cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning as an emergent, creative process

In Creating a Learning Society, Joseph Stiglitz and Bruce Greenwald examine the role of knowledge in economic growth. They view economic growth as an impersonal and automatic phenomenon. The history of economic growth, however, suggests that it is a creative and personal process. We argue that the analytical framework deployed by Stiglitz and Greenwald is unsuited to study the creation of new products, new ways of doing things, and the discovery of new markets. While the questions Stigltiz and Greenwald ask are of fundamental importance, their analysis is neutered by the inability of their conceptual toolbox to grapple with creativity and novelty.
Assessing climate change impacts on coastal infrastructure in the Eastern Caribbean

Abstract Expected effects of changes in global climate include warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and potentially more frequent and severe extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms. Low-lying states in the Caribbean are especially vulnerable to these effects, posing significant risks to public safety and natural resources. This paper highlights expected trends in the Eastern Caribbean and examines the impacts of urbanization and supporting infrastructure, siting of major structures in high-hazard areas, and negative land-use practices on fragile coastal ecosystems. It focuses on the need to reduce the vulnerability of coastal infrastructure and land uses, arguing for effective linkages between climate change issues and development planning. The paper also provides general recommendations and identifies challenges for the incorporation of climate change impacts and risk assessment into long-term land-use national development plans and strategies.
The relationship between FSI advertising style and coupon redemption

We investigate the relationship between free-standing insert advertising style and coupon redemption. Results from two experiments indicate that the propensity to clip a coupon can be enhanced by matching ad tone (emotional vs rational) to the nature of a consumer’s primary motivation with respect to coupon usage. Moreover, this result appears to hold for consumers with both procoupon and anticoupon inclinations.
Checkpoint dial-a-ride systems

Abstract This paper presents a preliminary study of the feasibility of checkpoint dial-a-ride systems. Their cost-effectiveness is compared to that of fixed route systems with no transfers and door-to-door dial-a-ride systems. The results are derived for a simple routing strategy, and involve some simplifications which facilitate the comparisons. For high demand levels, the total cost per passenger for fixed route and checkpoint systems is very close. In fact, their optimal configurations are so alike, and the occurrence of route deviations is so rare, that fixed route systems should be preferred, as they can be operated on a schedule and require less dispatching effort. As the demand level decreases, demand responsive systems become relatively more attractive than fixed route systems, and checkpoint systems might possibly become cost-effective. However, by the time demand responsive systems are significantly better than fixed route systems, door-to-door service can be provided at an even lower cost. This appears to limit the situations where checkpoint dial-a-ride systems can be applied efficiently to a small window of demand levels (and special situations) where they only narrowly outperform other systems.
TU‐C‐214‐05: Digital Synthesizing High‐Quality Daily 4D‐CBCT from Conventional 3D‐CBCT Using Prior Knowledge of Motion and Anatomy Relationships

Purpose: Conventional in‐room Cone‐beam CT(CBCT) lacks explicit motion representation and usually has poor image quality and inaccurate CT numbers for target delineation and/or adaptive planning. While in‐room 4D‐ CBCTimage acquisition is still time‐consuming and suffers same poor image quality issue, the goal of this study was to develop a computational procedure to digitally synthesize high‐quality daily 4D‐CBCT images by taking advantage of the prior knowledge of motion and appearance defined in the planning 4D‐CT dataset.Methods: We first estimated the respiratory motion from planning 4D‐CT by performing deformable image registration between the averaged planning 4D‐CT to each of the phases. The resultant displacement motion vectors were further analyzed by Principal Component analysis (PCA) to construct a patient‐specific low‐dimensional motion model. Subsequently, dense correspondences were established across voxels of daily 3D‐CBCT and averaged 4D‐CT. Given voxel‐by‐voxel correspondences, both the learned prior motion model and CT numbers from the planning CT were spatially mapped onto the grid of daily CBCT. The transferred motion model allows us to synthesize 4D‐CBCT images with a substantially improved image quality compared to the original 3D‐CBCT. The synthesized 4D images possess explicit patient motion while maintains the geometric accuracy of patient's anatomy at the time of treatment. Results: We validated our model by comparing the synthesized 4D‐CBCT against the 4D‐CT dataset acquired in the same day from a protocol patient undergoing daily in‐room CBCT setup and weekly 4D‐CT for treatment evaluation. The correctness of contours and checkboard image fusion confirmed the accuracy of our model. In another patient example with large tumor shrinkage, we have observed excellent agreement of contours in different motion phases between the synthesized and acquired scans. Various imaging artifacts were greatly suppressed and soft‐tissue visibility was drastically enhanced. Conclusions: We have proposed and validated a novel framework to render high‐quality daily 4D‐CBCT.
Quench Protection Studies on CBA Magnets

Results from quench studies on both short cable samples and prototype Colliding Beam Accelerator project magnets are presented. The quantity of paramount interest is ?I2dt which is a monotonic function of the maximum conductor temperature obtained in a quench. Conductor damage in short samples has been observed for ?I2dt ? 8.4 × 106 amp2-sec at 50 kG and 4.2° K. Each magnet is equipped with spot heaters in various locations so that systematic studies of quench propagation under controlled conditions can be made. Values of ?I2dt as a function of current, location, bath temperature, and cooling mode (single phase helium versus two phase helium) are presented. The magnets are able to absorb their own energy with a modest margin of safety for the type of quenches expected in an accelerator environment. In order to obtain an additional margin of safety, a quench protection scheme which employs current shunting diodes across each magnet half has been adopted.
Differential Sensitivity of Recombinant GABAA Receptors Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes to Modulation by Topiramate

PURPOSE This study evaluated the modulatory effects of topiramate (TPM) on various subtypes of recombinant rat gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA(A)) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. METHODS Specific subunits of GABA(A) receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Voltage-clamp recordings of currents were performed after application of TPM (1-100 microM) to these oocytes in the presence or absence of GABA. RESULTS In a concentration-dependent fashion, TPM (1-100 microM) reversibly inhibited GABA-evoked Cl- currents in oocytes expressing either alpha1beta2gamma2S and alpha2beta2gamma2S recombinant GABA(A) receptors and reduced the current-fading rate in alpha1beta2gamma2S-expressing oocytes. Topiramate was effective at GABA concentrations of 1-10 microM but not at 100 microM. Topiramate (1-100 microM) potentiated GABA-evoked Cl- currents and increased the fading rate in oocytes expressing the alpha6beta2gamma2S GABA(A) receptor. It had no effect on Cl- currents mediated through the alpha4beta2gamma2S receptor or through the mixed population of GABA(A) receptors expressed from rat brain mRNA. In general, the observed effects of TPM were more pronounced on fading rates than on peak Cl- currents. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that TPM may affect desensitization of GABA(A) receptors as assessed by changes in the fading rates of GABA-evoked Cl- currents, possibly by effects on second-messenger systems.
Antiangiogenesis efficacy of nitric oxide donors.

Angiogenesis is a complex process involving endothelial cell migration, proliferation, invasion, and tube formation. Inhibition of these processes might have implications in various angiogenesis-mediated disorders. Because nitric oxide (NO) is known to play a key role in various vascular diseases, the present study was undertaken to determine the role of NO in angiogenesis-mediated processes using the NO donor, S-nitroso N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitroso N-acetyl glutathione (SNAG). The antiangiogenic efficacy of these NO donors was examined using in vivo and in vitro model systems. The in vitro studies demonstrated the ability of SNAP to inhibit cytokine fibroblast growth factor (FGF2)-stimulated tube formation and serum-induced cell proliferation. The inhibitory effect on cell proliferation by SNAP concentrations above the millimolar range was associated with significant shifts in the concentration of NO metabolites. Furthermore, using the mouse Matrigel implant model and the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models, SNAP demonstrated maximal inhibitory efficacy (85-95% inhibition) of cytokine (FGF2)-induced neovascularization in both in vivo models. SNAP and SNAG resulted in 85% inhibition of FGF2-induced neovascularization in the mouse Matrigel model when given at 5 mg/kg/day infusion in minipumps during 14 days and 87% inhibition of angiogenesis induced by FGF2 in the CAM when administered a single dose of 50 microg. Thus, NO donors might be a useful tool for the inhibition of angiogenesis associated with human tumor growth, or neovascular, ocular, and inflammatory diseases.
A Refined Model of the Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH) Receptor Binding Pocket. Novel Mixed Mode Monte Carlo/Stochastic Dynamics Simulations of the Complex between TRH and TRH Receptor†

Previous mutational and computational studies of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptor identified several residues in its binding pocket [see accompanying paper, Perlman et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 7643-7650]. On the basis of the initial model constructed with standard energy minimization techniques, we have conducted 15 mixed mode Monte Carlo/stochastic dynamics (MC-SD) simulations to allow for extended sampling of the conformational states of the ligand and the receptor in the complex. A simulated annealing protocol was adopted in which the complex was cooled from 600 to 310 K in segments of 30 ps of the MC-SD simulations for each change of 100 K. Analysis of the simulation results demonstrated that the mixed mode MC-SD protocol maintained the desired temperature in the constant temperature simulation segments. The elevated temperature and the repeating simulations allowed for adequate sampling of the torsional space of the complex with successful conservation of the general structure and good helicity of the receptor. For the analysis of the interaction between TRH and the binding pocket, TRH was divided into four groups consisting of pyroGlu, His, ProNH2, and the backbone. The pairwise interaction energies of the four separate portions of TRH with the corresponding residues in the receptor provide a physicochemical basis for the understanding of ligand-receptor complexes. The interaction of pyroGlu with Tyr106 shows a bimodal distribution that represents two populations: one with a H-bond and another without it. Asp195 was shown to compete with pyroGlu for the H-bond to Tyr106. Simulations in which Asp195 was interacting with Arg283, thus removing it from the vicinity of Tyr106, resulted in a stable H-bond to pyroGlu. In all simulations His showed a van der Waals attraction to Tyr282 and a weak electrostatic repulsion from Arg 306. The ProNH2 had a strong and frequent H-bonding interaction with Arg306. The backbone carbonyls show a frequent H-bonding interaction with the OH group of Tyr282 and strong, often multiple, interactions with Arg306. Three structures, which maintained these interactions simultaneously, were selected as candidates for ligand-receptor complexes. These show persistent interactions of TRH with Ile 109 and Ile 116 in HX 3 and with Tyr310 and Ser313 in HX 7, which will be tested to refine the structure of the ligand-receptor complex. The superposition of the three structures shows the extent of structural flexibility of the receptor and the ligand in the complex. The backbone of TRH inside the receptor is in an alpha-helical conformation, suggesting that the receptor, through its interaction with the ligand, provides the energy required for the conformational change in the ligand from an extended to the folded form.
On the mutual influence of individuals in a social group

A previous mathematical study of a situation, in which the behavior of a larger group of individuals is controlled by a smaller group, is generalized for the case when the “activity” of the individuals in the group is continuously graded. The existence of two possible social configurations and of sudden transitions from one configuration to another are found in this case also.
Heritable Epigenetic Variation and its Potential Applications for Crop Improvement

Phenotypic variation within organisms is driven primarily by genetic diversity. However, there is a growing appreciation that epigenetic variation, resulting from a multitude of diverse chemical modifications to the DNA and chromatin, can have profound effects on phenotype. Heritable epigenetic marks persist through meiosis and can be stably transmitted to the next generation, resulting in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Importantly, when epigenetic changes occur near coding genes, affecting their transcriptional state, heritable epigenetic variation can result in heritable phenotypic variation. Large-scale interrogation of epigenome inheritance in Arabidopsis has revealed that spontaneous variation in DNA methylation occurs at a rate that is orders of magnitude greater than genetic mutation, indicating the key importance of epigenetic variation during evolution. Thus, there is a potential for epigenetics to play a role in crop improvement, including regulation of transgene expression and creation of novel epialleles. Here, we review cases of naturally occurring and genetically induced epialleles, and discuss how the studies from two epigenetic populations are rapidly increasing our understanding of epigenetic diversity.
Early Peer Rejection and Aggression: Longitudinal Relations with Adolescent Behavior

The purpose of the present study was to examine the longitudinal relations between peer nominations for aggression and rejection in first grade, and aggressive behavior, pyschological-well being, and academic achievement in early adolescence. We found that peer nominations of aggression as early as the first grade are predictive of multiple indicators of aggressive behavior in early adolescence, particularly for boys. Early peer rejection also appears to make a unique contribution to adolescent aggressive behavior and psychological wellbeing in the form of depressive symptoms. For girls, peer rejection also appears to be linked to poorer academic achievement. The present findings support the need for early interventions with aggressive and rejected children. Future research is needed to further delineate the processes by which early peer rejection and aggression are linked to later outcomes.
Issues in open education and environmental design

This article presents a theoretical overview of the complementary relationship between open education and environmental design. An elementary education program called the Open Corridor serves as a concrete example. The Open Corridor program dovetailed many aspects of open education and environmental design. Students, teachers, administrators, parents, and consulting psychologists served in the roles of planner and implementer. A review of open education and environmental design approaches is followed by a sketch of the Open Corridor program and a discussion of issues. A bright future exists for programs that carefully open their educational processes and plan their environments.
Effect of paramedic student internship on performance on the National Registry Written Exam.

Background. Paramedic students are exposed to numerous patient contacts during their required internship experience. There is no current research examining paramedic student internship experience in relation to performance on the written portion of the National Registry Exam (NRE-W). Methods. A retrospective review from 2001 to 2006 of student records from FISDAP™ was completed. Three hundred ninety-six students met the inclusion criteria: 1) graduate of a paramedic program, 2) consent to access data, 3) internship data previously verified, and4) NRE-W results available. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine if the number of advanced life support (ALS) runs (run with an IV andECG, or one medication administered), hospital patient contacts (PCs), field PCs, total PCs (hospital PCs + field PCs), student team lead runs (TLs), in-hospital clinical hours, field internship hours, or total hours (in-hospital clinical hours + field internship hours) were associated with passing the NRE-W. Logist...
Renovascular Disease and Saralasin Tests

Excerpt To the editor: The excellent paper by Marks, Maxwell, and Kaufman (Ann Intern Med87:176-182, 1977) did not discuss their findings of a 100% cure rate after surgery in patients with renovasc...
Citizens’ Views on Electoral Governance in Mexico

Abstract A growing body of research has noted the role of electoral governance as an increasingly important factor in facilitating credible electoral outcomes in newly democratized states. This article examines how public opinion of electoral governance institutions is shaped within a particular country and context. Using the data from the Mexico 2006 Panel Study, I find that public opinion of Mexico’s primary electoral governance institution, the Instituto Federal Electoral (IFE), is explained via individual assessments of the particular candidates for the Mexican presidency in the 2006 elections, partisan identification, citizens’ views on democracy, and other socio‐demographic variables. These findings raise important questions regarding citizens’ views on the primary institution of electoral governance in Mexico.
Fluid flow in bone in vitro

Recent dielectric measurements suggest that the electromechanical effect in wet (fluid saturated) bone is not due to a piezoelectric effect. This would imply that the electromechanical effect observed in wet bone is due to a streaming potential and is therefore dependent on fluid flow in stressed bone. A model for fluid flow in bone in vitro is presented. This model predicts a rapid decay (of the order of a millisecond or less) for the fluid flow in Haversian systems. The implications of this result for the interpretation of the electromechanical effect in wet bone are discussed.
Bounds for molecular weights of organic compounds from low resolution mass spectra

Abstract Simple empirical rules for determining the upper and lower limits to the molecular weight of organic compounds from low resolution mass spectra have been established and evaluated. The rules are based on the average of two easily determined spectral features, Maxmass and Himax1. The lower limit is this average less 5 Da and the upper limit is the average plus 100 Da. These limits have been evaluated with a set of 400 randomly chosen NIST/NIH/EPA reference spectra, with 400 pharmaceutically related spectra from a Swiss data base and with 100 bromine- and chlorine-containing NIST reference spectra. In only 12 cases were the true molecular weights lower than the estimated lower limits and these were due to contaminated spectra. The upper limit rule includes 98% of the spectra of all volatile compounds tested and 96% of all compounds tested.
The State of Groundfish Resources off the Northeastern United States

Abstract From the early 1960s to 1977, fishing vessels from 13 nations fished heavily off the northeastern United States. Landings of principal groundfish species rose to 780,000 tonnes in 1965 and abundance declined rapidly. Most species of groundfish were being underfished by the United States. With the passage of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976, fishing by foreign nationals stopped and fishing effort by the United States increased. The number of days fished by otter trawlers steadily increased into the mid-1980s before tapering off. Fishing technnology improved and the effective fishing effort continued to go up even though the number of days at sea did not. Landings rose with effort until 1983 and then fell dramatically. Groundfish abundance declined steadily after 1978 for the next decade. By 1990–1992, fishing mortality rates for the three major groundfish species (cod, haddock, yellowtail flounder) were twice as great as the management targets. Overall groundfish landin...
The occurrence, vesiculation, and solidification of dense blue glassy pahoehoe

Dense blue glassy pahoehoe occurs on the lower Kalapana flow field of Hawaii as limited breakouts at the base of tumuli and pressure rises or in localized depressions. Dense blue glassy pahoehoe differs from the more abundant spongy pahoehoe in that it has a distinctive silvery blue color, a poorly vesiculated glassy outer selvage, and lower extrusion temperature (∼10 °C cooler). The color of blue glassy pahoehoe may be attributed to the concentration of iron and magnesium at the surface, whereas the golden color of the spongy pahoehoe is possibly the result of fluorine enrichment. The outer margin of the dense pahoehoe consists of three layers, developed in response to an increased cooling rate toward the surface. The outer glass selvage is less than 1 cm thick containing minor amounts of chromite, olivine, plagioclase, and augite. Inside the glassy rind is a ∼5 mm thick transition zone characterized by increasing numbers and sizes of quenched plagioclase crystals and augite clusters. The interior of dense blue glassy pahoehoe is largely crystalline. Crystal size distribution (CSD) theory demonstrates that the formation and textures of plagioclase, pyroxene, and oxides are related to the cooling rates, growth rates (G), and nucleation rates (J) present in each layer of the dense pahoehoe. In contrast to the outer selvage, the crystalline interior typically contains numerous large coalesced vesicles as compared to the evenly vesiculated spongy pahoehoe. The enigmatic contrast between the poorly vesicular outer glassy selvage and the vesicular interior has been attributed to both lower and higher vapor contents of the dense pahoehoe. The higher density, lower extrusion temperatures, degassed outer glassy selvage, well-developed crystalline interior, and fluorine-deficient surface of dense blue glassy, as compared to spongy pahoehoe, indicate that blue glassy pahoehoe was stagnant long enough to exsolve considerable vapor in the lava tube system before extrusion.
Theoretical and ATR-FTIR study of free 12-crown-4 in aqueous solution

Abstract IEFPCM conformational studies of 12c4( aq ) were performed using density functional theory. The C 1 structure was diagnosed to be the most populated conformer while the population of C i conformers is also relatively high. Ensemble averaged DFT vibrational spectra of 12c4( aq ) were compared with the experimental ATR-FTIR spectra for the first time. Our CAM-B3LYP averaged spectra were in excellent agreement with experimental spectra. Due to the nonzero dipole moment of C 1 conformers, calculated average dipole moment (3.08 D) is also reported.
Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome Presenting as Bilateral Central Retinal Artery Occlusions

A previously healthy 22-year-old African American woman presented with bilateral vision loss associated with headache. Her ocular examination was significant for bilateral retinal arterial “boxcarring,” retinal whitening, retinal hemorrhages, and cherry red spots. She was diagnosed with bilateral central retinal artery occlusions and was hospitalized due to concomitant diagnosis of stroke and hypercoagulable state. She was also found to be in heart failure and kidney failure. Rheumatology was consulted and she was diagnosed with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome in association with systemic lupus erythematosus. Approximately 7 months after presentation, the patient’s vision improved and remained stable at 20/200 and 20/80.
Multilevel Factor Analysis by Model Segregation: New Applications for Robust Test Statistics.

Measures of classroom environments have become central to policy efforts that assess school and teacher quality. This has sparked a wide interest in using multilevel factor analysis to test measurement hypotheses about classroom-level variables. One approach partitions the total covariance matrix and tests models separately on the between-classroom and within-classroom levels. This article shows that when using this approach, robust test statistics, including rescaled and residual-based test statistics provide better inferences about the classroom-level measurement structure than the widely used likelihood ratio test statistic even when the number of classrooms is large, and there is no excess kurtosis in the observed variables. This article then presents an empirical example and a simulation study to demonstrate how item intraclass correlations and within-group sample sizes influence test statistic performance. The results have implications for the study of classroom environments.
Combining Bioinformatics and Biophysics to Understand Protein-Protein and Protein-Ligand Interactions

INTRODUCTION. The increasing numbers of proteins whose three-dimensional structures have been determined will have major impact on the ability to exploit genomic data. Sequence alignments will become more meaningful, protein structure prediction will become more accurate, and the prediction of protein function will become increasingly refined and precise. Such developments will require that sequence, structure, and physical chemical information be fully integrated and correlated with biological data in as much detail as possible. We have been developing a series of computational tools with the goal of detecting relationships among amino acid sequence, protein structure and protein function. In this context, recent computational advances in using structure to improve sequence alignments, in homology model building and in the calculation of binding affinities will be summarized as will their combined use, with specific application to understanding the principles of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. METHODS. Our basic approach involves calculating protein folding and binding free energies as well as contributions of individual amino acids to these free energies, and correlating these energetic contributions with sequence patterns and with physical and chemical properties of the protein. With regard to binding, we are particularly interested in delineating features that may dictate specificity vs. affinity and in predicting binding specificity from sequence alone. Binding free energies are described in terms of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The former are calculated using finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann methods while the latter are generally calculated from free energy-surface area relationships. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS. Our approach to the calculation of binding free energies is validated by its ability to select the correct conformation of protein-protein complexes from a large number of alternative complex geometries. The factors that determine binding free energies will be discussed with particular emphasis on understanding how protein interfaces are designed, in a structural sense, to exploit different combinations of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions to achieve both affinity and specificity. This information is derived in part by calculating binding free energies for different interfaces and correlating these with structural features on the interface and with sequence patterns. In addition, we have created a database of all protein-protein interfaces of known structure. This allows us to carry out statistical analysis of different interfaces which, when combined with binding free energy calculations, provides a
Enhanced single strand breaks of supercoiled DNA in a matrix of gold nanotubes under X-ray irradiation.

Abstract Single-strand-breaks (SSBs) of supercoiled DNA (scDNA) molecules were used to probe the enhancement of X-ray radiation effect on scDNA mixed with gold nanotubes (AuNTs) in water. The amounts of measured enhancements using SSBs were significantly lower than the expected increase in energy deposition in water by AuNTs under hard X-ray irradiation. Three factors were identified to negatively affect the enhancement: (1) Attenuation of kinetic energies carried by electrons escaped from AuNTs, (2) Scavenging of OH radicals ( OH) by the surface of bare AuNTs, and (3) Steric effect due to soluble scDNA molecules away from the surface of AuNTs. Benefits and limits of using gold nanomaterials as radiation enhancers and contrast agents are discussed.
Reciprocal path tracking in satellite laser communications applications

Atmospheric turbulence causes intensity fluctuations in the received beam of a ground to space laser communication link. Theoretical analysis of the beam propagation through atmospheric turbulence to a satellite shows that very accurate pointing of the transmitter beam will reduce the fading of the signal. A new technique for tracking through turbulence is described that uses enhanced backscatter resulting from reciprocal scattering paths. Laboratory experiments have been conducted and data compared to computer simulation. A plan has been developed for demonstrating the technique on a Low Earth Orbiting satellite.
RISK PERCEPTION AND THE ANALYSIS OF RISK ATTITUDES

Risk has long been recognised as an important feature of the environment facing farmers. In recent years the von Neumann-Morgenstern expected utility theory has been used to analyse decision making under risk. However, many people behave in a manner inconsistent with the expected utility theory. One widely suggested explanation is based on subjective probability distortion. A number of attempts to incorporate this phenomenon into utility theories have been made. In this paper, the problems of analysing subjective probability distortion are discussed. Evidence from a survey of farmers' risk attitudes undertaken in conjunction with the 1977 BAE Australian Agricultural and Grazing Industries Survey is analysed in the light of this discussion.
The impact of bank venture capital on initial public offerings

Abstract Studies of the role of venture capital in the IPO process generally assume that all venture capitalists are alike. We relax this assumption and focus on the role of venture capitalists affiliated with either commercial or investment banks. We find that firms backed by these bank venture capitalists experience a lower opportunity cost of going public. This result holds mainly for small issuers, suggesting that banks are superior to traditional venture capitalists in providing certification services to this segment of the market. We also find that bank venture capital-backed firms experience a less negative abnormal return at lockup expiration, which is consistent with the hypothesis that banks are motivated, at least in part, by ‘relationship building’ when providing venture capital funding.
Thermal Expansion And Viscoelastic Properties Of A Semi-Rigid Polyimide

Studies were made of the physical properties of the commercially available polyimide Upilex-SGA, which is prepared from biphenyl dianhydride and p-phenylene diamine. Annealing the Upilex-SGA for 2 hr Linder N 2 at 400°C gave a film that expanded continuously when heated at a fixed rate, in contrast to the as-received film. The linear expansion showed a change of slope at 84°C and also at 295°C, the later being T g . The thermal coefficient of linear expansion at all temperatures was very small, even above 295°C it is 27.8 × 10 −6 . Its stress-strain curve did not exhibit a yield point, even though its ultimate elongation is ˜23%. Similar behavior is shown by the PMDA-ODA polyimide, except its ultimate elongation is ˜70%,. The unusual stress- strain curves exhibited by these polyimides is undoubtedly caused by their liquid-crystalline morphology. The stress-relaxation modulus was measured at 0.5% extension and 12 temperatures from 30 to 330°C. Derived isochrones showed that the 1-s tensile modulus at 20°C is 9.0 GPa, but at 330°C it is 2.0 GPa. Creep curves were also measured at a stress of 30 MPa and at 10 temperatures from 30 to 340° C. Master curves prepared from the relaxation and creep data are discussed briefly and evidence is given which, show that the superposition method is not truly valid for this polyimide, which actually is not surprising.
Noncovalent interactions in viruses: characterization of their role in the pH and thermally induced conformational changes in bromegrass mosaic virus.

Abstract A study of the effect of temperature on the pH-induced structural transition in bromegrass mosaic virus revealed a thermal contribution to the process. Below pH 6.3 in 0.2 M KCl the S20,w is essentially constant over the range of 0–40 C. However, at pH 6.5 there is a dramatic change in both the S20,w and intrinsic viscosity with a Tm of about 35 C. This thermal portion is independent of the pH induced transition since it is irreversible while the latter is reversible. Moreover, in the presence of 0.005 M MgCl2 only the thermal portion is eliminated. When the same analysis is performed on reassembled BMV capsid, dissociation occurs as a function of pH at 5 C in both 0.20 M KCl and 0.067 M MgCl2. The midpoint of this dissociation is at a pH of approximately 5.7 in both solvents. No effect of temperature is observed on the hydrodynamic properties of the reassembled capsid. These results suggest that the pH-induced swelling of the virus is due to the titration of an abnormal carboxyl group which is involved in the protein-protein interactions between the subunits of the virus. The thermal contribution is postulated to be a result of a change in conformation of the viral RNA. A study of the ultraviolet and circular dichroism spectra as a function of temperature at pH 6.5 and 6.7 is consistent with this interpretation. In 0.20 M KCl the hyperchromism at 260 nm is at most 1% while there is a 7% decrease in ellipticity of the 265 nm positive dichroic band. This decrease is less in the presence of 0.005 M MgCl2. Thus, the change in the RNA conformation during the thermal swelling of the virus involves very little change in base stacking.
Hybrid State System Development for Autonomous Vehicle Control in Urban Scenarios

Abstract This paper analyzes a hybrid-state-system-based controller for an autonomous vehicle in urban traffic and provides development procedures for hybrid-state systems for automatic control. The Ohio-State University Autonomous City Transport utilizes a discrete-state system, based on a finite state machine for high-level decision making and a continuous-state controller for low-level lateral and longitudinal control. The design procedure for the overall hybrid controller involves a series of capability grafts, each improving the ability of the vehicle to handle diverse situations. The design methodology, as demonstrated in a number of development steps, and architecture are capable of handling various urban scenarios, as demonstrated in a June 2007 site visit by Darpa officials.
Topography and Geologic Characteristics of Aeolian Grooves in the South Polar Layered Deposits of Mars

Abstract The topographic and geologic characteristics of grooves and groove-like features in the south polar layered deposits near the Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2 landing sites are evaluated using Mariner 9 images and their derived photoclinometry, normalized using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. Although both Mariner 9 and Viking images of the south polar layered deposits were available at the time of this study, Mariner 9 images of the grooves were selected because they were generally of higher resolution than Viking images. The dimensions and slopes of the grooves, together with orientations that nearly match the strongest winds predicted in the Martian Global Circulation Model and directions inferred from other wind indicators, suggest that they formed by aeolian scour of an easily erodible surface. Most grooves are symmetric and V-shaped in transverse profile, inconsistent with an origin involving extensional brittle deformation. Although the grooves strike along slopes and terraces of the south polar layered deposits, the variable depths and lack of terracing within the grooves themselves indicate that any stratigraphy in the uppermost 100 m of the polar layered deposits is composed of layers of similar, and relatively low, resistance. The grooves do not represent landing hazards at the scale of the Mariner 9 images (72–86 m/pixel) and therefore probably would not have affected Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2, had they successfully reached the surface.
Anhydrous ultrathin sectioning and staining for electron microscopy.

Unfixed tissue, prepared by freeze-drying, freeze-substitution, or “inert dehydration”, subsequently can be processed for electron microscopy in an entirely anhydrous environment so that there is no rehydration, leaching, or dissolution of proteins. Sectioning is accomplished with ethylene glycol in the knife trough so that water is not involved in the flotation and picking up of the sections. Sectioning epoxy or polyester embedded material upon glycol is relatively easy with a good diamond knife. Tissue embedded in hydroxypropyl methacrylate also can be sectioned, but with more difficulty due to the texture and polar character of this plastic. Sections then can be vigorously stained with phosphotungstic acid dissolved in glycol. Uranyl acetate dissolved in glycol also can be used, but seems generally less effective. Chromyl chloride apparently has no staining abilities in the absence of water. Attempts to develop a satisfactory lead stain dissolved in glycol have been unsuccessful so far. Tissue sectioned and stained under anhydrous conditions affords an opportunity of determining whether or not structures are visibly altered by conventional processing. A preliminary estimate indicates that proteinaceous systems are not generally seriously affected, but some polysaccharides may be. Certainly, much native glycogen is dissolved unless an anhydrous environment is maintained.
School psychology and early education: Contributions of Boyd R. McCandless

Abstract The writings of Boyd R. McCandless and his colleagues concerned with socialization, sex role development, research methodology, early education, and the relationship of his work to school psychology and early education are discussed. McCandless' interests were diverse, but revolved around a central and continuous concern for those who have less access to experiences which are basic to productive and self-fulfilling lives. There is much in a review of this person's life and work that is instructive for both the academic and the practitioner.
Mixed-mode fracture toughness testing of coal

Abstract An extensive mixed-mode fracture toughness testing programme was conducted on coal from three coal fields. A special mixed-mode testing fixture for coal and other geologic materials was developed together with reliable specimen preparation procedures. Dynamic modulus measurements made on each of the 116 fracture toughness specimens showed that these coals exhibit certain degrees of anisotropy. The fracture toughness testing programme systematically varied the loading rate, specimen orientation and fracture loading mode. Loading rate did not significantly effect the fracture toughness over the quasi-static range tested. Orientation did have a significant effect on measured fracture toughness. In the coals tested, the divider orientation and arrester orientation had higher fracture toughness than the short transverse orientation. Data showed that one orientation could have almost twice the fracture toughness as another. The fracture toughness testing enabled certain evaluations of three mixed-mode fracture theories: maximum tangential stress, maximum energy release rate and strain energy density theory. Due to the extreme heterogeneity of the coals tested, definitive conclusions regarding the best mixed-mode fracture theory are not possible; however, data do tend to support the strain energy density theory.
The meaning of caring in the practice of intensive care nursing

Caring is perceived as human behaviour that includes cognitive, affective, psychomotor and administrative skills within which professional caring may be expressed. It is a vital resource within the highly technological area of the intensive care unit (ICU). The terms care and caring are predominantly used to describe the inherent work and value of nursing. Nursing is a nurturing profession and caring is the essential component of its holistic practice, especially with the critically ill patient. The concept of caring in the ICU is central to the social relationship between the nurse, the patient and his/her relatives. Although caring is not unique to nursing, there is substantive, existing and developing knowledge related to caring in nursing. The concept of caring has been extensively explored in the literature. However, there is still little clarity in the understanding, description, relevance or function of caring in nursing.
MOLECULAR ORIENTATION AT SURFACES : SURFACE ROUGHNESS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEASUREMENTS BASED ON LINEAR DICHROISM

The molecular orientation at surfaces plays a key role in many of the interesting optical properties of organic thin films. Accurate determination of molecular “tilt” angles and the distribution in...
Manual discrimination of compliance using active pinch grasp: The roles of force and work cues

In these experiments, two plates were grasped between the thumb and the index finger and squeezed together along a linear track. The force resisting the squeeze, produced by an electromechanical system under computer control, was programmed to be either constant (in the case of the force discrimination experiments) or linearly increasing (in the case of the compliance discrimination experiments) over the squeezing displacement. After completing a set of basic psychophysical experiments on compliance resolution (Experiment 1), we performed further experiments to investigate whether work and/or terminal-force cues played a role in compliance discrimination. In Experiment 2, compliance and force discrimination experiments were conducted with a roving-displacement paradigm to dissociate work cues (and terminal-force cues for the compliance experiments) from compliance and force cues, respectively. The effect of trial-by-trial feedback on response strategy was also investigated. In Experiment 3, compliance discrimination experiments were conducted with work cues totally eliminated and terminal-force cues greatly reduced. Our results suggest that people tend to use mechanical work and force cues for compliance discrimination. When work and terminal-force cues were dissociated from compliance cues, compliance resolution was poor (22%) relative to force and length resolution. When work cues were totally eliminated, performance could be predicted from terminal-force cues. A parsimonious description of all data from the compliance experiments is that subjects discriminated compliance on the basis of terminal force.
Using "Teaching Items" on Ability Tests: A Nice Idea, but Does it Work?

Attempts are being made to enhance the validity of aptitude and achievement tests by providing training experiences designed to elevate the scores of naive test takers. One such procedure incorporates "teaching items" that immediately precede parts of individually-administered tests. The potential benefits associated with teaching items are greatest for populations of preschool children who are naturally unaccustomed to testing situations. Preschool children between three and four years of age were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 30) administered standardized teaching items or to a control group (n = 30). Thereafter, all children were given the Vocabulary and Geometric Design subtests of the experimental edition of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R), followed by the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities-Short Form (MSCA-SF) as an external criterion measure. Research hypotheses anticipated relatively higher WPPSI-R ability scores and improved criter...
Teaching Social Studies to Upper Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities: Graphic Organizers and Explicit Instruction

The authors report the effects of a single-case, multiple-probe design investigation for students with learning disabilities (LD) in Grades 4 and 5. Seven students classified as LD and with persist...
Systemically administered gonadotrophin-releasing hormone enhances copulatory behaviour in castrated, testosterone-treated hyperprolactinaemic male rats.

Hyperprolactinaemic male rats exhibit deficits in copulatory behaviour which can be reversed by a single injection of GnRH. We tested whether systemically administered GnRH can stimulate copulatory behaviour independently of LH-mediated increases in plasma testosterone levels. Gonadectomized, pituitary-grafted adult male Fischer 344 rats bearing implants of 5, 10 or 20 mm capsules of testosterone were administered a single injection of 500 ng GnRH or saline s.c., 30 min prior to copulation tests. Pituitary-grafted castrates displayed copulatory deficits, relative to sham-operated castrates with identical levels of testosterone replacement. Administration of 500 ng GnRH to pituitary-grafted castrates bearing 10 mm testosterone implants significantly increased the proportion of rats that mounted, intromitted and ejaculated during a 30 min test. This treatment also reduced significantly the latency of intromission and ejaculation, and increased significantly the frequency of intromission. The copulatory behaviour of the sexually unresponsive, pituitary-grafted castrates bearing 5 mm testosterone implants, or of the more sexually responsive castrates bearing 20 mm testosterone implants, was not altered significantly by GnRH injections. These results support the hypothesis that copulatory deficits in moderately hyperprolactinaemic rats are due in part to reduced hypothalamic GnRH release, and suggest that GnRH can stimulate sexual behaviour in these animals via mechanisms that are independent of luteinizing hormone-induced testosterone release. However, a threshold level of testosterone (achieved with 10 mm implants) appears to be required for GnRH to elicit this effect.
Cochlear and retinal degeneration in the tubby mouse.

A number of autosomal recessive syndromes feature both sensorineural hearing loss and retinal degeneration. The mouse mutant tubby also combines hearing loss with progressive retinal degeneration, and thus may constitute a useful model of one form of human sensorineural deafness/retinal dystrophic s
Understanding of the symmetric space σ models through the soliton connection

Abstract It is pointed out that a special class of soliton equations is actually like the symmetric σ-model. Through this understanding we derive a new set of local and nonlocal conservation laws for the SU(m + n) S(U(m) × U(n)) symmetric space non-linear σ-model.