cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategic positioning : a study of the Nordic paper and pulp industry

Strategy and management control are two fields of research that have become increasingly inter-linked. Research in strategy has shown, for instance, that strategies are of no effect unless they permeate the entire organization, and that they become obsolete if not renewed as the business environment changes. Similarly, research in management control has shown that management control loses its relevance if it does not reflect strategy or is not useful in operations. This dissertation considers a number of theoretical approaches to corporate and business strategies and their connection to management control. The reasoning is also examined in light of empirical data collected from major Swedish firms in various industries. One finding is that some combinations of corporate and business strategies and management control are more congruent than other combinations. An additional question discussed in the dissertation is how different types of business strategy could be changed and combined; these possibilities are studied empirically on the basis of data taken from annual reports of Nordic paper and pulp companies. The results show that the nature of business strategy can be changed over time, but that different kinds of business strategies can seldom be combined within the same business unit. Further, the dissertation treats the relationship between different perspectives on business strategies. Another central element of the dissertation is the design and use of performance measurement. On the basis of extensive empirical material from large Nordic firms in a variety of industries, performance measurement at Nordic firms is described, noting differences between countries and between dissimilar business strategies. According to the findings, the Nordic firms used a broad spectrum of measures, which according to theory should be more closely related to strategy than would financial measures alone.
Uncertainties in Hauser-Feshbach Neutron Capture Calculations for Astrophysics

Abstract The calculation of neutron capture cross sections in a statistical Hauser-Feshbach method has proved successful in numerous astrophysical applications. Of increasing interest is the uncertainty associated with the calculated Maxwellian averaged cross sections (MACS). Aspects of a statistical model that introduce a large amount of uncertainty are the level density model, γ-ray strength function parameter, and the placement of E low – the cut-off energy below which the Hauser-Feshbach method is not applicable. Utilizing the Los Alamos statistical model code CoH3 we investigate the appropriate treatment of these sources of uncertainty via systematics of nuclei in a local region for which experimental or evaluated data is available. In order to show the impact of uncertainty analysis on nuclear data for astrophysical applications, these new uncertainties will be propagated through the nucleosynthesis code NuGrid.
Prion protein transgenes and the neuropathology in prion diseases.

The concept that prions are novel pathogens which are different from both viroids and viruses has received increasing support from many avenues of investigation over the past decade. Enriching fractions from Syrian hamster (SHa) brain for scrapie prion infectivity led to the discovery of the prion protein (PrP). Prion diseases of animals include scrapie and "mad cow" disease; those of humans present as inherited, sporadic and infectious neurodegenerative disorders, two of which are called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS). The inherited human prion diseases are genetically linked to mutations in the PrP gene that result in non-conservative amino acid substitutions. Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing PrP carrying a GSS mutation developed neurodegeneration spontaneously and produced prions de novo. In other studies, Tg mice expressing both SHa and mouse (Mo) PrP genes were used to demonstrate that the "species barrier" for scrapie prions resides in the primary structure of PrP. This concept was strengthened by the results of studies in which mice expressing chimeric Mo/human (Hu) PrP transgenes were constructed which differ from MoPrP by nine amino acids between residues 96 and 167. All of the Tg(MHu2M) mice developed neurologic disease approximately 200 days after inoculation with brain homogenate from three patients who died of CJD. About 10% of Tg(HuPrP) mice expressing HuPrP and non-Tg mice developed neurologic disease > 500 days after inoculation with CJD prions. The different susceptibilities of Tg(HuPrP) and Tg(MHu2M) mice to human prions indicate that additional species specific factors such as chaperone proteins are involved in prion replication. Diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human prion diseases should be facilitated by study of Tg(MHu2M) mice. Our findings and those from other studies suggest that mutant and wtPrP interact, perhaps through a chaperone-like protein, during the pathogenesis of the prion diseases.
Creativity and Learning Jazz: The Practice of “Listening”

This article is about interaction, culture, and creativity. The ethnographic setting is a set of jazz performance classes at a California university. Although I write about jazz music, the reader need not have a background in studying or performing jazz (or music in general) to understand this article. In the title of the article, the term “practice” refers to (1) “listening” as a culturally specific communicative practice, and (2) the practice (a.k.a. rehearsal) of that culturally specific version of “listening”. I document and analyze how jazz instructors communicate with students about group interplay during musical performance. Extrapolating from this focus, I suggest some ways that contemporary linguistic anthropology can contribute to theories of creativity, focusing on the role that cultural norms of interaction defined by a particular activity play in constraining or shaping creative processes.
The effects of estrous cow serum on the in vitro maturation and fertilization of the bovine follicular oocyte.

Abstract The effect of serum obtained from a cow at the time of standing estrus (serum A), at ovulation (serum B), and at 24 h after ovulation (serum C) on the in vitro maturation and fertilization of bovine oocytes was examined. Of 144 (Group A), 159 (Group B), and 158 (Group C) oocytes, 77 (53.4%), 82 (51.6%) and 82 (51.9%) oocytes were characterized by expansion of cumulus cells, respectively. There was no significant difference in the effect of the three types of cow serum on the cumulus expansion (P The effect of the three types of serum obtained from the cow on the maturation of oocytes was not significant, but a significant difference did exist in the fertilization rate of oocytes. Cow serum obtained at the time of standing estrus had a beneficial effect on the fertilization rate of oocytes in vitro.
Rotational relaxation of macromolecules determined by dynamic light scattering. II. Temperature dependence for DNA

Correlation functions have been determined for the fluctuating intensity of the depolarized component of forward-scattered laser light from solutions of DNA. The molecular correlation function of calf thymus DNA (mol wt ∼15 × 106) appears to exhibit a longest relaxation time (τ25,w, ∼ 18 msec) close to what one would predict from the flowdichroism measurements of Callis and Davidson and, in addition, manifests a spectrum of faster times down to tenths of milliseconds. Furthermore, a major fraction of the amplitude of fluctuations in the angular distribution of segment axes is relaxed on a very much shorter time scale (of the order of 20 microseconds) that appears to be relatively insensitive to molecular weight of the DNA, or to near-melting temperatures. The temperature profile of the longest relaxation time has been obtained and found to exhibit a peculiar spike near Tm, which, together with the absence of a corresponding spike in the (high shear) viscosity, has been interpreted as indicative of an increase in the molecular weight of the DNA in a narrow temperature region near Tm. Correlation functions for polarized light scattered at finite angles were obtained in an attempt to determine the temperature dependence of the translational diffusion coefficient. Although the data contain an extremely slow component that does not admit a simple interpretation, there is some indication of a decrease in the translational diffusion coefficient near Tm, thus supporting the notion of an aggregation occurring near Tm. Finally, a “counterion escape” mechanisn is proposed for the apparent aggregation.
Recovery from spinal transection in fish: Regrowth of axons past the transection

In fish axons reportedly cross a spinal transection, form synapses, and then cease growing or grow in abnormal directions. This obviously would not restore previous synaptic connections, and since fish recover function, it is often stated that recovery of function in fish seems to be independent of restoration of normal synaptic architecture. By contrast, the present study emphasizes that many axons in goldfish continue growing after they pass a spinal transection. Horseradish peroxidase was injected into caudal spinal cord in normal or spinal cord-transected fish. Neurons were labeled in the same places in operated and normal fish. Since the site of injection was 4 cm (18 segments) caudal to the transection, it seems clear that the axons of cells labeled in transected fish extended past the cut for almost the length of the spinal cord. Thus growth did not cease for these axons. Therefore, even though synapses undoubtedly form in the neuropil distal to the cut, many axons do not stop growing and restoration of previous synaptic connections may well be a requirement for return of function.
On the quantum hamiltonian for a charge in an electromagnetic field, in generalized coordinates

When one considers the quantum Hamiltonian for a charge in an electromagnetic field in Cartesian coordinates, no problem arises concerning the ordering of the quantum operators. However, if one considers the quantum Hamiltonian operator for a charge in an electromagnetic field in generalized coordinates, the question on the ordering problem becomes very apparent. One can easily find the classical Hamiltonian, Hc, for the charge in the electromagnetic field in generalized coordinates {q~} (x~ =x~(ql,q2 .... )) to be given as~ 1 m,, e ~ ~
A neurophysiological comparison of alpha-chloralose with gamma-hydroxybutyrate in cats☆

Abstract 1. 1. The purpose of the present paper is to identify and compare the various EEG and behavioral states induced by 15–65 mg/kg α-chloralose and 400–600 mg/kg γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in cats with chronically implanted electrodes. Observations were performed on EEG activity, gross behavior and averaged response to chicks. 2. 2. Both agents induce a dose related progression of EEG changes that commences with desynchrony, proceeds to several patterns of hypersynchrony, and finally advances to periods of spiking and isoelectric activity. 3. 3. The two drugs produce similar behavioral effects, except that α-chloralose induced myoclonic jerking occurs during a stage of EEG hypersynchrony, whereas that induced by GHB occurs later during the phase of EEG spiking. 4. 4. Averaged evoked responses to click are markedly increased in amplitude by both agents during the phases of EEG spiking. 5. 5. The gross behavior, EEG and evoked responses following both α-chloralose and GHB are characteristic of an epileptoid state rather than general anesthesia.
Grammatical Complexity and Comprehension of Compressed Speech

In order to investigate the effect of rate of presentation on the compression of materials that differed in grammatical complexity, an experiment was designed in which the comprehension-test portions of Forms A and B of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test were rewritten in an attempt to reduce grammatical complexity so as to make two difficulty levels available. The rewriting resulted in grammatically simplified versions of the original material. The variables, arranged in a multifactor independent-groups design, were: which of two levels of grammatical complexity was used, high or low; which of four rates of presentation was used, 175, 275, 325, or 375 words per minute; and which of two forms of the material was used, Form A or Form B. The dependent variable was the number of csorrect responses to test questions. An analysis of covariance was used to test the statistical significance of the effects. Verbal Scholastic Aptitude Test score was the adjusting variable. The following effects were statistically significant: (a) level of grammatical complexity—the grammatically simplified versions of both forms of the material resulted in greater average comprehension than the original versions; (b) rate of presentation—generally, comprehension remained at approximately the same level as rate of presentation increased from 175 wpm to 325 wpm, but from 325 wpm to 375 wpm, comprehension dropped off sharply; (c) form of material—Form B of the material resulted in greater average comprehension than Form A; (d) form of material by level of grammatical complexity—comprehension varied as a function of grammatical complexity when Form A of the test was used but did not vary when Form B was used.
WE‐A‐303A‐01: DCE MRI for Quantitative Assessment of Therapy Response

Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MR imaging is emerging as a promising biomarker for therapy assessment. While initial results from research groups are promising, a significant gap exists between preliminary research studies and practical utilization. In addition to variations in data acquired from different image acquisition techniques, a large variety of pharmacokinetic models have been explored from which to derive quantitative metrics. Examples of such models include those from Patlack, Toft, and Elizabeth, with a number of others in use in various research groups. These models have various levels of complexity, which in general is inversely related to the robustness with which the models perform on imaging data. Furthermore, the selection of an optimal pharmacokinetic model may be highly dependent on the tissue or organ being investigated. Currently, a national effort is underway to help standardize the extraction of physiological parameters from DCE‐MRI and related pharmacokinetic models. This talk explores these issues, comparing various models and their performance, and provides an overview of the areas that need consideration prior to widespread adoption of DCE‐MRI derived model parameters as assessment tools. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used pharmacokinetic models 2. Understand the influence of image acquisition parameters and image quality on derived quantitative metrics 3. Provide examples of clinical applications
TELLURIUM‐INDUCED NEUROPATHY: CORRELATIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL AND ELECTRON MICROPROBE STUDIES

Elemental tellurium (TE) was included in the normal diet of 15-day-old rats and every day thereafter for 35 days. Within 24 hours a segmental demyelination was seen in the sciatic nerve. On the 2nd day, Te was localized in the cytoplasm of the Schwann cells. On the 3rd day paralysis of the hind legs appeared which lasted 7--10 days. The papralysis then disappeared and demyelination ceased, although the rats were still ingesting Te. After one week there was also slight demyelination in the brachial plexus. Motor nerve conduction velocities were reduced below the normal control range, but only after the rats had taken Te for a least 7 days. This peripheral neuropathy can only be induced in the rat by Te ingestion between the 15th and 35th days of post-natal life, not before or after this period of time.
Impact of scar on SPECT assay of left ventricular contraction dyssynchrony.

Purpose Many patients presently receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) do not respond. A disproportionate number of nonresponders have ischemic cardiomyopathy, with significant left ventricular (LV) scar burden. Current selection criteria, such as electrocardiography or echocardiography, may not reliably portray the magnitude of CRT-remediable LV contraction dyssynchrony. Although phase analysis of gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image data is increasingly appreciated as a tool for quantifying dyssynchrony, its use in the setting of scar has not been adequately evaluated.
Sub‐Wavelength Antireflection Coatings From Nanostructure Sculptured Thin Films

Nanostructure sculptured thin films from SiO2 are grown on quartz substrates by ion beam sputter deposition using rotating substrate motion accommodated to an oblique angle of incidence for the particle flux. Structural peculiarities of sculptured thin films have an intriguing impact on the optical response upon reflection of light with different wavelengths. The reflectivity of quartz substrates coated with SiO2 sub-wavelength nanostructures is simulated by means of effective medium theory and antireflection is predicted for the deep ultraviolet spectral region. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectivity measurements are performed on SiO2 sculptured thin films and antireflection near λ = 193 nm is found. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Molecular motors as drug delivery vehicles

Molecular motors that make up the intracellular transport system are akin to subway cars and trains that ply the rails of cities. The inner workings of these extraordinarily complicated systems are being explicated at the atomic level at a phenomenal rate, and it is becoming apparent that we are on the verge of bioengineering these motors for specialized applications. These systems might be the key to yet unsolved biomedical applications that include non-viral gene therapy and interneuron drug delivery.
Secretion by ependymal cells of the neurohypophysis and saccus vasculosus of Polypterus ornatipinnis (Osteichthyes).

Electron microscopic studies of the neurohypophysis and saccus vasculosus of the bichir (Polypterus ornatipinnis) reveal an apocrine release of secretory material by ependymal cells (e.g., crown cells). The secretory material appears to migrate along the microtubular apparatus and the ciliary filaments to the cell buds. It is postulated that the formation of the buds and their release is mediated by cilial action. Secretion buds are noted in the cerebrospinal fluid and vascular sinusoids. Bulbous projections of neurohypophyseal secretory tracts extend into the ependymal lumen which also contains elementary secretion granules. Specialized “liquorkontaktneurone” are interspersed with ependymal cells. An interrelation between the hypothalamus, neurohypophysis, saccus vasculosus, and the meta-adenohypophysis is postulated.
Parallel fuzzy connected image segmentation on GPU

Purpose: Image segmentation techniques using fuzzy connectedness (FC) principles have shown their effectiveness in segmenting a variety of objects in several large applications. However, one challenge in these algorithms has been their excessive computational requirements when processing large image datasets. Nowadays, commodity graphics hardware provides a highly parallel computing environment. In this paper, the authors present a parallel fuzzy connected image segmentation algorithm implementation on NVIDIA’s compute unified device Architecture (cuda) platform for segmenting medical imagedata sets. Methods: In the FC algorithm, there are two major computational tasks: (i) computing the fuzzy affinity relations and (ii) computing the fuzzy connectedness relations. These two tasks are implemented ascuda kernels and executed on GPU. A dramatic improvement in speed for both tasks is achieved as a result. Results: Our experiments based on three data sets of small, medium, and large data size demonstrate the efficiency of the parallel algorithm, which achieves a speed-up factor of 24.4x, 18.1x, and 10.3x, correspondingly, for the three data sets on the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 over the implementation of the algorithm on CPU, and takes 0.25, 0.72, and 15.04 s, correspondingly, for the three data sets. Conclusions: The authors developed a parallel algorithm of the widely used fuzzy connected image segmentation method on the NVIDIA GPUs, which are far more cost- and speed-effective than both cluster of workstations and multiprocessing systems. A near-interactive speed of segmentation has been achieved, even for the large data set.
Coherent propagation of Stokes light in a collisionally broadened three-level amplifier

We undertake a theoretical investigation of the coherent optical propagation of Stokes light in a collisionally broadened three-level Raman amplifier. The Stokes light consists of two distinct spectral components: off-resonance stimulated Raman scattering and on-resonance stimulated fluorescence, induced by collisional transfer of population to a near-resonant intermediate state of the atomic system. Our model is based on the semiclassical Maxwell-Bloch formalism where the separation of the Stokes light into two components results in an expansion from the usual 9 to 13 atomic variables. We investigate the model both analytically and numerically. We point out the physical contributions to the simultaneous evolution of pump, fluorescence, and Raman light. We discuss the development during propagation of these separate pulses, emphasizing the nonlinear effects that lead to saturation.
Relationship of Self-Perceptions of Memory and Worry to Objective Measures of Memory and Cognition in the General Population

This investigation compared how perceived memory ability or level of worry about memory related to performance on objective tests of memory and cognition. Data from 1,488 participants from the Baltimore cohort of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study were analyzed. Significant associations were found between self-ratings of memory and each of four objective measures of cognitive functioning. Memory worry was associated with worse delayed recall but not with worse word recognition, lower current Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, or greater change in MMSE score over time. Individuals experiencing changes in cognitive function appear to have some awareness of their condition, and a simple probe of a person's perception of memory in the context of a general medical evaluation may help identify those who need further assessment.
Alexander von Humboldt and geomagnetic science

The name of Alexander von Humboldt has long been familiar to me, though how and when it became so I cannot recall. Many years ago, I think when I was a student at Cambridge, England, I bought a second-hand set of four volumes of his book Cosmos1. It was highly interesting to read his wide survey of the universe and to see thereby, in addition to his account of his own scientific contributions, what were the scientific problems and views of his time. Recently, seeking in the library of the University of Alaska some further information about Humboldt' s life, I found in the Encyclopedia Britannica the statement that in Europe Humboldt' s fame was eclipsed only by that of Napoleon. "How are the mighty fallen!" I imagine that today Humboldt's name is known only to a minority of educated men and women. It is indeed commendable that the American Academy of Arts and Sciences should in these meetings revive his memory, in the spirit of the writer of Ecclesiastes "Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us". Among Humboldt's many and varied important contributions to science, those he made to our knowledge of the earth's magnetism hold a high place. The deviation of the magnetic compass from the true north, observed by Columbus, was known to the instrument makers of Nuremberg as early as 1450. William Gilbert, the writer of the first great modern treatise on electricity and magnetism2, had declared that, "Unless there should be a great dissolution of a continent and a subsidence of the land, such as there was of the region of Atlantis of which Plato and the ancients tell, the variation" (that is, the magnetic declination) "will continue perpetually immutable". However, in I635 Gellibrand3, also of London, discovered the secular variation of the declination. Edmund Halley, second Astronomer Royal of England, was the first to delineate the world distribution of the declination, on his famous isogonic chart,
One- and two- dimensional 15N/1H NMR of filamentous phage coat proteins in solution.

Summary High resolution 15 N NMR studies of proteins in solution can be performed efficiently by combining the use of isotopically enriched proteins and pulse sequences that generate polarization transfer from protons and result in two-dimensional heteronuclear chemical shift correlation spectra. The coat proteins of the filamentous bacteriophages fd and Pf 1 solubilized in detergent micelles give one- and two- dimensional NMR spectra with resolved resonances for nearly all of the nitrogen sites in the proteins. The resonances from the amide sites with slowly exchanging protons can be obtained as a subset of the resonances of all amide sites by comparing the spectra of proteins in D 2 O and H 2 O solutions at pH=4.0.
Differential regulation of TGA transcription factors by post-transcriptional control

Transcription factors often belong to multigene families and their individual contribution in a particular regulatory network remains difficult to assess. We show here that specific members from a family of conserved Arabidopsis bZIP transcription factors, the TGA proteins, are regulated in their protein stability by developmental stage-specific proteolysis. Using GFP fusions of three different Arabidopsis TGA factors that represent members of distinct subclasses of the TGA factor family, we demonstrate that two of these TGA proteins are specifically targeted for proteolysis in mature leaf cells. Using a supershift gel mobility assay, we found evidence for similar regulation of the cognate proteins as compared to the GFP fusion proteins expressed under the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. Using various inhibitors, we showed that the expression of at least one of these three TGA factors could be stabilized by inhibition of proteasome-mediated proteolysis. This study indicates that TGA transcription factors may be regulated by distinct pathways of targeted proteolysis that can serve to modulate the contribution of specific members of a multigene family in complex regulatory pathways.
Analytical chromatography of myosin on hydroxyapatite.

Abstract Preparations of rabbit myosin have been subjected to chromatographic fractionation on columns of hydroxyapatite at pH 6.8 with potassium phosphate buffers containing KCl. The best resolution is obtained with a step wise elution procedure, utilizing phosphate concentrations of 0.16, 0.23, and 0.4 M , all in the presence of 0.4 M KCl. The ionic strengths of these buffers cover the range 0.7 to 1.4. The chromatograms obtained are very consistent, as are the elution volumes at a given phosphate concentration, and the elution volumes are strong functions of phosphate concentration. The fractions obtained are well separated, and clear-cut information is obtained on the presence in the preparation of proteins other than myosin and on the extent of aggregation of the myosin. Since the recovery of adenosine triphosphatase activity is low the procedure described cannot be used for preparative purposes.
Relaxation semiconductors: In theory and in practice

Relaxation semiconductors are materials dominated by free carrier transport and defined by the condition that the dielectric relaxation time τD is longer than the free carrier lifetime τ0. Novel transport behavior has been demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, to be associated with this regime of semiconductor behavior. This review surveys the history of the field, emphasizes recent experimental and modeling work and summarizes our current understanding of relaxation behavior in crystalline semiconductors.
Path finding under uncertainty

Path finding problems have many real-world applications in various fields, such as operations research, computer science, telecommunication, transportation, etc. In this paper, we examine three definitions of optimality for finding the optimal path under an uncertain environment. These three stochastic path finding models are formulated as the expected value model, dependent-chance model, and chance-constrained model using different criteria to hedge against the travel time uncertainty. A simulation-based genetic algorithm procedure is developed to solve these path finding models under uncertainties. Numerical results are also presented to demonstrate the features of these stochastic path finding models.
Chemistry of SO2 and NO2 on ZnO(0001)-Zn and ZnO powders: changes in reactivity with surface structure and composition

Abstract Synchrotron-based high-resolution photoemission and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) have been used to study the interaction of SO2 and NO2 with ZnO(0 0 0 1)-Zn and polycrystalline surfaces of zinc oxide (films and powders). Important differences are observed when comparing the chemical behavior of the adsorbates on these oxide surfaces. These differences are in part a consequence of changes in structural properties (flat versus rough surfaces), but in some cases they clearly originate in variations in surface composition (zinc↔adsorbate versus oxygen↔adsorbate interactions). For example, the Zn-terminated (0 0 0 1) crystal face of ZnO is much less reactive towards SO2 than polycrystalline ZnO. On ZnO(0 0 0 1)-Zn and polycrystalline ZnO, the Zn↔SO2 bonding interactions are weak. Adsorption of SO2 on Zn sites was seen only at temperatures below 200 K. In contrast, the SO2 molecules react readily with O sites of Ar+ sputtered ZnO(0 0 0 1)-Zn or polycrystalline ZnO forming very stable SO3 species. Due to its radical nature, adsorbed NO2 is more chemically active than SO2. After dosing nitrogen dioxide to ZnO(0 0 0 1)-Zn at 100 K, chemisorbed NO2 and NO3 coexists on the surface. A partial NO 2, ads → NO 3, ads transformation is observed from 150 to 300 K. The data for the NO2/ZnO(0 0 0 1)-Zn system clearly prove that large quantities of NO3 can be formed on metal sites of an oxide surface as a consequence of partial decomposition or disproportionation of NO2. The routes for the formation of SO3 and NO3 on ZnO can be different, but these species have in common a high stability and decompose at temperatures well above 500 K. Thus, ZnO powders can be useful as sorbents in DeSOx and DeNOx operations.
Colorimetric determination of reducing sugars in soils.

Abstract Reducing sugars are the end products of many biological processes and enzymatic reactions in soils. They are determined in assay of several soil enzymes, including cellulase activity. Five colorimetric methods [phenol-sulfuric acid, anthrone-sulfuric acid, dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS), reaction with potassium ferric hexa-cyanide reagent (Prussian blue), and the Somogyi-Nelson (molybdenum blue) methods] were evaluated for determination of reducing sugars and total saccharides extracted from soils. Results showed that the Prussian blue and the molybdenum blue methods were the most sensitive and accurate for determination of reducing sugars in soils. Metals extracted from soils interfered with molybdenum blue color development. These metals, however, could be removed by K-saturated resin before analysis. The trace amount of metals extracted from soils did not interfere with the Prussian blue color development, but this method is too sensitive to be useful for determination of reducing sugars in soil extracts. Unlike the Prussian blue method, which is very sensitive and has 1 h color stability, the molybdenum blue method has color stability of at least 24 h. Reducing sugar values in soils increased significantly upon air-drying of field-moist soils or incubation of soils with acetate buffer (50 mM, pH 5.5) at 30°C for 24 h, suggesting enzymatic hydrolysis of the native substrates. Calibration graphs showed that the phenol-sulfuric acid, DNS, and anthrone-sulfuric acid methods are not as sensitive as the other two methods.
International Legal Policy and Efficient Resource Allocation

From this economist’s point of view, the interesting question about international legal relations is the impact that they have on the resources that individual nations allocate to police and law enforcement activities. How do these relations affect the overall level of expenditures for these activities? How do they influence the way these expenditures are used? How do the level chosen and the uses decided upon compare to the optimal level and the optimal uses? In this chapter I will explore these and related questions using a general model developed to analyze the influence of interjurisdictional interactions on resource allocation. The model takes into account both direct interactions between the police and legal institutions of one nation and those of another, and indirect interactions that take place through the impact that these institutions have on criminal activity and its distribution across nations.
Crystal structure of the virulence gene activator AphA from Vibrio cholerae reveals it is a novel member of the winged helix transcription factor superfamily.

AphA is a member of a new and largely uncharacterized family of transcriptional activators that is required for initiating virulence gene expression in Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the frequently fatal epidemic diarrheal disease cholera. AphA activates transcription by an unusual mechanism that appears to involve a direct interaction with the LysR-type regulator AphB at the tcpPH promoter. As a first step toward understanding the molecular basis for tcpPH activation by AphA and AphB, we have determined the crystal structure of AphA to 2.2 A resolution. AphA is a dimer with an N-terminal winged helix DNA binding domain that is architecturally similar to that of the MarR family of transcriptional regulators. Unlike this family, however, AphA has a unique C-terminal antiparallel coiled coil domain that serves as its primary dimerization interface. AphA monomers are highly unstable by themselves and form a linked topology, requiring the protein to partially unfold to form the dimer. The structure of AphA also provides insights into how it cooperates with AphB to activate transcription, most likely by forming a heterotetrameric complex at the tcpPH promoter.
At-speed board test simplified via embeddable data trace/compaction IC

The architecture and operation of an 1149.1-based digital bus monitor (DBM) IC is described. The ability of the DBM to monitor at-speed signal transfers between ICs in real time provides a method of monitoring the functional operation of circuits assembled on board and multichip module substrates. Such tests can be used to reveal timing sensitive and/or intermittent failures that would otherwise not be detectable without the use of external testers and mechanical probing fixtures. This test approach may, in some cases, reduce the cost to manufacture and support a product by reducing the need for test equipment in both factory and field environments. >
Plant secondary metabolites alter the feeding patterns of a mammalian herbivore (Neotoma lepida)

Mammalian herbivores are predicted to regu- late concentrations of ingested plant secondary metab- olites (PSMs) in the blood by modifying the size and frequency of feeding bouts. It is theorized that meal size is limited by a maximum tolerable concentration of PSMs in the blood, such that meal size is predicted to decrease as PSM concentration increases. We investi- gated the relationship between PSM concentration in the diet and feeding patterns in the herbivorous desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) fed diets containing phenolic resin extracted from creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). Total daily intake, meal size and feeding frequency were quantified by observing the foraging behavior of woodrats on diets containing increasing concentrations of creosote resin. Desert woodrats reduced meal size as resin concentration in the diet increased, resulting in an overall reduction in daily intake and regulation of resin intake. Moreover, desert woodrats were able to detect resin concentrations in the diet and regulate the intake of resin very rapidly. We suggest that the immediate and sustained ability to detect and regulate the intake of resin concentrations during each foraging bout provides a behavioral mechanism to regulate blood concentra- tions of resin and allows desert woodrats to make ''wise'' foraging decisions.
Reclaiming Children for the Nation: Germanization, National Ascription, and Democracy in the Bohemian Lands, 1990–1945

In September of 1899 the Czech National Social Party issued a stern warning to parents in Prague as the school enrollment season approached: “Czech parents! Remember that your children are not only your own property, but also the property of the nation. They are the property of all of society and that society has the right to control your conduct!” Czech and German nationalists in the Bohemian lands were hardly alone in claiming that children comprised a precious form of “national property” (nationaler Besitz, narodanimajetek) at the turn of the century. In an age of mass politics and nationalist demography, nationalists across Europe obsessed about the quantity and quality of the nation's children. They were, however, unique in their ability to transform this polemical claim into a legal reality. Between 1900–1945, German and Czech nationalist social workers and educational activists in the Bohemian lands attempted to create a political culture in which children belonged to national communities, and in which the nation's rights to educate children often trumped parental rights. In 1905, nationalists gained the legal right to “reclaim” children from the schools of the national enemy in Moravia, a right which they retained until 1938. By the time Ota Filip's father dragged him to the German school in Slezska Ostrava/Schlesisch Ostrau, children had become one of the most precious stakes in the nationalist battle, and a parent's choice of a German or Czech school had become a matter of unprecedented personal, political, moral, and national significance.
Treatment of water closet flush water for recycle and reuse

Results from the operation of a 37.8 m3/d extended aeration and sand filtration system in the closed‐loop treatment of water closet flush water are presented. The system has operated for four and one‐half years at 95 percent recycle. During this period over 30,000 m3 of flush water was treated and reused. Water inputs into the recycle system resulted from liquid human wastes plus wastage form potable water uses. Wasted potable water inputs were from wash basins, water fountains, and custodial services. Operation of both the biological treatment unit and the pressure sand filter followed acceptable conventional practice. Chemicals were not required to adjust pH, aid solids settleability or enhance treatment efficiency. Equilibrium concentrations followed predicted values except for pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The concentration of these constituents was governed by urine content after flushing, agitation before biological treatment, temperature and biological oxidation. Variations in nitro...
Nonparoxysmal A-V nodal tachycardia due to potassium

Abstract Potassium is capable of producing in the dog nonparoxysmal A-V nodal tachycardia. The paradox of depression of A-V conduction and simultaneous increase of automaticity may be explained on the basis of functional differentiation within the A-V conduction system. The failure of potassium to significantly affect the pacemaker and conducting tissue in the isolated heart, its failure to produce non-paroxysmal A-V nodal tachycardia in man and the similarity of the arrhythmia observed in our experiments with that induced by digitalis in human subjects were stressed.
Flow softening during hot working of Ti-6Al-4V with a lamellar colony microstructure

The production of conventional alpha/beta titanium alloys for aerospace applications is often based on an ingot metallurgy approach comprising melting and a series of hot working and heat treatment steps. Recent research has probed the effect of factors such as prior-beta grain size, strain rate, and temperature on plastic flow and microstructure evolution during hot forging of Ti-6Al-4V with a lamellar colony microstructure. In particular, the flow softening response evident in true stress-strain curves determined from isothermal hot compression tests has been studied in an attempt to ascertain the important deformation mechanism. The objective of the present work was to determine if crystallographic texture changes, as characterized by nominally uniform rotation of the alpha phase, or platelet kinking within the lamellar colonies are major considerations that can explain the flow softening observations. This understanding is very important with regard to the eventual development of models for the prediction and control o texture and hence properties such as stiffness and fatigue resistance. To this end, the flow response during both isothermal, hot compression and hot tension testing was measured and interpreted with the aid of finite element and polycrystalline plasticity modeling.
Delaunay refinement algorithms for triangular mesh generation

Delaunay refinement is a technique for generating unstructured meshes of triangles for use in interpolation, the finite element method, and the finite volume method. In theory and practice, meshes produced by Delaunay refinement satisfy guaranteed bounds on angles, edge lengths, the number of triangles, and the grading of triangles from small to large sizes. This article presents an intuitive framework for analyzing Delaunay refinement algorithms that unifies the pioneering mesh generation algorithms of L. Paul Chew and Jim Ruppert, improves the algorithms in several minor ways, and most importantly, helps to solve the difficult problem of meshing nonmanifold domains with small angles. Although small angles inherent in the input geometry cannot be removed, one would like to triangulate a domain without creating any new small angles. Unfortunately, this problem is not always soluble. A compromise is necessary. A Delaunay refinement algorithm is presented that can create a mesh in which most angles are 30^o or greater and no angle is smaller than arcsin[(3/2)sin(@f/2)]~(3/4)@f, where @f=<60^ois the smallest angle separating two segments of the input domain. New angles smaller than 30^o appear only near input angles smaller than 60^o. In practice, the algorithm's performance is better than these bounds suggest. Another new result is that Ruppert's analysis technique can be used to reanalyze one of Chew's algorithms. Chew proved that his algorithm produces no angle smaller than 30^o (barring small input angles), but without any guarantees on grading or number of triangles. He conjectures that his algorithm offers such guarantees. His conjecture is conditionally confirmed here: if the angle bound is relaxed to less than 26.5^o, Chew's algorithm produces meshes (of domains without small input angles) that are nicely graded and size-optimal.
Applying the Service-Profit Chain to Internet Service Businesses

Service-profit chain (SPC) is a powerful tool for evaluating the relationship between the degree of service effort and profit. This framework has been empirically tested in the banking, hospital, retail, and other brick and mortar service verticals. This paper extends the applicability of SPC to Internet-based businesses. The paper also investigates the moderating roles of customer satisfaction and advertising spending on the service operation efficiency (SOE) and profit relationship. Analysis of U.S. Internet service providers during a seven year period from 2000 to 2006 indicates that service operations efficiency is positively associated with a firm’s profit. However, the customer satisfaction and adver-tising spending constructs are negative moderators of the relationship between service operations efficiency and profit.
Multiple Functions of Sushi Domain Containing 2 (SUSD2) in Breast Tumorigenesis

Routinely used therapies are not adequate to treat the heterogeneity of breast cancer, and consequently, more therapeutic targets are desperately needed. To identify novel targets, we generated a breast cancer cDNA library enriched for genes that encode membrane and secreted proteins. From this library we identified SUSD2 (Sushi Domain Containing 2), which encodes an 822 amino acid protein containing a transmembrane domain and functional domains inherent to adhesion molecules. Previous studies describe the mouse homolog, Susd2, but there are no studies on the human gene associated with breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry analysis of human breast tissues showed weak or no expression of SUSD2 in normal epithelial cells, with the endothelial lining of vessels staining positive for SUSD2. However, staining was observed in pathological breast lesions and in lobular and ductal carcinomas. SUSD2 interacts with Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a 14-kDa secreted protein that is synthesized by carcinoma cells and promotes tumor immune evasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. Interestingly, we found that localization of Gal-1 on the surface of cells is dependent on the presence of SUSD2. Various phenotype assays indicate that SUSD2 increases the invasion of breast cancer cells and contributes to a potential immune evasion mechanism through induction of apoptosis of Jurkat T cells. Using a syngeneic mouse model, we observed accelerated tumor formation and decreased survival in mice with tumors expressing Susd2. We found significantly fewer CD4 tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in mice with tumors expressing Susd2. Together, our findings provide evidence that SUSD2 may represent a promising therapeutic target for breast cancer.
A low cost color visual stimulator for fMRI

This low cost visual stimulator was developed for use in small animal imaging. The stimulator uses a single tri-color LED for each eye and can output red, green, or blue light or any combination of the three. When all three LED colors are illuminated at the same time achromatic light is the output. The stimulator is almost entirely implemented in software with only minimal electronics. The LEDs are controlled via the parallel port of a desktop computer. Flicker frequency, wavelength, intensity and waveform shape are under software control. The LEDs are coupled to fiber optic cables which run into the MRI scanner room leaving the LEDs and the power source in the control room. Calibration with a radiometer shows the light output to be very linear from zero to full intensity. The stimulator was used in fMRI visual stimulation studies performed on Sprague Dawley rats with an 11.7Tesla magnet. As the stimulator is software driven, modifications to accommodate other protocols and extensions for new functionality can be readily incorporated. With this in mind, the visual stimulator circuit diagram and software including source code are available upon request.
Microoptical phased arrays for spatial and spectral switching

This article describes two optical devices based on linear arrays of micromirrors. The first is a phased array of micromirrors that can be rotated as well as translated vertically to maintain coherence across the array. We demonstrate experimentally that such micromirrors are capable of high-diffraction-efficiency phased-array scanning of laser beams. The second device is a Gires-Tournois (1969) interferometer with a micromirror array that provides tunable phase modulation for the multitude of partially reflected beams within the interferometer. We demonstrate experimentally that the MEMS-GT interferometer can operate as a tunable deinterleaver for dense wavelength-division multiplexed fiber optic communication.