear strength was found to increase significantly with decreasing water content, and the strength increase was approximately 350 kPa between near saturation condition and water content of 6.01%. The predicted failure envelopes in the shear strength–matric suction plane were nonlinear; their initial slope was close to the (saturated) effective friction angle, and the slope decreased as the suction increased.
REMOTE SENSING AND LANDSLIDE HAZARD ASSESSMENT

Remotely acquired multispectral data are used to improve landslide hazard assessments at all scales of investigation. A vegetation map produced from automated interpretation of TM data is used in a GIS context to explore the effect of vegetation type on debris flow occurrence in preparation for inclusion in debris flow hazard modeling. Spectral vegetation indices map spatial patterns of grass senescence which are found to be correlated with soil thickness variations on hillslopes. Grassland senescence is delayed over deeper, wetter soils that are likely debris flow source areas. Prediction of actual soil depths using vegetation indices may be possible up to some limiting depth greater than the grass rooting zone. On forested earthflows, the slow slide movement disrupts the overhead timber canopy, exposes understory vegetation and soils, and alters site spectral characteristics. Both spectral and textural measures from broad band multispectral data are successful at detecting an earthflow within an undisturbed old-growth forest.
Fast Food to Healthy Food: a paradigm Shift

ABSTRACT A recent headline in the Nation's Restaurant News (2002) asked the question: “Should Restaurants Bear the Burden of Monitoring Americans' Diets?”. Society has grown increasingly conscientious about health care costs and the question is consistent with this trend. In light of some highly publicized cases of litigation and debates between consumer groups and food service professionals, this question is the cornerstone of a debate centered upon weighing the nutritional value of fast food, and the responsibility of these organizations to provide healthy alternatives for consumers. The purpose of this study is to discern the role that quick service restaurants are expected to play in health and nutrition; it will also focus upon what they are actually doing to promote healthier menu items. The current study examined the fast food industry's efforts to address its highly controversial role as a possible contributor to the nation's health care crisis. The setting for this study was the Detroit metropoli...
Tunable circular dichroism due to the chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals are a three-dimensional gapless topological phase in which bands intersect at arbitrary points---the Weyl nodes---in the Brillouin zone. These points carry a topological quantum number known as the chirality and always appear in pairs of opposite chiralities. The notion of chirality leads to anomalous nonconservation of chiral charge, known as the chiral anomaly, according to which charge can be pumped between Weyl nodes of opposite chiralities by an electromagnetic field with nonzero $\mathbit{E}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbit{B}$. Here, we propose probing the chiral anomaly by measuring the optical activity of Weyl semimetals via circular dichroism. In particular, we observe that applying such an electromagnetic field on this state gives it a nonzero gyrotropic coefficient or a Hall-like conductivity, which may be detectable by routine circular dichroism experiments. This method also serves as a diagnostic tool to discriminate between Weyl and Dirac semimetals; the latter will give a null result. More generally, any experiment that probes a bulk correlation function that has the same symmetries as the gyrotropic coefficient can detect the chiral anomaly as well as differentiate between Dirac and Weyl semimetals.
Endothelium-derived vasoactive substances and uterine blood vessels.

D uring normal pregnancy uterine and systemic vascular function change dramatically, ie, uterine blood flow and cardiac output increase, and both of these vascular beds exhibit vascular refractoriness to the vasoconstrictor effects of infused angiotensin II and other vasoconstrictors. i-* Furthermore, in ovine pregnancy the uterine vascular bed is even less reactive to the vasoconstrictor effects of angiotensin II as compared to the systemic vasculature.3 Vascular function is controlled by smooth muscle vasoconstriction and tone (see reference 4, for review). Uterine vascular function may be modulated in part by endothelium-derived vasoactive substances produced during pregnancy. Of these factors the one most extensively studied in uterine blood vessels is prostacyclin (PGI$ while other endothelial factors that have not been studied as much include endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF),6a7 platelet activating facton and others. 7 This review will deal only with the potential role of PGI2, and EDRF in the control of uterine vascular function in pregnancy. Endothelium-derived substances such as PGI2 and EDRF are released “locally” to affect alterations in vascular smooth muscle function. Some of the current methods for analyzing these endothelial-mediated modifications in vascular smooth muscle function include relaxation of pre-constricted vascular rings using in vitro bioassays and the biochemical changes in second messengers involved in the modulation of PGIZ and EDRF actions, eg, CAMP, and cGMP, respectively. Presently in our laboratory we are evaluating interactions of PGIZ, CAMP, and cGMP and the endothelium in controlling uterine vasculature during pregnancy. In this review, I will provide
The Washington State History Museum, New Permanent Exhibitions

THE WASHINGTON STATE HISTORY MUSEUM, NEW PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS. Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma. (August 1996-ongoing)
Kidney Dialysis Treatment for Victims of the Armenian Earthquake

The earthquake disaster of December 7, 1988, in Spitak, Armenia, set in motion a series of events that led to the delivery of 36,300 kg (80,000 lb) of dialysis equipment and supplies and two teams ...
Ferromagnetism of Fe3Sn and Alloys

Hexagonal Fe(3)Sn has many of the desirable properties for a new permanent magnet phase with a Curie temperature of 725 K, a saturation moment of 1.18 MA/m. and anisotropy energy, K1 of 1.8 MJ/m(3). However, contrary to earlier experimental reports, we found both experimentally and theoretically that the easy magnetic axis lies in the hexagonal plane, which is undesirable for a permanent magnet material. One possibility for changing the easy axis direction is through alloying. We used first principles calculations to investigate the effect of elemental substitutions. The calculations showed that substitution on the Sn site has the potential to switch the easy axis direction. However, transition metal substitutions with Co or Mn do not have this effect. We attempted synthesis of a number of these alloys and found results in accord with the theoretical predictions for those that were formed. However, the alloys that could be readily made all showed an in-plane easy axis. The electronic structure of Fe(3)Sn is reported, as are some are magnetic and structural properties for the Fe(3)Sn(2), and Fe(5)Sn(3) compounds, which could be prepared as mm-sized single crystals.
The C. elegans nuclear receptor gene fax-1 and homeobox gene unc-42 coordinate interneuron identity by regulating the expression of glutamate receptor subunits and other neuron-specific genes

The fax-1 gene of the nematode C. elegans encodes a conserved nuclear receptor that is the ortholog of the human PNR gene and functions in the specification of neuron identities. Mutations in fax-1 result in locomotion defects. FAX-1 protein accumulates in the nuclei of 18 neurons, among them the AVA, AVB, and AVE interneuron pairs that coordinate body movements. The identities of AVA and AVE interneurons are defective in fax-1 mutants; neither neuron expresses the NMDA receptor subunits nmr-1 and nmr-2. Other ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits are expressed normally in the AVA and AVE neurons. The unc-42 homeobox gene also regulates AVA and AVE identity; however, unc-42 mutants display the complementary phenotype: NMDA receptor subunit expression is normal, but some non-NMDA glutamate receptor subunits are not expressed. These observations support a combinatorial role for fax-1 and unc-42 in specifying AVA and AVE identity. However, in four other neuron types, fax-1 is regulated by unc-42, and both transcriptional regulators function in the regulation of the opt-3 gene in the AVE neurons and the flp-1 and ncs-1 genes in the AVK neurons. Therefore, while fax-1 and unc-42 act in complementary parallel pathways in some cells, they function in overlapping or linear pathways in other cellular contexts, suggesting that combinatorial relationships among transcriptional regulators are complex and cannot be generalized from one neuron type to another.
Adsorptive stripping voltammetry of trace thallium

Abstract A highly selective and sensitive adsorptive stripping voltammetric procedure for trace measurements of thallium in presence of o -cresolphthalein (OCP) is described. The response is not affected by the presence of excess tin, lead or indium, which can interfere severely in analogous anodic stripping measurements. The adsorptive strategy also offers enhanced sensitivity over anodic stripping measurements. The detection limit is 60 ng/1 (3 × 10 −10 M) with 2-min accumulation, and the relative standard deviation (at the 5 υg/1 level) is 3.6. Optimal conditions were found to be 0.01 M sodium hydroxide containing 5 × 10 −7 M OCP, a preconcentration potential of −0.30 V and a differential pulse waveform.
Artificial Neural Network Modeling for Dynamic Modulus of Hot Mix Asphalt Using Aggregate Shape Properties

AbstractOver the past few years, many regression-based and artificial neural network (ANN)-based models have been developed to estimate the dynamic modulus of hot mix asphalt (HMA). These models use the gradation of aggregates and the volumetric properties of compacted samples as input variables to the model. However, none of these models use aggregate shape parameters (i.e., angularity, texture, form, and sphericity) in the development of the model. Recently, researchers have expressed concerns that the shape parameters of aggregates need to be considered in the estimation of dynamic modulus. The primary objective of this study was to develop an ANN-based model for the estimation of dynamic modulus of HMA using aggregate shape parameters. The dynamic modulus of 20 different HMA mixes composed of various sources, sizes, types of aggregates, and different volumetric properties were measured in the laboratory. The shape parameters of different sizes of coarse and fine aggregates were measured with an automa...
Ritual, Gender and Power Strategies: Male Pilgrimage to Saint Patrick's Purgatory

Abstract The ritual at Saint Patrick's Purgatory offers insights into two aspects of medieval Christian pilgrimage which warrant further attention in pilgrimage scholarship: gender and power relations. My examination of texts related to the pilgrimage site reveals the institution of exclusive and arduous rituals in the 12th century which excluded all but a select group of men. The discovery of an exclusive male pilgrimage site raises the question of whether or not pilgrimage centers reflected and reinforced social strata rather than minimized them as Victor Turner suggests. An inquiry into the power strategies at work behind the ritualization of Saint Patrick's Purgatory reveals the stake the Cistercian order had in simultaneously popularizing and carefully restricting access to the center.
A model for conflict resolution

This paper analyzes environmental policies and proposes a model for conflict resolution. The proposed model is a synthesis approach and represents a position consistent with most judicial reviews. The problem is one of balancing interests, especially those that do not have a forum for advocation of their position. The future depends upon resolution of these conflicts and the formation of environmental policy that represents a comprehensive approach that focuses on the resource and not the conflict.
Distribution and ecology of benthic foraminifera in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea

Factor analysis of the benthic foraminifera from 36 trigger-weight core tops from the Norwegian-Greenland Sea reveals four overlapping biofacies: (1) from 600 m to 1200 m water depth dominated by Melonis barleeanum, Pullenia bulloides, and Islandiella norcrossi; (2) from 950 m to 1500 m dominated by Cassidulina teretis; (3) from 1250 m to 3200 m dominated by Cibicides wuellerstorfi with Oridorsalis tener of secondary importance; and (4) from 2900 m to 3500 m dominated by Oridorsalis tener. Diversity is low relative to other deep-sea foraminiferal faunas, with only 1–3 species dominating each sample. The uniform physical properties of Norwegian-Greenland Sea deep water makes it unlikely that water mass characteristics control this foraminiferal distribution. Measurements from three GEOSECS stations show that below water depths of 400 m in the Greenland Basin and 1300 m in the Norwegian Basin water temperatures change by less than 0.7°C, salinities by less than 0.03‰, and oxygen content by less than 21 μmol/kg (0.5 ml/l) both within and between stations. GEOSECS nutrient data show slight to moderate changes with depth; however, variation between stations is greater than that found at an individual station. Given the lack of geographic faunal variation, changes in nutrient concentration and sediment type can scarcely be responsible for the observed foraminiferal distributions. A combination of hydrostatic pressure and bottom water temperatures is proposed as a possible controlling agent for the distribution of these benthic foraminifera.
Myosin II Motor Proteins with Different Functions Determine the Fate of Lamellipodia Extension during Cell Spreading

Non-muscle cells express multiple myosin-II motor proteins myosin IIA, myosin IIB and myosin IIC transcribed from different loci in the human genome. Due to a significant homology in their sequences, these ubiquitously expressed myosin II motor proteins are believed to have overlapping cellular functions, but the mechanistic details are not elucidated. The present study uncovered a mechanism that coordinates the distinctly localized myosin IIA and myosin IIB with unexpected opposite mechanical roles in maneuvering lamellipodia extension, a critical step in the initiation of cell invasion, spreading, and migration. Myosin IIB motor protein by localizing at the front drives lamellipodia extension during cell spreading. On the other hand, myosin IIA localizes next to myosin IIB and attenuates or retracts lamellipodia extension. Myosin IIA and IIB increase cell adhesion by regulating focal contacts formation in the spreading margins and central part of the spreading cell, respectively. Spreading cells expressing both myosin IIA and myosin IIB motor proteins display an organized actin network consisting of retrograde filaments, arcs and central filaments attached to focal contacts. This organized actin network especially arcs and focal contacts formation in the spreading margins were lost in myosin IIÂ cells. Surprisingly, myosin IIB cells displayed long parallel actin filaments connected to focal contacts in the spreading margins. Thus, with different roles in the regulation of the actin network and focal contacts formation, both myosin IIA and IIB determine the fate of lamellipodia extension during cell spreading.
Reactive sputtering of molybdenum

Abstract The composition and crystalline structure of molybdenum oxide thin films is controlled through the process of reactive d.c. magnetron sputtering. A systematic variation in target power density results in a continuous transition in the appearance of molybdenum oxide from a translucent glass to a metallic-like film. New molybdenum oxide crystal structures and compositions are found using X-ray diffraction, selected area diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling and scanning transmission electron microscopy.
How Do High School Students Justify Internet Plagiarism

Internet plagiarism continues unabated and may even be increasing. Questions pertaining to the ethical-moral construct employed by students to justify Internet plagiarism among high school students have remained relatively untouched. Understanding not simply the prevalence of Internet plagiarism but also the variety of explanations used by students to justify their plagiarism seems crucial to curtailing its practice. In this study, I surveyed 160 high school students and endeavored to understand and describe the practices of students who use the Internet for schoolwork and who engage in copy-paste plagiarism or paper-buying practices. The results indicate that students are more easily able to justify copy-paste plagiarism for a variety of reasons that mirror justifications of other forms of conventional plagiarism. Most students indicated they would never purchase a paper for reasons ranging from fear of getting caught to more principled and nuanced ethical claims. Based on these results I also offer educ...
Hand-Holding for Retrohoming in a Molecular Diversity Dance

In bacterial systems, adaptive protein sequence changes can be mediated by diversity-generating retroelements in a process known as retrohoming. An accessory variability determinant (Avd), together with a reverse transcriptase (RT), is critically involved in this process. In this issue of Structure , Alayyoubi and colleagues describe the structure of Avd as a basis for interactions with RT that promote retrohoming.
Risk factors for infection of adult patients with cancer who have tunnelled central venous catheters

Background. Long-dwelling tunnelled central venous catheters provide reliable access for infusion therapy of patients with cancer, but can result in serious bloodstream infections. The incidence of such infections has been documented, but few studies have assessed potential risk factors, and to the authors' knowledge, none have measured the effect of neutropenia upon the incidence of these infections. Methods. A cohort of 71 adult patients with cancer with long-dwelling tunnelled central venous catheters was followed for a total of 12,410 catheter days until catheter removal, death, or end of study for the occurrence of catheter-related infection or sepsis of unknown origin. Fifteen factors were assessed for association with these infections. Results. Thirteen patients (18%) experienced a catheter-related infection (1.0/1000 catheter days), and 23 (32%) experienced sepsis of unknown origin. Neutropenia was associated significantly with risk for catheter-related infection (relative risk [RR] = 15.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-86.9) and sepsis of unknown origin (RR = 10.3, 95% CI 4.0-26.8). Inpatient status, acute leukemia, and cytosine arabinoside therapy also were associated with sepsis of unknown origin, but not when adjusted for neutropenia. Conclusion. Of the 15 potential risk factors studied, neutropenia was the only independent risk factor for infection related to long-dwelling tunnelled central venous catheters and for sepsis of unknown origin. Cancer 1995;75:1367-75.
Localization and ideal theory in Noetherian strongly group-graded rings

Abstract We study primality, hypercentrality, simplicity, and localization and the second layer condition in skew groups rings and group-graded rings. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the skew group ring of a torsion-free nilpotent group to be a simple ring, and if the coefficient ring is commutative, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the skew group ring of an Abelian group to be simple. Our method involves showing certain group-graded rings are hypercentral. Our main results show that if G is a polycyclic-by-finite group and R is an Artinian ring or a commutative Noetherian ring, then a strongly G -graded ring with base ring R satisfies the second layer condition. We discuss consequences of this for localization in such rings.
The effect of acetylcholine depletion on behavior following traumatic brain injury.

Rats were injected with either saline; A-4 (40 mg/kg, i.p.), a bis tertiary amine derivative of hemicholinium-3; or A-5 (50 micrograms/kg, i.p.), a bis quaternary amine derivative of hemicholinium-3, 1 h prior to moderate fluid percussion brain injury. A variety of reflexes and responses were measured up to 60 min following injury, and body weight and several neurological measures were taken daily up to 10 days following injury. Pretreatment with either A-4 or A-5 significantly attenuated components of transient behavioral suppression, as well as more enduring deficits in body weight and beam walk and beam balance performance. A-4 administered prior to fluid percussion was found to reduce striatal, but not pontine, acetylcholine content. A-5 did not significantly reduce acetylcholine content in either area. Both A-4 and A-5 pretreatment prevented a significant increase in acetylcholine content in the cerebrospinal fluid following fluid percussion injury; however, only A-5 significantly reduced plasma acetylcholine content. These results confirm cholinergic involvement in the production of both transient and longer-lasting behavioral deficits following traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, traumatic brain injury may allow plasma constituents to gain access to the central nervous system.
Serum Alkaline Phosphatase in Pregnant Mares

Summary Serum alkaline phosphatase was measured in ten mares during various stages of gestation. No significant change in serum alkaline phosphatase activity was detected during pregnancy. These data suggest that interpretation of serum alkaline phosphatase in horses can be made independently of their pregnancy status.
Alcohol and immunosuppression

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that the cost of alcohol related problems totals 117 billion dollars, with alcohol dependency affecting 10.6 million Americans. Alcohol abusers have lower life expectancies and higher mortality rates at younger ages than non-alcoholics. Heavy consumers of alcohol show a significant increase in the incidence of various cancers including mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and liver. A component of this may be due to decreased cellular immune surveillance. Host defense factors implicated in the increased incidence of infectious diseases observed in alcohol abusers include depressed serum bactericidal activity, disordered immunogloblin production, leukopenia, defective chemotaxis, impaired pulmonary clearance, impaired antigen trapping and processing, and diminished T-cell mitogenesis (1, 8, 15). The emphasis of this review will relate to changes in lymphoid cell functions associated with ethanol consumption.
Rapid interpretation of the MOS-C C-t transient

A procedure for rapidly and accurately deducing the generation lifetime from metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor C-t transient data is presented, explained, and illustrated.
Stimulation of Dopamine D1 Receptors Increases Activity of Periventricular Somatostatin Neurons and Suppresses Concentrations of Growth Hormone

The selective dopamine D1 receptor agonist, SKF38393, stimulates release of somatostatin (SS) from perifused bovine hypothalamic slices. Therefore, we hypothesized that SKF38393 activates SS neurons, which, via release of SS, would suppress concentrations of growth hormone (GH) in serum in calves. Our objectives were to determine whether SKF38393: (1) increases the percent of immunoreactive c-Fos protein and Fos-related antigens (Fos/FRA) detected in somatostatin neurons in periventricular (PeVN) and arcuate (ARC) hypothalamic nuclei; (2) reduces concentrations of GH in serum; (3) suppresses growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)-induced release of GH. Meal-fed steers were used to perform these objectives because a synchronous pulse of GH occurs 1-2 hr before feeding in steers allowed access to feed for 2 hr each day. In Experiment 1, two groups of four Holstein steers were injected s.c. with either vehicle (sterile water) or SKF38393 (5 mg/kg BW). Steers were injected i.v. with a lethal dose of sodium pentobarbital 100 min later and their brains were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Dual-label immunohistochemistry was performed on 40 microns free-floating sections using antiserum to SS and to Fos/FRA on sections containing PeVN and ARC nuclei. More SS neurons were detected in the PeVN than in the ARC. The percent of SS neurons with immunoreactive Fos/FRA present was 2.9-fold higher in SKF38393-treated compared with vehicle-injected steers in the PeVN, but was unchanged in the ARC. In Experiment 2, eight Holstein steers were injected s.c. with either vehicle (sterile water) or SKF38393 (5 mg/kg BW) 140 min before meal-feeding. In contrast to controls, concentrations of GH in serum of SKF38393-treated steers did not increase during 140 min before meal-feeding. In Experiment 3, eight Holstein steers were injected s.c. with either vehicle (sterile water) or SKF38393 (5 mg/kg BW), then 100 min later, each steer was injected i.v. with [Leu27,Hse45] bGHRH1-45 lactone (0.2 micrograms/kg BW). Bovine GHRH stimulated release GH into serum in both groups, but concentrations of GH were lower in SKF38393-treated steers. These results show that stimulation of D1 receptors selectively increases activity of SS neurons in the PeVN, and this increased activity is associated with suppressed basal- and GHRH-induced release of GH in serum of meal-fed steers.
Robust stability bounds on time-varying perturbations for state-space models of linear discrete-time systems

The stability robustness of linear discrete-time systems in the time domain is addressed using the Lyapunov approach. Bounds on linear time-varying perturbations that maintain the stability of an asymptotically stable linear time-invariant discrete-time nominal system are obtained for both structured and unstructured independent perturbations. Bounds are also derived assuming that various elements of the system matrix are perturbed dependently. The result for the structured perturbation case is extended to the stability analysis of interval matrices.
Localization of the Internal Maxillary Artery for Extracranial-to-Intracranial Bypass through the Middle Cranial Fossa: A Cadaveric Study.

The internal maxillary artery (IMAX) is a promising arterial pedicle to function as a donor vessel for extracranial-to-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass procedures. The access to the IMAX through the anterior portion of the middle cranial fossa floor allows a much shorter interposition graft to be used to create a bypass to the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery and prevents a second incision in the neck. One of the challenges of this technique, however, is the difficulty to find the IMAX through an intracranial approach. The purpose of this cadaveric study is to establish a reliable method to localize the IMAX through a middle fossa floor approach based on skull base bone landmarks. In this study 5 latex-injected fixated cadaveric specimens were dissected bilaterally (providing a total of 10 IMAX dissections) to determine the precise location of the IMAX in the pterygopalatine fossa in relationship to bone landmarks of the middle fossa floor as seen through an intracranial approach. Drilling of the middle fossa floor was undertaken through both the originally described “anteromedial” approach, and a new “anterolateral” approach. Measurements were taken correlating the position of the IMAX to ipsilateral foramen rotundum, ipsilateral foramen ovale, posterior wall of the maxillary sinus, and distal V2 branches. Median and standard deviation were calculated for each dataset. The IMAX was found, within the pterygopalatine fossa, by drilling the greater wing of the sphenoid bone on average 10 mm anteriorly and 5 mm laterally to foramen rotundum, at an average depth of 8 mm. The IMAX was also found inferiorly to the maxillary nerve and laterally to the pterygoid head of the lateral pterygoid muscle. A more laterally oriented approach, consisting of drilling the greater wing of the sphenoid bone from a point perpendicular to foramen rotundum posteriorly to the sphenotemporal suture anteriorly, allowed for a longer segment of the IMAX to be easily identified and exposed facilitating its use as a donor vessel in bypass procedures. This cadaveric study provides a reliable and reproducible set of measurements to localize the IMAX within the pterygopalatine fossa through an intracranial middle fossa approach. The ability to find the IMAX consistently is an important step in exploring the possibility of using the IMAX as a routine donor vessel for EC-IC bypass procedures.
Variability of Fishing Mortality by Age: Consequences for Maximum Sustainable Yield

Abstract The influence of variation in age-specific vulnerability to fishing on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in numbers and weight was evaluated with simulation techniques that incorporated biological characteristics of red snapper Lutjanus campechanus and an arbitrary stock–recruitment relation. I evaluated MSY for 10 arbitrary selectivity ogives that systematically varied from greater vulnerability to fishing mortality among the oldest ages to greater vulnerability among the youngest ages. The values of MSY in numbers and weight varied by factors of 2.6 and 4.5, respectively, for the range of selectivity schedules examined. Because selectivity schedules often are not constant through time, values estimated from catch data should be viewed with caution when they are applied in current management settings. Further, setting MSY as a management objective will often be insufficient for developing management advice unless the desired longterm age composition of the catch or some other qualifying factor is ...
Activation of the MKK/ERK Pathway during Somatic Cell Mitosis: Direct Interactions of Active ERK with Kinetochores and Regulation of the Mitotic 3F3/2 Phosphoantigen

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway, which includes extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1, ERK2) and MAP kinase kinases 1 and 2 (MKK1, MKK2), is well-known to be required for cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase, but its role in somatic cell mitosis has not been clearly established. We have examined the regulation of ERK and MKK in mammalian cells during mitosis using antibodies selective for active phosphorylated forms of these enzymes. In NIH 3T3 cells, both ERK and MKK are activated within the nucleus during early prophase; they localize to spindle poles between prophase and anaphase, and to the midbody during cytokinesis. During metaphase, active ERK is localized in the chromosome periphery, in contrast to active MKK, which shows clear chromosome exclusion. Prophase activation and spindle pole localization of active ERK and MKK are also observed in PtK1 cells. Discrete localization of active ERK at kinetochores is apparent by early prophase and during prometaphase with decreased staining on chromosomes aligned at the metaphase plate. The kinetochores of chromosomes displaced from the metaphase plate, or in microtubule-disrupted cells, still react strongly with the active ERK antibody. This pattern resembles that reported for the 3F3/2 monoclonal antibody, which recognizes a phosphoepitope that disappears with kinetochore attachment to the spindles, and has been implicated in the mitotic checkpoint for anaphase onset (Gorbsky and Ricketts, 1993. J. Cell Biol. 122:1311-1321). The 3F3/2 reactivity of kinetochores on isolated chromosomes decreases after dephosphorylation with protein phosphatase, and then increases after subsequent phosphorylation by purified active ERK or active MKK. These results suggest that the MAP kinase pathway has multiple functions during mitosis, helping to promote mitotic entry as well as targeting proteins that mediate mitotic progression in response to kinetochore attachment.
The effect of right vagus nerve stimulation on focal cerebral ischemia: an experimental study in the rat

Background The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on infarct size after transient and after permanent focal cerebral ischemia in rats and to test the hypothesis that VNS-induced neuroprotection is due to changes in cerebral blood flow. Methods Ischemia was produced by either temporary proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion (TMCAO) or permanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (PMCAO). Stimulating electrodes were implanted on the cervical part of the right vagus nerve, and electrical stimulation was initiated 30 minutes after the induction of ischemia and delivered for 30 seconds every 5 minutes for 1 hour. All the procedures were duplicated but no stimulus was delivered in control groups. Cerebral blood flow in the MCA territory was continuously monitored with laser speckle contrast imaging. A neurologic evaluation was undertaken after 24 hours of ischemia, and animals were euthanized and neuronal damage evaluated. Results Ischemic lesion volume was smaller in VNS-treated animals in both the temporary and permanent ischemic groups ( P P P = .089). Cerebral blood flow changes in the MCA territory during ischemia did not differ between the VNS-treated animals and control animals in either group. Conclusions VNS offers neuroprotection against stroke in both temporary and permanent ischemia. Although the precise mechanism of this effect remains to be determined, alterations in cerebral blood flow do not appear to play a role. VNS could readily be translated to clinical practice.
Multidimensional sorting and matrix display

McNally and Wood (1982) introduced a short, fast-running program that is written in Level II BASIC for the TRS-80 Model III and that ranks scores in a single group and resolves any number of ties. The present program, illustrated in Table 1, generalizes that technique to accommodate an M x N matrix and uses Kendall's W to illustrate the process. It waswritten in LevelII BASIC for the TRS-80Model4. When it is run, the program asks for the number of subjects, that is, scores, per column (N) and the number of judges (M). These values are used to initialize an M x N x 3 array, for which the maximum values of M and N are determined by the available RAM. The program then asks that the scores be entered and stores them in the first line of the third dimension of the array. Line 10 determines ranks, and lines 13and IS resolveany number of ties. Ranks are stored in the second line of the third dimension, and the frequency of occurrence is resident in the third line. Lines 17-19cause the M x N rank matrix to be printed; they contain an interesting feature. The TRS-80 Model 4 responds to multiple-loop print statements of the type in lines 17-19 by rearranging the matrix on the screen in a confusing manner. The PRINT II " statement in line 19 suppresses the rearrangement and correctly prints the rank matrix for 24t M 4t IS. In cases in which the number of judges exceeds IS, the display of the rank matrix is scrambled, but the ranks, the value of W, and the summary table are unaffected. Lines 20-30 compute Wand the contents of the summary table, which displays the sum of all the judges' ranks for each S, the difference of each rank sum (D) from the mean (AVEl of the rank sums, and the D squared column. The sum of the D squares is listed for use in consulting a significance table.
Marginatin, a new germacranolide from Vernonia species

Abstract A new germacranolide, marginatin, has been isolated from three species of Vernonia from the central United States, V. marginata, V. fasciculata and V. arkansana, and its structure has been determined.
Component support in PLT scheme

PLT Scheme (DrScheme and MzScheme) supports the Component Object Model (COM) standard with two pieces of software. The first piece is MzCOM, a COM class that makes a Scheme evaluator available to COM clients. With MzCOM, programmers can embed Scheme code in programs written in mainstream languages such as C++ or Visual BASIC. Some applications can also be used as MzCOM clients. The other piece of component-support software is MysterX, which makes COM classes available to PLT Scheme programs. When needed, MysterX uses a programmable Web browser to display COM objects. We describe the technical issues encountered in building these two systems and sketch some applications. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance evaluation of multi-product manufacturing systems with asynchronous exponential machines

This paper is devoted to modeling and analysis of multi-product manufacturing systems with asynchronous exponential machines and finite non-dedicated buffers. In such systems, each machine may process different types of products with different speeds, and buffers are shared for all products. Analytical methods to evaluate the system performance are developed. Formulas are derived to calculate line throughput in one- and two-machine lines, and a convergent recursive procedure is introduced for longer lines. The numerical results show that the methods lead to high accuracy in performance evaluation.