cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle: insights from PcP-P and ScS-S data

We compare lateral variations at the base of the mantle as inferred from a global dataset of PcP-P travel time residuals, measured on broadband records, and existing P and S tomographic velocity models, as well as ScS-S travel time data in some selected regions. In many regions, the PcP-P dataset implies short scale lateral variations that are not resolved by global tomographic models, except under eastern Eurasia, where data and models describe a broad region of fast velocity anomalies across which variations appear to be of thermal origin. In other regions, such as central America and southeastern Africa, correlated short scale lateral variations (several hundred kilometers) are observed in PcP and ScS, implying large but not excessive values for the ratio R =D ln Vs/D ln Vp (V2.5). On the other hand, in at least two instances, in the heart of the African Plume and on the edge of the Pacific Plume, variations in P and S velocities appear to be incompatible, implying strong lateral gradients across compositionally different domains, possibly also involving topography on the core^mantle boundary. One should be cautious in estimating R at the base of the mantle from global datasets, as different smoothing and sampling of P and S datasets may result in strong biases and meaningless results. 7 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Food habits of Chanler's mountain reedbuck in a Rift valley ranch

Summary During 1971-72 contents from the rumens of twenty-two Chanler's mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula chanleri Rothschild) collected in the Arthur Cole Ranch near Gilgil, Kenya were examined. Frequency of occurrence of monocots averaged 99.5% of identifiable fragments. Frequency of occurrence of monocots in the ground stratum of the vegetation averaged 94% in the areas where mountain reedbuck were collected. Of the 11 grass classifications (seven to species and four to genus) considered reliably identifiable in rumens, three (Themeda triandra, Hyparrhenia spp., and Cymbopogon pospischilii) were taken more frequently than was expected from their occurrence in the vegetation, six (Aristida spp., Cynodon spp., Eragrostis spp., Harpachne schimperi, Microchlva kunthii, and Tragus berteronianus) were taken less frequently, and two (Bothriochloa insculpta and Enneapogon schimperanus) were taken in approximately the same ratio as they occurred in the ground stratum of the vegetation.
Viscoplasticity using peridynamics

Peridynamics is a continuum reformulation of the standard theory of solid mechanics. Unlike the partial differential equations of the standard theory, the basic equations of peridynamics are applicable even when cracks and other singularities appear in the deformation field. The assumptions in the original peridynamic theory resulted in severe restrictions on the types of material response that could be modeled, including a limitation on the Poisson ratio. Recent theoretical developments have shown promise for overcoming these limitations, but have not previously incorporated rate dependence and have not been demonstrated in realistic applications. In this paper, a new method for implementing a rate-dependent plastic material within a peridynamic numerical model is proposed and demonstrated. The resulting material model implementation is fitted to rate-dependent test data on 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. It is shown that with this material model, the peridynamic method accurately reproduces the experimental results for Taylor impact tests over a wide range of impact velocities. The resulting model retains the advantages of the peridynamic formulation regarding discontinuities while allowing greater generality in material response than was previously possible. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two-sided matching in the loan market

This paper investigates the matching between banks and firms in the loan market. We estimate a many-to-one two-sided matching model using the Fox (2010) matching maximum score estimator. Using data on the U.S. loan market from 2000 to 2003, we find evidence of positive assortative matching of sizes. Moreover, we show that banks and firms prefer partners that are geographically closer, giving support to the importance of physical proximity for information gathering and expertise sharing. We also show that banks and firms prefer partners with whom they had prior loans, indicating that prior loan relationship plays an important role in the selection of current partners.
Chromatographic fractionation of fullerenes containing noble gas atoms

Abstract Buckminsterfullerence containing krypton atoms inside the cage was partially separated from empty fullerene via column chromatography. The krypton content of portions of the peak emerging from the column was determined by the pyrolytic release of the krypton followed by mass spectrometry. It was found that material emerging more slowly is about 30% enriched over a faster fraction.
Design of transaction commitment protocols

Abstract Transactions are universally accepted as simple and convenient means of designing fault-tolerant systems; by definition, they preserve consistency. In distributed database systems, implementation of distributed transactions involves guaranteeing that either all sites participating in the transaction incorporate its effects into the local databases or none does. This is known as transaction commitment. The focus of this paper is on protocols achieving transaction commitment in the presence of site and link faults not leading to network partitions. We first introduce a methodology based on the separation of the essence and means of a protocol, to explore the commit protocols. Using this, we derive simple characterizations of commit protocols resilient to a prescribed number of failures. Subsequently we investigate the effects of the architecture of the underlying distributed system on the commit protocols. Finally we present the stepwise derivation of two protocols.
The in vitro cultivation of the prostate gland of the adult mouse in alkaline fluid medium.

Abstract Ventral prostate glands of the adult mouse were cultured and satisfactorily maintained for a period of 4 to 6 days in a modified chamber technique of Trowell [10, 11, 12] using the alkaline medium of Pikowski [9]. In comparison with the other media which were tried, the alkaline fluid medium of Pikowski [9] seems to enhance the maintenance of the secretory glandular epithelium, and to suppress the proliferation of the connective tissue elements. In the explants cultured for 4 to 6 days, both the epithelial and connective tissue elements appear to resemble closely morphologically and physiologically their normal counter parts in vivo . Upon cultivation longer than six days, the prostatic glands resemble histologically the gland of mice treated with estrone.
Exchange Rates of Surfactant at the Solid−Liquid Interface Obtained by ATR-FTIR

There is at present considerable variance in the rates of surfactant adsorption and desorption that are reported in the literature. We have used in situ ATR-IR to measure the rate of adsorption, desorption and exchange oftetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C 1 4 TABr) at the interface between silica and D 2 O solutions. The rate of exchange was monitored by exposing an adsorbed layer of C 1 4 TABr to a C 1 4 TABr-d 3 8 solution, while simultaneously monitoring the adsorption of both C 1 4 TABr and C 1 4 TABr-d 3 8 . We find that the exchange of monomers between the surface and the bulk is very fast. Complete exchange occurs within about 10 s, even when exchange at the surface is limited by transport to the surface. A simple model for exchange suggests that the desorption rate for a single monomer is greater than 1 s - 1 , which is no more than 104 times slower than for the desorption of a monomer from a micelle in bulk solution. Above and way below the cmc, the rate of adsorption of surfactant (exchange with solvent or its dissociation products) is similarly rapid. The rate of desorption is rapid, but slow enough for us to discern a break in the desorption rate. The results are consistent with the transport-limited desorption of the surfactant that is held by hydrophobic association with other surfactant molecules, and activation limited desorption of the surfactant that is electrostatically held to the surface. The rates of adsorption, exchange, and desorption were almost the same when the experiment was performed 11 °C above and 8 °C below the Krafft temperature of the surfactant.
Measurements of the thermal conductivity of amorphous materials with low dielectric constants

Abstract We report on measurements of the thermal conductivity of a number of amorphous materials, including several that have a low dielectric constant and which are of current interest for use as insulators in computer chips. The samples are thin films deposited onto Si substrates. Measurements are made using an optical technique in which the film is heated with a picosecond light pulse, and a time-delayed probe light pulse is used to measure the temperature of the film as a function of time. The measured thermal conductivity of these thin films is compared with the Cahill–Pohl theory of the thermal conductivity of amorphous solids.
Ethanol-induced increases in dopamine extracellular concentration in rat nucleus accumbens are accounted for by increased release and not uptake inhibition.

We performed a quantitative microdialysis study to determine whether the increase in dialysate dopamine from the nucleus accumbens caused by intraperitoneal administration of ethanol (1 g/kg) was due to enhanced dopamine release or inhibition of dopamine uptake. The Lonnroth method (no net flux), adapted for transient conditions, was used to follow the time course of true extracellular dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens simultaneously with the in vivo recovery of dopamine across the microdialysis probe. Separate groups of rats were perfused with artificial cerebral spinal fluid containing 0, 4, 8, or 12 nM dopamine for the entire experiment. Samples were taken every 10 min. Each rat received a saline or an ethanol injection. The concentration of dopamine gained by or lost from the probe was plotted as a function of the concentration of dopamine perfused into the probe for each time point. Linear regression was used to determine the slope of the line (in vivo recovery) and the x-intercept (point of no net flux) for each plot. The in vivo recovery did not significantly change over time for the saline- or the ethanol-injected rats. However, the point of no net flux (true extracellular concentration of dopamine) significantly increased after the ethanol injection from 9.4±0.4 nM (mean of six basal samples) to 13.2±1.8 nM, at the maximum, but did not change after the saline injection. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that the primary mechanism by which ethanol increases dialysate dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens after intraperitoneal administration is by increasing dopamine release from the terminals, rather than by inhibiting the dopamine transporter.
Enhancing Youth Outcomes Following Parental Divorce: A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of the New Beginnings Program on Educational and Occupational Goals

This study examined whether the New Beginnings Program for divorced families led to improvements in youth's educational goals and job aspirations 6 years following participation and tested whether several parenting and youth variables mediated the program effects. Participants were 240 youth aged 9 to 12 years at the initial assessment, and data were part of a randomized, experimental trial of a parenting skills preventive intervention targeting children's postdivorce adjustment. The results revealed positive effects of the program on youth's educational goals and job aspirations 6 years after participation for those who were at high risk for developing later problems at program entry. Further, intervention-induced changes in mother–child relationship quality and youth externalizing problems, internalizing problems, self-esteem, and academic competence at the 6-year follow-up mediated the effects of the program on the educational expectations of high-risk youth. Intervention-induced changes in youth exter...
msaABCR operon positively regulates biofilm development by repressing proteases and autolysis in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that causes nosocomial and community-acquired infections. One of the most important aspects of staphylococcal infections is biofilm development within the host, which renders the bacterium resistant to the host's immune response and antimicrobial agents. Biofilm development is very complex and involves several regulators that ensure cell survival on surfaces within the extracellular polymeric matrix. Previously, we identified the msaABCR operon as an additional positive regulator of biofilm formation. In this study, we define the regulatory pathway by which msaABCR controls biofilm formation. We demonstrate that the msaABCR operon is a negative regulator of proteases. The control of protease production mediates the processing of the major autolysin, Atl, and thus regulates the rate of autolysis. In the absence of the msaABCR operon, Atl is processed by proteases at a high rate, leading to increased cell death and a defect in biofilm maturation. We conclude that the msaABCR operon plays a key role in maintaining the balance between autolysis and growth within the staphylococcal biofilm.
Alterations in skeletal muscle lactate dehydrogenase isozymes following exercise training.

Summary The activity of lactate dehydrogenase decreased significantly in fast-twitch red (58%) and fast-twitch white (22%) muscle fibers in rats subjected to a 12-week running program. These decreases were accompanied by a reduction in M subunit; the total content of H subunit was unchanged. The largest reduction in M subunit was found in fast-twitch red fibers (8.5%) with a smaller decrease in fast-twitch white (1.4%). Lactate dehydrogenase activity and isozyme composition in slow-twitch red fibers remained unchanged as a result of the exercise program.
Latent Dirichlet allocation based writer identification in offline handwriting

In this paper, we describe a novel approach to Writer Identification in Offline handwriting using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. State-of-the-art methods for writer identification employ the traditional feature-classification paradigm which does not provide enough information about the handwriting attributes such as writing style which are key components in any forensic analysis of handwriting. This problem is also compounded due to lack of efficient rules for defining a particular writing style that can capture writer specific characteristics over a large dataset. We propose to address this issue by using a generative model in form of Latent Dirichlet Allocation(LDA) that automatically infers writing styles from handwritten document collection without any pre-defined set of rules. This information is then used to represent each writer as a distribution over multiple writing style for classifying any unknown writer sample. We describe our approach on two different feature sets consisting of contour angle features as well as structural and concavity features. Our experimental results show comparable performance with baseline systems and also demonstrate the efficacy of LDA for learning multiple handwriting styles.
Late Follow-Up From RAVEL Transition From Intention to Observation

The astonishing, sometimes dismaying, pace with which drug-eluting stents (DES) have made the transition from their bench origins1,2 to proof of principle,3 hypothesis testing,4–6 and now routine clinical practice7 leaves even the least skeptical among us breathless. With each new advance, however, we should not lose sight of the fundamental elements of evidence-based clinical practice: “Does it work?” and “Is it safe?” It is equally astonishing and dismaying to realize the enormous investments in time, money, and sheer hard work that are required to adequately answer these deceptively simple questions. Using the RAVEL trial (Randomized Study with the Sirolimus-Coated Bx Velocity Balloon-Expandable Stent in the Treatment of Patients with de Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions) as a model, I attempt here to outline the essentials for understanding how answers to these questions are provided, or not provided. See p 1040 As for the first element—“Does it work?”—the following questions must be addressed: What is being measured? With what is it being compared? What is the magnitude of the treatment effect? What is the relationship between time and treatment effect? In the RAVEL trial,4 the primary measure of efficacy was the angiographically assessed late lumen loss at 6 months, and a convincing case was made for the superiority of the sirolimus-eluting stent as compared with the bare metal stent (BMS). A secondary measure of efficacy (the RAVEL study was designed and powered to address the angiographic end point), target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate at 1 year, confirmed the superiority of the DES (sirolimus-eluting stent TLR rate, 0%; BMS TLR rate, 23%) with a treatment effect (ie, difference in the end points) of 23%. Intuition tells us that these 2 measures of efficacy (angiographic and clinical) should be closely correlated, but the degree of association is less …
A Study of Life Prediction Differences for a Nickel-Base Alloy 690 Using a Threshold and a Non-Threshold Model

Abstract In this paper we compare and contrast the crack growth rate of a nickel-base superalloy (Alloy 690) in the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) environment. Over the last few years, a preponderance of test data has been gathered on both Alloy 690 thick plate and Alloy 690 tubing. The original model, essentially based on a small data set for thick plate, compensated for temperature, load ratio and stress-intensity range but did not compensate for the fatigue threshold of the material. As additional test data on both plate and tube product became available the model was gradually revised to account for threshold properties. Both the original and revised models generated acceptable results for data that were above 1 × 10 −11 m/s. However, the test data at the lower growth rates were over-predicted by the non-threshold model. Since the original model did not take the fatigue threshold into account, this model predicted no operating stress below which the material would effectively undergo fatigue crack growth. Because of an over-prediction of the growth rate below 1 × 10 −11 m/s, due to a combination of low stress, small crack size and long rise-time, the model in general leads to an under-prediction of the total available life of the components.
Forest farming of wine-cap Stropharia mushrooms

Cultivation of the wine-cap Stropharia mushroom (Stropharia rugoso-annulata Farlow ex. Murrill) has potential as a forest farming practice in agroforestry. Two outdoor cultivation experiments were established in central Missouri during 2006. We examined Stropharia production in response to two substrate/casing systems: (1) an uncased mixture of lightly composted poplar wood chips and soil, without casing; and (2) leached and partially fermented wheat straw cased with the same chip/soil mixture. We also examined the effect of soil contact (presence/absence of water-permeable fabric), and inoculation season (mid versus late summer) over two field seasons. Mushroom production during both seasons (2006 and 2007) was greater from the straw/chips system than from the wood chip system. The use of ground-cover fabric did not enhance mushroom production. Further research is needed to determine the most productive dimensions of cultivation beds, to evaluate alternative casing methods, and to explore the possibility of cultivation bed renewal with fresh substrate.
Vimentin: A Novel Chemopreventive Target for Breast Cancer Metastasis.

Background: Cancer metastasis is the major cause of death in nearly all tumor types; however, most treatments target the primary tumor and not the highly invasive metastatic cells. We propose to prevent cancer metastasis by precisely targeting the cancer invasion machinery. To do this we disrupt a novel target-the vimentin cytoskeleton. Vimentin is overexpressed in nearly all invasive solid tumors and is critical for cell migration. Here we show that Withania sominifera root extracts (WRE) and one of its primary constituent, Withaferin A (WFA), targets vimentin to inhibit cancer cell motility and migration while having negligible effects on viability. WFA is a steroidal natural product with 4-rings (A-D) connected to a lactone ring. We test the hypothesis that WFA is an anti-invasive compound that disrupts vimentin function with limited toxicity.Material and Methods : We employ cutting-edge live cell confocal imaging studies in combination with traditional molecular biology techniques to dissect the precise mechanism of how WRE or WFA inhibits cancer cell migration and invasion. We have employed a wounding model and Matrigel invasion assay to determine the anti-migratory and anti-invasive properties of WRE and WFA using MDAMB-231 cells. We have used GFP-vimentin to visualize the changes in vimentin dynamics. Effect of WRE and WFA on cell cycle was analyzed by Flow cytometry.Results: Our results show WFA has weak anti-proliferative activity at low concentrations but potently inhibits breast cancer migration and invasion in a dose-dependent manner. High resolution confocal images reveal that in WFA-treated cells, vimentin fails to invade the lamellipodia resulting in decreased cell migration. This is supported by live cell confocal imaging showing that at high doses WFA treatment depolymerizes GFP: vimentin. Furthermore, treatment with WFA results in aberrant vimentin phosphorylation, likely resulting in a net depolymerized phenotype. In order to determine if the vimentin-binding A ring of WFA is critical for its anti-invasive efficacy, we synthesized and tested A-ring modified analogs of WFA. All three analogs showed severely reduced potency in inhibiting cancer cell migration and invasion, suggesting that the A ring is critical for its anti-invasive activity.Discussion: The present study shows that WRE or WFA inhibits breast cancer cell migration at nanomolar concentrations by disrupting vimentin at concentrations that have minimal effect on proliferation. We believe its strong anti-migratory activity make this an appropriate compound as an anti-metastatic chemopreventative. Ultimately, we envision WFA can be used as a vimentin-targeting chemopreventative in high-risk metastatic patients and has the potential to be used with traditional cytotoxics. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 5063.
Biochemical components of pear psylla and their relative toxicity to excised bean plants

Abstract Water extracts of the insect Psylla pyricola Foerster caused wilting and necrosis of excised bean shoots. Using paper chromatographic techniques and bean as the test plant, the toxicity of the chemical components of the wate extracts of pear psylla were determined. Four compounds were found to be injurious to bean. These consisted of a u.v. fluorescing phenol and three u.v. absorbers having purine-like properties. The relative toxicities of twenty-eight known purine and pyrimidine derivatives were also determined; none of which was identical to the three unknown components of psylla extracts. Adenine and dimethyl adenine partially counteracted the toxicity of psylla extracts.
Endocannabinoids and Their Receptors as Targets for Obesity Therapy

As the incidence of obesity continues to increase, the development of effective therapies is a high priority. The endocannabinoid system has emerged as an important influence on the regulation of energy homeostasis. The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol act on cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1) in the brain and many peripheral tissues causing a net anabolic action. This includes increasing food intake, and causing increased lipogenesis and fat storage in adipose tissue and liver. The endocannabinoid system is hyperactive in obese humans and animals, and treating them with CB1 antagonists causes weight loss and improved lipid and glucose profiles. Although clinical trials with CB1 antagonists have yielded beneficial metabolic effects, concerns about negative affect have limited the therapeutic potential of the first class of CB1 antagonists available.
Child‐Rearing Practices Associated with Aggression in Youth with and without ADHD: An Exploratory Study

Although parental behaviour and attitudes have been assessed for their contribution to disordered child behaviour, little research has examined child‐rearing practices. Child‐rearing practices may be more amenable to change than attitudes, while being more inclusive than specific behaviour. This study assessed child‐rearing practices and attitudes of parents of youth with hyperactivity. Twenty‐seven children, aged 7 to 11, were placed in either a hyperactive, hyperactive‐aggressive, or comparison group based on behavioural ratings. A home visit was made for the purposes of administering questionnaires to parents and observing a peer play interaction. Overall, we found that mothers of youth with hyperactivity were using more consequences (time outs, reasoning, and taking away privileges) than comparisons; whereas fathers reported greater incidence of allowing free‐reign in their child‐rearing than comparison fathers. Additionally, mothers of normal comparison youth were more overprotective than mothers of ...
Cache performance of operating system and multiprogramming workloads

Large caches are necessary in current high-performance computer systems to provide the required high memory bandwidth. Because a small decrease in cache performance can result in significant system performance degradation, accurately characterizing the performance of large caches is important. Although measurements on actual systems have shown that operating systems and multiprogramming can affect cache performance, previous studies have not focused on these effects. We have developed a program tracing technique called ATUM (Address Tracing Using Microcode) that captures realistic traces of multitasking workloads including the operating system. Examining cache behavior using these traces from a VAX processor shows that both the operating system and multiprogramming activity significantly degrade cache performance, with an even greater proportional impact on large caches. From a careful analysis of the causes of this degradation, we explore various techniques to reduce this loss. While seemingly little can be done to mitigate the effect of system references, multitasking cache miss activity can be substantially reduced with small hardware additions.
Sequential fractionation of grape seeds into oils, polyphenols, and procyanidins via a single system employing CO2-based fluids.

Pure supercritical CO2 was used to remove >95% of the oil from the grape seeds. Subcritical CO2 modified with methanol was used for the extraction of monomeric polyphenols, whereas pure methanol was used for the extraction of polyphenolic dimers/trimers and procyanidins from grape seed. At optimum conditions, 40% methanol-modified CO2 removed >79% of catechin and epicatechin from the grape seed. This extract was light yellow in color, and no higher molecular weight procyanidins were detected. Extraction of the same sample after removal of the oils and polyphenols, but now under enhanced solvent extraction conditions using methanol as a solvent, provided a dark red solution shown via electrospray ionization HPLC-MS to contain a relatively high concentration of procyanidins. The uniqueness of the study is attested to by the use of CO2-based fluids and the employment of a single instrumental extraction system. Keywords: Grape seed; supercritical fluid; extracts; polyphenols; procyanidins
Differential display identifies neuroendocrine-specific protein-A (NSP-A) and interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) as ethanol-responsive genes in the fetal rat brain

Abstract Fetal alcohol exposure is the most common nonhereditary cause of mental retardation in the western world. Rats prenatally treated with ethanol liquid diet exhibit extensive defects in the brain that accurately model those observed in humans. To analyze the ethanol effects on gene expression during brain development, we performed mRNA differential display and two-dimensional electrophoresis on gestational day (G) 13 and G16 brain from rats treated with ethanol liquid diet. Using mRNA differential display followed by a variety of quantitative analyses, three genes were confirmed to be ethanol-responsive. Among them was Neuroendocrine-Specific Protein-A (NSP-A), which is known to be affected by thyroid hormone in the cortex at this developmental time. However, two additional genes known to be thyroid hormone-responsive were unaffected by ethanol, indicating that interference with thyroid hormone action may not be a predominant pathway by which alcohol induces damage in the fetal brain. The observation that interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) is up-regulated in ethanol-treated fetal brain may indicate the presence of a disease process recruiting CD8+ T-cells capable of interfering with myelination. The result of two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis and Western analyses demonstrated that few changes in the abundance of individual proteins or the phosphorylation of proteins at threonine and tyrosine were induced by prenatal ethanol exposure. A critical analysis of the approaches used in the present study may be important for future studies in this field.
Where are the hottest spots on Earth

The location of the hottest spot on the Earth's surface has long been a source of interest and curiosity. With images of blazing desert landscapes, several places have proudly claimed the title of ‘hottest place on Earth.’ Death Valley, California, the hottest place in North America, held the world record air temperature of 56.7°C from 1913 to 1922, until the current world record air temperature of 58.0°C was recorded in 1922 in El Azizia, Libya. Until recently, only point-based air temperature measurements in scattered locations were available to researchers trying to understand maximum temperatures. This incomplete picture, based largely on the locations of weather stations, clearly suggested that hotter air temperatures were occurring, but measurements on the scale needed to locate the hottest place simply were not practical.
Egalitarian Responses in Postcommunist Russia

Postcommunist societies in Russia, the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe present a profound paradox. Although the collapse of communism has generally been accompanied by the rapid erosion of social welfare provisions and the retreat of the state from its protective and redistributionist role, postcommunist societies have shown little inclination toward the mobilization of egalitarian movements. While salaries have stagnated and income inequities and wage arrears have increased in leaps and bounds, state provision of health and child care, maternity benefits, pensions and higher education has plummeted in the postcommunist world. Paradoxically, those people most negatively affected by these changes have remained largely quiet and apparently quiescent. In postcommunist Russia and Eastern Europe, labor movements are typically weak, fragmented and disorganized, women’s movements barely discernible, and human rights movements all but dead. Given the immense erosion of the state’s protective role and the obvious threat to egalitarian principles posed by postcommunist transitions, why have workers, women and other aggrieved groups failed to organize in opposition to the state?
Lithium inclusion in indium metal-organic frameworks showing increased surface area and hydrogen adsorption

Investigation of counterion exchange in two anionic In-Metal-Organic Frameworks (In-MOFs) showed that partial replacement of disordered ammonium cations was achieved through the pre-synthetic addition of LiOH to the reaction mixture. This resulted in a surface area increase of over 1600% in {Li [In(1,3 − BDC)2]}n and enhancement of the H2 uptake of approximately 275% at 80 000 Pa at 77 K. This method resulted in frameworks with permanent lithium content after repeated solvent exchange as confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Lithium counterion replacement appears to increase porosity after activation through replacement of bulkier, softer counterions and demonstrates tuning of pore size and properties in MOFs.
Social indicators for measuring residential satisfaction in marginal settlements in Costa Rica

The realization is growing among housing professionals, policymakers, and planners that the succ?s of housing programs, either in the United States or abroad, cannot be measured merely in terms of the number of units supplied. Along with providing housing units we must also aim to provide a suitable living environment that meets certain basic requirements in terms of location, safety, services, and social organization. Such a goal, however, is easier to state than to accomplish. While it is possible to construct a given number of housing units, it is another matter to construct 'residential satisfaction'. This cannot be done with bricks and
Iatrogenic Effects of Group Treatment on Adolescents with Conduct and Substance Use Problems: A Review of the Literature and a Presentation of a Model

Abstract Group therapy is the most popular approach in the treatment of adolescent substance use problems. Recently, concerns have mounted about possible iatrogenic effects of group therapy based on studies on adolescents with conduct disorder. This paper reviews three possible contributors to response to group treatment among adolescents, and proposes a model of the relations among these variables, specifically in regard to how they independently and interactively contribute to outcomes among youth with conduct and substance use problems.
New Method to Produce High-Quality Epitaxial Ge on Si Using SiO2-Lined Etch Pits and Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth for III-V Integration

Integrating a high-quality layer of epitaxial Ge on Si has been a longstanding engineering challenge, despite its technological importance. The applications of Ge-on-Si include high-mobility field-effect transistors, ‘virtual substrates’ for III-V multijunction solar cells, and optical interconnects monolithically integrated with Si-based circuitry. The primary difficulties in achieving Ge films of sufficient quality stem from the lattice mismatch that leads to a large density (> 10 cm) of threading dislocations (TDs) and the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between Ge and Si that leads to microcracks or delamination of Ge film upon cooling from growth to room temperature.
Growth Hormone, Thyroxine, and Triiodothyronine Levels of Japanese Quail Selected for Four-Week Body Weight

Abstract Plasma growth hormone (GH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) levels were compared in four lines of Japanese quail (C,P,T, and S) from 1 to 4 weeks of age in two experiments. Lines P and T were derived from line C by 59 generations of selection for high 4-week body weight. Line P was selected under the same nutritional regimen as line C (28% protein) while line T was selected under a restricted protein (20%) ration containing .2% thiouracil. Line S was developed as a subline from T by continuing the thiouracil stress but with the birds on 28% protein ration. Marked differences in body weight have resulted with C line birds being lightest followed by T, S, and P, line birds, respectively. There were significant line, age, and experiment differences in GH. Levels decreased with age in all lines. The GH levels of the largest and smallest (P and C) lines were higher than those of the intermediate-sized birds at 1 and 2 weeks of age but not thereafter. Levels of T3 decreased with age in Experiment 1, but in Experiment 2 they increased from 1 to 2 weeks and declined thereafter. In general, T3 levels of all three selected lines were lower than the control line with S and T being lowest and P intermediate. At 1 week of age, however, T3 levels of the T line tended to be higher than those of the other two selected lines. Levels of T4 increased with age. The largest line (P) had the lowest T4 levels and the S line had the highest. Thyroxine levels in the C line were intermediate between the P and S line, while those of the T line vacillated from age to age in no apparent pattern.
Spectroscopic and Kinetic Properties of the Radical Zwitterion and Related Intermediates in the One-Electron Oxidation of p-Aminobenzoic Acid†

The time-resolved resonance Raman spectra and acid−base properties of the transient prepared on the submicrosecond time scale by N3• oxidation of aqueous p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) in near-neutral solutions identify it as the charge-neutral 4--O2C-aniline•+ radical. This zwitterion intermediate undergoes slow thermal dissociation (k ∼ 2.4 × 103 s-1) by intramolecular electron transfer and CO2 elimination. It reacts with common bases, such as OH-, N3-, and HPO42- ions, at the rate constants of 1.9 × 1010, 2.7 × 106, and 2.2 × 108 M-1 s-1, respectively, and converts into the nondissociative anilino radical form (pKa 6.7). In the •OH oxidation, formation of the zwitterion radical occurs via OH adducts (hydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals) of p-aminobenzoate anion, at a rate of 1.4 × 105 s-1 which is independent of the base concentration. In strongly acidic solutions the OH adduct of p-aminobenzoic acid reacts with H+, at a rate constant of 4.7 × 108 M-1 s-1, to form the 4-HO2C-aniline cation radical (pKa 1.1). T...
Controls on trace elements in the Ordovician Black River Group, New York, U.S.A.

Abstract Sixty carbonate samples were selected from a collection representing a 39-m vertical profile in the transgressive sequence of the Middle Ordovician Black River Group, New York, U.S.A. Twenty samples from each of three paleoenvironments, classified on petrographic evidence, were analyzed for Ca, Mg, Sr, Mn, Fe, Na and K by atomic absorption spectrometry. The paleoenvironments, supratidal, intertidal and subtidal, cannot be distinguished from one another by any of the elements determined in this study; however, dolomite and insoluble residue contents are generally higher in supratidal samples. Portrayal of the chemical analyses as concentrations normalized with respect to mole % dolomite and wt. % insoluble residue reveal patterns of distribution suggestive of paleoenvironmental control. Multiple regression analysis reveals that these patterns account for a statistically insignificant portion of chemical variance and, therefore, probably cannot be used as environmental indicators. The results do indicate significant differences in diagenetic mobility of the trace elements; their order of relative mobility (Mn > Fe > Sr > K, Na) is identical to that for typical brine/seawater enrichment ratios.
Accounting standard attributes and accounting quality: Discussion and analysis

Abstract We explore accounting quality attributes of 19 general-purpose accounting standards implemented over the past thirty years to increase our understanding of the US standard-setting process in terms of improving accounting quality and the principles vs. rules-based debate. Our study is timely given recent criticism of US standard setting. Evidence on how US accounting standards may impact accounting quality helps evaluate the overall standard-setting process. Our analysis of the accounting standards suggests that the standards contain both principle- and rule-based features. We also perform an analysis of the impact on earnings management (an indication of accounting quality). We find that earnings management indicators decrease following new standards implemented over this time period. These results are consistent with FASB’s increasing focus on the balance sheet and enhanced disclosures in implementing standards during this period. Our findings, based on existing standards, can be used to assess the merits of US standard setting and to evaluate proposals on the direction of future standard setting.
The mammalian homolog of the frog type II selenodeiodinase does not encode a functional enzyme in the rat.

Type II iodothyronine deiodinase is a short-lived, membrane-bound enzyme found in rat brain, brown adipose tissue, and cAMP-stimulated astrocytes. Recently, a full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding a 30-kDa, type II-like selenodeiodinase was cloned from frog, and a homologous partial cDNA (rBAT 1.1), containing two in-frame selenocysteine codons (UGA), was isolated from rat brown adipose tissue. Importantly, the rBAT 1.1 cDNA was derived from a 7.5-kb messenger RNA (mRNA) and did not encode a functional selenoenzyne unless an enabling selenocysteine insertion sequence was appended to the presumed coding region and this cDNA. In this study we determined whether the native 7.5-kb SeD2 mRNA in rat tissues programmed the synthesis of the native type II deiodinase using specific antibodies that were raised against the C-terminus of full-length, 30-kDa SeD2 protein and against the catalytic core of SeD2. Direct analysis of the translation products programmed by the native SeD2 mRNA in cAMP-stimulated ast...
NMR test of McMillan's concept of discommensurations in 2 H − T a Se 2

We have studied the $^{77}\mathrm{Se}$ NMR in a single-crystal sample of $2H\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{a}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ to test McMillan's proposal regarding incommensurate charge-density waves (CDW). We compare the temperature dependence of the NMR line shape from 4.2 to 130 K with predictions based on McMillan's proposal and the theory which preceded McMillan's proposal. We confirm McMillan's hypothesis of "discommensurations"---that the incommensurate CDW is best described by commensurate regions separated by regions of phase slip. In addition we derive amplitude and phase information for the commensurate and incommensurate CDW in $2H\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{a}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ and make a detailed comparison with the neutron-diffraction results of Moncton et al. We also find a change in the phase angle of the CDW at a Ta site between 30 and 60 K and an anomaly in the sample resistance near 40 K.
Hunger and Food Commodities on Montana's Seven Indian Reservations

Abstract The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) is an alternative to the Food Stamp program on Montana's seven Indian reservations. FDPIR is the main anti-hunger program on these reservations which have poverty rates, on averagc, that are three times higher than the state average. of the 1, 356 FDPIR households studied on the seven rescrvations, 56% have experienced hunger, as measured on a five-item index. Six out of 10 households rely on FDPIR as their main or only source of food. Any reductions in FDPIR that might result from federal welfare reform initiatives will cause increases in hunger on all reservations, especially among families with young children.
Association of Marginal Folate Depletion With Increased Human Chromosomal Damage In Vivo: Demonstration by Analysis of Micronucleated Erythrocytes

Recent studies have demonstrated that in the absence of spleen function, frequencies of micronuclei (Howell-Jolly bodies) in peripheral blood rbcs can be used to measure in vivo cytogenetic damage. Among 20 subjects studied greater than or equal to 6 months after splenectomy, 1 had a frequency of micronucleated rbcs more than an order of magnitude higher than rates for the others. Initial data suggested that this subject was mildly folate-depleted, and a therapeutic trial with folate rapidly reduced the frequency of micronucleated rbcs to normal values. These observations suggest a need to evaluate further the contribution of mild levels of folate depletion to spontaneous chromosomal damage. The approach used here provides a sensitive index of clastogenic damage and offers unique opportunities for investigating the determinants of cytogenetic damage in humans.
Estradiol impairs hypothalamic molecular responses to hypoglycemia

In rats and humans estradiol attenuates neuroendocrine responses to hypoglycemia. Since neuroendocrine responses to hypoglycemia are mediated by hypothalamic neurons, we assessed if estradiol attenuates hypoglycemia-induced gene expression in the hypothalamus in female ovariectomized mice. As expected, estradiol-implanted ovariectomized mice exhibited increased plasma estradiol, increased uterine weight, decreased body weight, decreased visceral adiposity, and enhanced glucose tolerance with decreased plasma insulin. Estradiol-implanted mice exhibited attenuated hypoglycemia-induced gene expression of both glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) and inhibitor of kappa beta signaling (IκB) in the hypothalamus but not in the liver. Estradiol also attenuated hypoglycemia-induced plasma glucagon, pituitary proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and adrenal c-fos, consistent with impaired counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia. In addition, estradiol inhibited hypothalamic expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT1a and CPT1c) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), effects that would be expected to enhance the accumulation of long-chain fatty acids and glycolysis. Taken together, these findings suggest hypothalamic mechanisms mediating attenuation of hypoglycemia-induced neuroendocrine responses.
Should Endangered Species Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights for Listed Species

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is America's strongest environmental law. Its citizen-suit provision—permitting “any person” whomsoever to sue on behalf of a threatened or endangered species—awards implicit intrinsic value, de facto standing, and operational legal rights (sensu Christopher D. Stone) to listed species. Accordingly, some cases had gone forward in the federal courts in the name of various listed species between 1979 (Palila v. Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources) and 2004 (Cetacean Community v. Bush), when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that animals could not sue in their own name. Because the Supreme Court has interpreted its habitat destruction as the “taking” of a listed species, some have argued that enforcement of the ESA's critical-habitat-protection provision is a “regulatory taking” of private property without just compensation, contrary to the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. The courts have not agreed. The ESA citizen-suit provision appears to waive federal-court standing requirements devolved from Article III of the U.S. Constitution, creating much confusion and mutually contradictory rulings. A series of cases (culminating with Bennett v. Spear) reconciles the ESA's citizen-suit provision with the particularized and concrete “injury-in-fact” standing requirements devolved from Article III.