cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of striatal [11C]cocaine binding to decreases in synaptic dopamine

We have previously shown that tracer concentrations of [11C]cocaine binding to the dopamine transporter (DAT) in human and baboon striatum can be visualized using positron emission tomography (PET). To determine whether the concentration of dopamine normally present in the synaptic cleft can compete with [11C]cocaine for transporter binding sites, we conducted baboon PET studies with drugs (sodium 4-hydroxybutyrate, four studies, 200 mg/kg gamma-vinylGABA, three studies, 300 mg/kg and citalopram, three studies, 2 mgkg) expected to decrease synaptic dopamine. Each study involved two [11C]cocaine injections and PET scans separated by 2-4 h, with drug administration after the first injection, and without movement of the subject between scans. Time-activity data from striatum and from cerebellum were used with the arterial plasma input function to determine graphically by Logan plotting [11C]cocaine distribution volumes for the brain regions. Specific binding of [11C]cocaine to DAT in striatum was calculated as the distribution volume ratio (DVR) for striatum and cerebellum. In nine of the ten studies drug treatment produced a small increase in DVR (range, 1-ll%), and in seven of these studies the increase was >7%. The mean increase was 6.2 ± 4.1%. The reproducibility of the DVR measure was assessed by comparing [11C]cocaine studies conducted without pharmacological treatments using individual baboons on separate days, and thus involving possible repositioning errors, as well as long-term changes in the state of the striatal dopamine system. For four individual baboons with three or four studies per animal the mean (±s.d.) values of DVR were 1.73 ± 0.03, 1.39 ± 0.03, 1.53 ± 0.06, and 1.54 ± 0.12. The maximum differences between baseline DVRs, expressed as percentage of the lowest value, were 5%, 5%, 9%, and 20%. For two other baboons with two studies each, the between study differences were 1% and 9%. Thus within-subject variability was quite low, even with repositioning. The results suggest that [11C]cocaine binding to the DAT is sensitive to pharmacological alterations in the concentration of synaptic dopamine. However, the sensitivity of [11C]cocaine to dopamine-depletion is less than that of the D2 receptor radioligand [11C]raclopride, in agreement with literature in vitro binding studies, and is unlikely to be a serious issue in PET evaluations of DAT density. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Automated scoring of multiprobe FISH in human spermatozoa

In the case of chromosomal aneuploidy in sperm wherein the incident rate is low and a large number of cells require scoring, automated methods that rely on computer software to segment and to count fluorescence signals are particularly necessary due to countless hours spent in reading slides and to the potential for interoperator differences. The purpose of this pilot experiment was to determine whether there were significant differences in the estimates of disomy frequency produced by automated versus manual scoring of signals for chromosome X, Y, and 18 in human sperm. The frequency of X18, Y18, XX18, YY18, and XY18 were determined in four separate normozoospermic samples. Slides were hybridized using a standard sperm FISH protocol for centromere-specific probes. Between 500 and 564, DAPI positive nuclei were captured from each sample and scored using the automated system, and the same slides were scored by a trained cytogeneticist, who was blind to the purpose of the study and the automated system results. None of the estimated frequencies was significantly different between manual and automated methods, regardless of whether individual slides or pooled results across all samples were compared. To our knowledge, this is the first report examining the validity of automated cell scoring in human spermatozoa. The results from this pilot exploration of sperm FISH suggest the comparability between automated and manual methods for estimating sex chromosome disomy and provide evidence that automated laser scanning of multiprobe sperm FISH should be explored further. ' 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology
TOXCAT: A measure of transmembrane helix association in a biological membrane

The noncovalent association of transmembrane α-helices is a fundamental event in the folding of helical membrane proteins. In this work, a system (TOXCAT) is developed for the study of transmembrane helix–helix oligomerization in a natural membrane environment. This assay uses a chimeric construct composed of the N-terminal DNA binding domain of ToxR (a dimerization-dependent transcriptional activator) fused to a transmembrane domain (tm) of interest and a monomeric periplasmic anchor (the maltose binding protein). Association of the tms results in the ToxR-mediated activation of a reporter gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). The level of CAT expression indicates the strength of tm association. The assay distinguishes between a known dimerizing tm and a mutant in which dimerization is disrupted. In addition, modulation of the chimera concentration shows that the dimerization exhibits concentration dependence in membranes. TOXCAT also is used to select oligomeric tms from a library of randomized sequences, demonstrating the potential of this system to reveal novel oligomerization motifs. The TOXCAT system has been used to investigate glycophorin A tm-mediated dimerization. Although the overall sensitivity of glycophorin A tm dimerization to mutagenesis is found to be similar in membranes and in detergent micelles, several significant differences exist. Mutations to polar residues, which are generally disruptive in SDS, exhibit sequence specificity in membranes, demonstrating both the limitations of detergent micelles and the wider range of application of the TOXCAT system.
Water-Yield Relationships for Irrigated and Dryland Wheat in the U.S. Southern Plains

A climate with high evaporative demand and limited precipitation restrict yields of winter wheat (Tritium aestivum L.) grown in the semi-arid U.S. southern High Plains. Stress effects can be avoided or minimized by management practices that increase soil water storage at planting or by application of irrigation water. We analyzed a 178 crop-year database of irrigated and dryland wheat data from Bushland, TX, to develop relationships that define the grain yield and water-use efficiency (WUE) response to a wide range in seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) associated with water deficits and to evaluate yield response to stored soil water at planting. The ET-grain yield relationship was determined as linear, with a regression slope of 1.22 kg grain per m 3 ET above the ET threshold of 208 mm required to initiate grain yield. Maximum yields (>7.0 Mg ha −1 ) required 650 to 800 mm seasonal ET. Maximum yields observed in the combined database were 2.8 and 8.2 Mg ha −1 for dryland and irrigated wheat, respectively. The linear regression response of grain yield to soil water stored at planting, 1.57 kg m −3 , was significantly higher than the yield response to seasonal ET. Largely similar WUE values occurred over a wide range of seasonal ET within irrigated and dryland data sets; however, WUE values for irrigated wheat averaged about double the values for dryland wheat. A curvilinear relationship determined between WUE and yield emphasizes the importance of obtaning high yields for efficient water use
Six new mutations in the ornithine transcarbamylase gene detected by single-strand conformational polymorphism.

Six New Mutations in the Ornithine Transcarbamylase Gene Detected by Single-Strand Conformational Polymorphism
CONTRASTING NATURAL EXPERIMENTS CONFIRM COMPETITION BETWEEN HOUSE FINCHES AND HOUSE SPARROWS

After House Finches were introduced from the western to the eastern United States and rapidly increased in numbers, House Sparrows declined, leading to suggestions that the decline was caused by interspecific competition. However, other potential causes were not excluded. The rapid decline in House Finches following the emergence of a new disease (mycoplasmal conjunctivitis) caused by a novel strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) in 1994 has provided a natural experiment and an opportunity to revisit the hypothesis that interspecific competition from House Finches drives population changes in House Sparrows. If true, the recent decline in House Finches should lead to an increase in House Sparrows. In this paper we test the hypothesis that House Sparrow and House Finch numbers in the northeastern United States vary inversely by examining data from three independent volunteer programs that monitor bird species' abundance and distribution (Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and Breeding Bird Survey). In the first analysis we found that House Sparrow and House Finch numbers varied inversely during a time interval when House Finches were increasing and a time interval when House Finches were decreasing. In the second analysis, we found that the rates of geometric change in House Sparrow abundance (ln(HOSPtþ1/HOSPt)) were negatively correlated with initial House Finch (HOFIt) and sparrow (HOSPt) abundances at individual sites, irrespective of the time period. Given that finch range expansion and subsequent declines in abundance are the result of two very different phenomena, it would be very unlikely for apparent competition or spurious correlations to cause the observed concomitant changes in House Sparrow abundance. We conclude that interspecific competition exists between these two species.
On the performance and limitations of a dual threshold discriminator pixel readout circuit for LHC

The analog frontend of pixel readout electronics with dual threshold discriminator scheme has been measured extensively to determine the conditions for optimum performance as well as the circuits performance limitations. The preamplifier shows a peaking time of 20 ns without capacitive load, which degrades to only 30 ns with a load of 350 fE The LEVEL-discriminator has an adjustable threshold in the range of 2000 to 6000 e/sup -/ with a variable separation to the TIME-discriminator threshold of 800 to 1600e/sup -/. The circuit allows the full suppression of out-of-time signals under the conditions of 350 fF capacitive load and a total power consumption of 40 /spl mu/W per cell. The untuned threshold dispersion is measured to be 320 e/sup -/ r.m.s., which reduces to 70 e/sup -/ r.m.s, after threshold adjust. The overall noise of the circuit reaches a value of about 200 e/sup -/ r.m.s. With 350 fF capacitive load and 20 nA of parallel current at the preamplifier input. Further measurements characterize the time-over-threshold (TOT) behaviour and the double-pulse resolution of the circuit.
A tale of two rivers

The Mississippi River is the largest and economically most important river in North America. It drains 40% of the conterminous United States, and like most of the world’s major rivers, it has been substantially altered by centuries of wholesale land-use conversion, urbanization, and hydrological modification. Those changes are manifest in seriously impaired water quality along many of its reaches and an everwidening zone of bottom-water hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico, where it discharges to the ocean (Rabalais et al. 2002). At the other end of the Mississippi drainage system, some 850 river-kilometers from its headwaters in northern Minnesota, lies the confluence of two contrasting tributaries that in many ways epitomize the changes that the Mississippi has undergone (Fig. 1). One is the main-stem of the Mississippi itself, an often turbid and nutrient-rich waterway draining nearly half of the state of Minnesota (100,000 km) including the large urban centers of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as 28,000 km of row-crop agriculture in the southern half of the state. The other is the St. Croix River, a major tributary draining 22,000 km of eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, renowned for its high water quality and biological diversity, and one of the eight original US waterways included under the 1968 National Wild and Scenic River Act. While the St. Croix is often cited as a pristine example of what the conjoining Mississippi and other north-temperate rivers may have looked like prior to Euro-American settlement, the truth is that water quality in both rivers is impaired, though the Mississippi clearly more so than the St. Croix. Both rivers suffer from an apparent excess of phosphorus and the Mississippi from high levels of suspended solids (turbidity). Major efforts are now underway to identify the various sources of impairment and to create longterm plans for reducing nutrient and sediment loads to the rivers. Such plans are technically known in the US as TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Load). While such reduction goals are based largely on eco-region water-quality standards (as well as achievability), they require at their core an understanding of natural (background) loads such as might have occurred prior to Euro-American settlement. For most major rivers, an assessment of background conditions would be based on some type of watershed-runoff model or comparison to so-called ‘‘reference’’ systems thought to be minimally altered by human activity (e.g. Smith et al. 2003)––with all the uncertainty associated with such approaches. However, by fortunate ‘‘accident’’ This editorial is the introduction to a series of eight papers dedicated to the ‘‘Recent Environmental History of the Upper Mississippi River’’ published in this special issue of the Journal of Paleolimnology. D.R. Engstrom served as guest editor of the special issue.
Dynamic data as deterrent to the tracker

Security measures in small and personal computer systems are exacerbated by the limited resources available. Inference of information from databases on any system is one security concern which involves breaches by authorized users of the system. One class of intrusion tools known as trackers has been extensively studied and several deterrent methods created. Most such deterrents, however, are not feasible solutions to the inference breach on small or personal computer systems because of the large amount of resource required to implement them. Natural or artificial dynamism of the contents of the database does provide a deterrent to trackers. This paper reports a study on the quantification of the deterrent value of making changes to records in a database against compromise with the general tracker. Information on the deterrent value of increasing the frequency of change, the number of attributes in the records, and the number of records in the database can provide a useful management tool to managers of small computers and networked PCs.
A Bio‐Informational Theory of Emotional Imagery

A theory of emotional imagery is described which conceives the image in the brain to be a conceptual network, controlling specific somatovisceral patterns, and constituting a prototype for overt behavioral expression. Evidence for the hypothesis that differentiated efferent activity is associated with type and content of imaginal activity is considered. Recent work in cognitive psychology is described, which treats both the generation of sensory imagery and text comprehension and storage as examples of the processing of propositional information. A similar propositional analysis is applied to emotional imagery as it is employed in the therapeutic context. Experiments prompted by this view show that the conceptual structure of the image and its associated efferent outflow can be modified directly through instructions and through shaping of reports of image experience. The implications of the theory for psychopathology are considered, as well as its relevance to therapeutic behavior change.
Investigation of the surface of a polymeric adsorbent with pyrene as a fluorescence probe

Abstract Pyrene was used as a fluorescence probe to study the surface and pyrene/surface interactions which occur on a polypropylene adsorbent. The surface interaction between this adsorbent and pyrene was found to be very similar to that found for pyrene in hydrocarbon solvents. In contrast to the surfaces of other types of adsorbents, the polypropylene surface presents an energetically homogeneous surface to adsorbing molecules. Consequently, adsorption takes place essentially randomly as opposed to being associated with activated sites.
A quantitative electromyographic index that is independent of the force of contraction.

Abstract Quantitative EMG has been used to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of myopathy. Equipment is available commercially that utilizes the Wilson method of quantification, but the technique has not been widely used because of the necessity of measuring muscle contraction force. An analysis of the basic parameters of the Willison method of quantification was performed for forces of 10, 20, 40 and 60% of maximum for 16 normal subjects for the deltoid muscle. An index was derived from the basic parameters that is independent of the force of contraction. The index is a standardized value for turns/sec expressed as a logarithm. The index has a mean of 1.171 with a standard error of 0.059 for a sample size of 10 muscle sites. Quantitative EMG can be utilized in routine clinical examinations by applying mild to moderate resisting forces to patients, and the proposed index can be determined graphically. The force applied to patients can be maintained within the range of the forces investigated by estimating the force of contraction, evaluating patient effort the force of contraction, evaluating patient effort and fatigue, and monitoring the parameter of total amplitude per second.
Isotopic biogeochemistry of dissolved organic nitrogen: A new technique and application

Abstract We present a new technique for isolating and isotopically characterizing dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) for non-marine waters, δ15N values for DON from lacustrine samples and data suggesting that this technique will be applicable to marine samples. Our technique involves preconcentration of DON via rotary evaporation and removal of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) via dialysis using a membrane that retains material above 100 Da. Results demonstrate quantitative removal of DIN, complete recovery of DON (95% or greater) and retention of isotopic integrity (isotope effect less than 0.4‰) for a solution containing a DON standard (tripeptide) and DIN in deionized water. Reproducibility of carbon and nitrogen isotope values and elemental concentrations is demonstrated for DOM from Chefswet Basin, Lake Superior and Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan. The applicability of this technique to marine samples is suggested by demonstrating 99% removal of DIN from a sample of Gulf Stream water amended with ammonium and nitrate.
Ex-vivo tissue classification of cell surface receptor concentrations using kinetic modeling

One of the major challenges in the complete resection of cancer is the difficulty of distinctly classifying tumor and healthy tissue. This paper investigates the capability of competing kinetic modeling approaches for identifying different tissue types based on differential cell-surface receptor expressions. These approaches require fresh resected tissues to be stained with a mixture of two probes: one targeted to a cancer specific cell-surface receptor, and another left “untargeted” to account for nonspecific retention of the targeted agent, with subsequent repeated rinsing and imaging of the probe concentrations. Analysis of the results were carried out in simulations and in animal experiments for the cancer target, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a cell surface receptor overexpressed by many cancers. In the animal experiments, subcutaneous xenografts of human glioma (U251; moderate EGFR) and human epidermoid (A431; high EGFR) tumors, grown in six athymic mice, were excised and stained with an EGFR targeted surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticle (SERS NP) and untargeted SERS NP pair. The salient finding in this study was that significant non-specific retention was observed for the EGFR targeted probe [anti-EGFR antibody labeled with a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticle], but could be corrected for by the equivalent non-specific retention of the untargeted probe (isotype control antibody labeled with a different SERS nanoparticle). Once this non-specific binding was accounted for, the kinetic model was able to predict the expected differences in EGFR concentration among different tissue types: healthy, U251, and A431 in accordance with an ex vivo flow cytometry analysis, successfully classifying different tissue types.
Covalent attachment of oligonucleotides to solid supports

Coupling efficiencies for the covalent attachment of oligonucleotides (17-29 bases in length) to solid supports derivatized with alkyl-amino and -carboxylic functionalities have been determined. Attachment efficiencies of 60-80% were obtained for coated long-chain alkylamino controlled pore glass (CPG) supports. Similar efficiencies of immobilization were observed for carboxyl-bearing supports, which additionally exhibited lower levels of non-covalent binding. The extent of terminally linked oligonucleotide was determined to be 50-55% of the overall attachment in the carbodiimide-mediated coupling reaction of a 5'-aminohexyl phosphoramidate derivative of a 29-mer to Sephacryl carboxyl support. While lower overall efficiencies of attachment were obtained in the reaction with Sephacryl N-hydroxysuccinimide-activated carboxyl support, greater than 80% of this coupling results in end-attached oligonucleotides.
A note on the development of the thermocline in temperate lakes

Abstract An exact solution has been obtained for a non-linear partial differential equation governing the vertical transport of heat in a lake. The equation, derived and analyzed numerically by Sundaram and Rehm (1971, 1973) is based on a balance between thermal buoyany forces and wind induced turbulence. The exact solution displays the qualitative features of the numerical solution and its representation of the seasonal descent of the thermocline is accurate.
Orbitals: Some Fiction and Some Facts

The use of electron orbitals in quantum theory and chemistry is discussed. Common misconceptions are highlighted. Suggestions are made how chemistry educators may describe orbitals in the first and second year college curriculum more accurately without introducing unwanted technicalities. A comparison is made of different ways of graphically representing orbitals. The connection of orbital delocalization and electron delocalization is explained by using graphical representations of canonical and localized molecular orbitals for water, benzene, and linear hexatriene.
The Social Psychology of Reputations for Community Leadership

(1967). The Social Psychology of Reputations for Community Leadership. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 514-530.
Safety of chlorhexidine gluconate used for skin antisepsis in the preterm infant

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is a widely used topical antiseptic that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for skin cleansing before central venous catheter insertion in adults and children. Because of limited safety data, CHG is not recommended for use in children <2 months of age. CHG is, however, frequently used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units across the United States. Here, we will review the safety of CHG use in preterm infants.
Analysis of beam interference reflected from atomic force microscope tip and periodic silicon surface under various humidity conditions

Dynamical sensing based on combination of classical optical effects and atomic force microscopy (AFM) presents challenge for analysis of the forces at the nanoscale and beyond. An interference effect between light reflected from an AFM cantilever and highly reflective silicon surface of the calibration grating was studied for relative humidity (RH) varied between 9 and 60%. Force-distance analysis indicates on separation of capillary, van der Waals, adhesion, and electrostatic forces. The measurements performed in contact AFM mode suggest that the period of interference pattern observed in displacement curves is a function of humidity and varies between 293 nm at RH = 9% and 335 nm at RH > 50% with standard deviation less than 8 nm. Clear change of the interference period suggests that other than hardwarerelated factors may be involved in the formation of the interference in force-distance curves.
On communicative competence…in the field

Abstract For many linguistic anthropologists, fieldwork entails working with and in a language or languages we do not master. However, little has been written on field language communicative competence, the development thereof, or the influence it has on the research questions we ask and how we answer them. I describe ways in which I addressed research challenges posed by limited field language competence, developed communicative competence while engaged in research, and made the two endeavors mutually enriching. I call for further discussion of field language communicative competence and our repertoire of practices for managing and improving limited field language while in the field.
A New Line of Orthomagnetic Bushing-Type Current Transformers

The development of this new line of orthomagnetic bushing-type current transformers makes it possible to obtain the higher classes of metering accuracy, in the lower range of line current ratings, in high-voltage systems. At the same time it is possible to retain the advantage of minimum space, easy installation, dependable operation, and much of the economy of the usual bushing-type current transformer. The multiratio feature incorporated in the design of these transformers will materially facilitate their application on circuits where load conditions may change.
Wavelength sensitivity of Ti:LiNbO3 Mach-Zehnder interferometer

A commercially available broadband (20 GHz) Titanium indiffused Lithium Niobate traveling wave Mach-Zehnder interferometer was evaluated for its wavelength sensitivity. The electrooptic transfer characteristic was measured over the wavelength range between 1500 nm and 1565 nm. Variations of the extinction ratio, intrinsic phase bias and the halfwave voltage were evaluated. Measurements confirmed that the halfwave voltage increases linearly with wavelength and the intrinsic phase bias varies inversely as predicted by theoretical analysis. The extinction ratio was found to remain approximately constant.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Leaching and microbial utilization of dissolved organic carbon from leaves of Spartina alterniflora

Abstract Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is released from Spartina alterniflora leaves into estuarine water which rhythmically inundates the coastal marshes. The carbon added to the DOC pool in the water averages at least 61 kg ha−1 year−1. The organic material released by leaching appears to be readily utilized by microbes.
Rasburicase in the management of tumor lysis: An evidence-based review of its place in therapy

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of cancer therapy characterized by two or more of the following laboratory abnormalities: hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, and hyperphosphatemia, with resultant end-organ damage, eg, renal failure, seizures, or cardiac arrhythmias. High-risk patients include those with highly proliferative cancers and/or large tumor burdens, particularly in the setting of highly effective chemotherapy, among other risk factors. Before 2002, antihyperuricemic drug therapy was limited to allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. Rasburicase, a recombinant urate oxidase, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for children in 2002 and adults in 2009, ushering in a new era in TLS therapy. We attempted to critically appraise the available evidence supporting the perceived benefits of rasburicase in the management of TLS. A Medline search yielded 98 relevant articles, including 26 retrospective and 22 prospective studies of rasburicase for the treatment of TLS, which were then evaluated to determine the best available evidence for the effectiveness of rasburicase in terms of disease-oriented, patient-oriented, and economic outcomes. Rasburicase is now a standard of care for patients at high risk of TLS despite continuing debate on the correlation between its profound and rapid lowering of plasma uric acid levels with hard patient outcomes, eg, need for renal replacement therapy and mortality. Rasburicase is dramatically effective in lowering plasma uric acid levels. The mortality and cost-effectiveness benefits of this expensive drug remain to be conclusively proven, and well designed, randomized controlled trials are needed to answer these fundamentally important questions.
The legend of Lady Godiva and the image of the female body

Lady Godiva freed the city of Coventry from its burdensome tolls by riding naked through the market place. Ostensibly her legend explains how a town gained its freedom from a domineering overlord, yet the means for communicating this new civic identity are through the highly charged images of the female body. Godiva presents a complex and often ambiguous image, the meaning of which is not readily obvious from surviving medieval accounts of the legend. She simultaneously exhibits the seemingly contradictory images of the Virgin Mary, Eve and Mary Magdalene by assuming many of their physical attributes and actions, such as mediation, nudity and long hair. By examining the versions of this legend, and the way that Godiva is presented throughout them, we can see how the people of Coventry articulated their concerns about issues of order and disorder, social control and the function of the city.
On the Optimization of Oversampled DFT Filter Banks

We use the general formula of the synthesis window of the oversampled discrete Fourier transform filter bank in terms of the minimum-norm solution and the null space of the perfect reconstruction condition matrix to optimize the window design. We give closed-form solutions to different optimization criteria, e.g., minimum out-of-band power, minimum quantization-error, and minimum window order
The Distributional Effects of Public Expenditure

It is commonly agreed that economic policies, including budgetary policies, can have potentially strong distributional effects. Traditional economic analysis held that economic policies affected the income distribution primarily through their impact on the rate of growth. More recently, it has come to be recognised that qualitative aspects of economic growth are probably more important than the rate of growth itself. While recent research has confirmed the potential role of expenditure policies as a redistributive tool, it has also shown that redistribution does not necessarily have to come at the expense of economic growth and efficiency. Although there are substantial analytical and technical problems to be faced in the design of equitable and cost-effective public expenditure programmes, unfavourable distributional outcomes of these programmes can usually be traced more to political and institutional pressures than to purely technical factors. Copyright 2000 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd
Nuclear bishydroxylation with peroxydisulfate

Oxidation of 3,3′,4′,7-tetra-O-methylquercelin by alkaline peroxydisulfate gave, in addition to the known 5,8-dihydroxy derivative, a comparable yield of the 5,6,8-trihydroxy compound. It was characterized by complete methylation and by conversion to the corresponding hydroxy and methoxy flavoquinones. Simultaneous introduction of two hydroxyls o- and p- to an existing hydroxyl function can be a potential step-saver in the synthesis of polyphenolic substances.
A comparison of combat's effects on PTSD scores in veterans with high and low moral development

This study was designed to explore the effects of moral development on the relationship between combat intensity and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder. The effect of combat intensity on PTSD Interview total scores and several individual stress disorder symptom ratings was substantial in a Low Moral Development sample, but negligible in a High Moral Development group. These data suggest that moral development may blunt the effect of combat severity on PTSD. These effects were strongest on items that describe reexperiencing of the trauma and exaggerated arousal. Possible interpretations of the results and several caveats were discussed.
Some characteristics of fatigue crack propagation of surface cracks

Abstract Semi-elliptical surface cracks, growing due to cyclic loading of plates, undergo significant shape change during the propagation process. An equation for predicting this shape variation for any combination of tension and bending loading is presented. These growing cracks change their shapes such that they follow preferred propagation patterns (PPPs). These PPPs are determined herein for any combination of tension and bending loading. Some of the main characteristics of the PPP are determined and discussed. It is shown that for a given cyclic loading field, the PPP represents an upper limit on the aspect ratio of any surface crack growing due to this cyclic loading.
Identification and geochemical significance of some aromatic components of coal

Abstract The aromatic fraction of a Homestead, Kentucky, coal extract was analyzed by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using glass capillary columns. The aromatic fraction was further analyzed by gas chromatography using sulfur specific flame photometric detection. Seventy-eight compounds were identified, some of which have been traced to their possible biological origins. Sulfur-containing aromatic compounds are thought to originate from reaction of elemental sulfur or pyrite with hydrocarbons.
Alpha-bungarotoxin binding in cat carotid body

The carotid body is an arterial chemosensory organ which detects changes in blood gas tensions and pH, and reflexly contributes to the cardiorespiratory adjustments which occur during hypoxia, hypercapnia and acidosis. However, the sensory mechanisms involved in carotid chemoreception remain to be elucidated. Morphologically, the carotid body consists of an association of elemental units, or glomeruli, within a connective tissue stroma penetrated by a dense capillary net 5. The glomeruli are comprised of catecholamine-rich type I, or chief cells, which are enveloped by glial-like processes of type II, or sustentacular, cellsa,4,19. Sensory fibers from the carotid sinus nerve penetrate the glomeruli to terminate in synaptic-like apposition on type I cellst,18, 21. Schweitzer and Wright 25 first noted the stimulatory effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on carotid chemoreflexes in the cat, and suggested that this substance might be involved in the generation of chemosensory activity. Later experiments characterized in detail the excitatory potency of ACh and nicotinic agonists on the chemoreceptor discharge from the cat carotid body 7,9,10,24. They showed that cholinergic antagonists abolish the sensitivity to ACh and reduce the response to natural stimulation. More recently, it has been demonstrated that chemically identifiable ACh is present in the parenchymal tissue of the cat carotid body, rather than in the fibers or terminals of the carotid sinus nerve11,l~, 15. Although the site(s) of ACh storage in this tissue has not been firmly established, a high affinity component of choline uptake has been autoradiographically localized to the type I cells 12. Finally, there is evidence that ACh is released from the carotid body during natural stimulationS,L One interpretation of these findings is that ACh is a sensory transmitter in the cat carotid body, and that as such, this substance is released from the type I cells by natural stimulation to activate nicotinic receptors on neighboring sensory nerve terminals, thereby leading to the initiation of chemosensory impulses in the carotid sinus nerve 1°. Other recent studies have shown, however, that ACh directly depolarizes the type I cells in both normal and de-
A longitudinal study of bed sharing and sleep problems among swiss children in the first 10 years of life

Objective. To study age trends, long-term course and secular changes of bed-sharing practices, and sleep problems among Swiss families. Methods. A total of 493 children were longitudinally followed between 1974 and 2001 by using structured sleep-related interviews at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after birth and at annual intervals thereafter until 10 years of age. Parents were queried about bed sharing, night wakings, bedtime resistance, and sleep-onset difficulties during the 3 months before each follow-up interview. Results. Although in the first year of life relatively few children slept with their parents ( Conclusions. Bed sharing and nocturnal wakings are common during early childhood. Developmental changes in separation-attachment processes, cognitive capabilities to develop self-recognition and nighttime fears, and motor locomotion may contribute to the particular age trend of night wakings and bed sharing during early childhood.
Langmuir—Blodgett films in metal—silicon contacts

Abstract To what extent two, four or eight Langmuir—Blodgett films of omega-tricosenoic acid (CH 2 (CH 2 ) 20 COOH) deposited on a silicon wafer will retard the thermally induced reaction of a superimposed nickel film with the silicon substrate is investigated using MeV He backscattering spectrometry as an analytical tool to detect the presence or absence of a reaction in the range of 200–400 °C annealing for 30 min in argon at atmospheric pressure. A few pairs of Langmuir—Blodgett films can raise the onset of a reaction from 200 °C to above 400 °C. A single pair can do likewise when it is polymerized by a 2 keV electron beam. The hypothesis that the films break down chemically — in the limit to a bare carbon layer — upon thermal annealing or electron-beam irradiation qualitatively explains the observations.
Imaging flow structure and species with atomic and molecular filters

Rayleigh and Raman scattering have not been widely used for flow field and combustion imaging because of their very low scattering cross-sections and because of interference from strong background light. With the use of sharp cut-off, atomic and molecular filters this background can be rejected while high throughput is maintained. The sharp cut-off edge of the filters provides for the possibility of using them for high-resolution spectral discrimination. Consequently, Rayleigh and Raman imaging are now becoming feasible and have the promise of providing quantitative images of temperature, velocity, pressure, density, species, and nonequilibrium phenomena. Because Rayleigh and Raman scattering arise from all molecules and are not affected by quenching, quantitative images can be taken of all dominant molecular species as well as thermodynamic and transport properties of complex flows, weakly ionized plasmas, and combusting fields.
Thermodynamics of hydrogen-helium mixtures at high pressure and finite temperature

A technique is reviewed for calculating thermodynamic quantities for mixtures of light elements at high pressure, in the metallic state. Ensemble averages are calculated with Monte Carlo techniques and periodic boundary conditions. Interparticle potentials are assumed to be coulombic, screened by the electrons in dielectric function theory. This method is quantitatively accurate for alloys at pressures above about 10 Mbar. An alloy of equal parts hydrogen and helium by mass appears to remain liquid and mixed for temperatures above about 3000 K, at pressures of about 15 Mbar. The additive volume law is satisfied to within about 10%, but the Gruneisen equation of state gives poor results. A calculation at 1300 K shows evidence of a hydrogen-helium phase separation.
Reaching the audience: new communication technology practices in college sports public relations

The Internet has created new communication alternatives and challenges in public relations. Despite the increase in social media and multimedia in college sports public relations, no research has been conducted into which tools are utilized most, where those tools may be found on athletic websites, or how PR offices utilize such tools. This study intends to fill that gap. Grounded in a co-orientation model of communication, it utilized a content analysis of college athletic websites (N = 120) and a telephone survey with 16 college sports public relations professionals. Twitter, Facebook and RSS feeds are the social media tools utilized most often, while live video and audio and archived video are the most frequently used multimedia tools. Most tools are identified by a graphic in the right-hand column on departments' home pages. Tools are used primarily for disseminating information. Usually the director maintains the site alone without a published policy.
Passives in modern greek

Abstract Descriptive and pedagogical grammars of Modern Demotic Greek distinguish at least five different uses of the passive construction. In this article these constructions are analyzed assuming the Government-Binding framework of Chomsky (1981, 1986). Some of these passive construction seem to be in violation of the Uniformity Principle and seem an exception to the analysis for Passives proposed in Chomsky (1981) and in Jaeggli (1986). The analysis proposed in this article distinguishes two kinds of passives and shows the exceptions to be apparent and all of the different constructions noted in the descriptive and pedagogical grammars are explained in terms of these two passive constructions.
Supporting the process of satisfying information needs with reusable software libraries: an empirical study

Retrieval tools for component-based software reuse libraries face two interrelated problems. The first is the ill-defined nature of information needs. The second is that large repositories will often use unfamiliar and esoteric vocabulary to describe software components. CodeFinder, a retrieval system designed to help developers locate software components for reuse, addresses these issues through an innovative combination of retrieval by reformulation and spreading activation. An empirical study comparing CodeFinder with two other systems showed evidence that subjects using CodeFinder with ill-defined tasks or mismatching vocabulary performed better than subjects using the other systems. The study confirmed the utility of spreading activation and retrieval by reformulation techniques for satisfying information needs of the kind encountered in software design.
QSATS: MPI-driven quantum simulations of atomic solids at zero temperature

Abstract We describe QSATS, a parallel code for performing variational path integral simulations of the quantum mechanical ground state of monatomic solids. QSATS is designed to treat Boltzmann quantum solids, in which individual atoms are permanently associated with distinguishable crystal lattice sites and undergo large-amplitude zero-point motions around these sites. We demonstrate the capabilities of QSATS by using it to compute the total energy and potential energy of hexagonal close packed solid 4 He at the density ρ = 4.61421 × 10 − 3 a 0 − 3 . Program summary Program title: QSATS Catalogue identifier: AEJE_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEJE_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queenʼs University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 7329 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 61 685 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Fortran 77. Computer: QSATS should execute on any distributed parallel computing system that has the Message Passing Interface (MPI) [1] libraries installed. Operating system: Unix or Linux. Has the code been vectorized or parallelized?: Yes, parallelized using MPI [1]. RAM: The memory requirements of QSATS depend on both the number of atoms in the crystal and the number of replicas in the variational path integral chain. For parameter sets A and C (described in the long write-up), approximately 4.5 Mbytes and 12 Mbytes, respectively, are required for data storage by QSATS (exclusive of the executable code). Classification: 7.7, 16.13. External routines: Message Passing Interface (MPI) [1] Nature of problem: QSATS simulates the quantum mechanical ground state for a monatomic crystal characterized by large-amplitude zero-point motions of individual (distinguishable) atoms around their nominal lattice sites. Solution method: QSATS employs variational path integral quantum Monte Carlo techniques to project the systemʼs ground state wave function out of a suitably-chosen trial wave function. Restrictions: QSATS neglects quantum statistical effects associated with the exchange of identical particles. As distributed, QSATS assumes that the potential energy function for the crystal is a pairwise additive sum of atom–atom interactions. Additional comments: An auxiliary program, ELOC, is provided that uses the output generated by QSATS to compute both the crystalʼs ground state energy and the expectation value of the crystalʼs potential energy. End users can modify ELOC as needed to compute the expectation value of other coordinate-space observables. Running time: QSATS requires roughly 3 hours to run a simulation using parameter set A on a cluster of 12 Xeon processors with clock speed 2.8 GHz. Roughly 15 hours are needed to run a simulation using parameter set C on the same cluster. References: [1] For information about MPI, visit http://www.mcs.anl.gov/mpi/ .
Growth and early diagenetic changes in artificial gypsum crystals grown within bentonite muds and gels

Experiments designed to simulate muddy environments failed to nucleate anhydrite or cause replacement of initially formed gypsum crystals by anhydrite during five months at temperatures to 80°C and with pore solutions containing as much as 20 percent sodium chloride. Gypsum and bassanite (at higher temperatures and salinities) were the only species produced. In addition, gypsum crystals experimentally grown for several months in Wyoming bentonite gels and pastes and in the presence of dissolved monovalent salts underwent major habit changes. The habit produced by these early diagenetic changes is characteristic of many natural crystals found in saline sediments and probably is diagnostic of evaporite sedimentation.
From Nanosecond to Femtosecond Science

The measurement of short time intervals during the first half of this century was limited to intervals longer than one nanosecond. Before 1900 it was already known that electrical sparks and Kerr-cell shutters could have response times as short as 10‐8 s. Abraham and Lemoine (1899) used a discharge from condenser plates which simultaneously activated a spark gap and a Kerr-cell shutter. The condenser plates were placed in a cell containing carbon disulfide between crossed polarizer and analyzer. The light path between the spark source and the Kerr cell was variable. If the delay path was longer than four meters, no light was transmitted. This proved that the Kerr-cell response was faster than 10‐8 s. We now know that the response of the Kerr effect in CS2 is about two picoseconds. Thus Abraham and Lemoine really measured the duration of light emitted by the spark. This experiment used the essential feature of a variation in light path length for the measurement of short time intervals. In most picosecond and femtosecond time-resolved experiments, the delay between a pump and a probe pulse is varied by changes in optical path length. Norrish and Porter (1950) used flash lamps to excite photochemical reactions and probed them spectroscopically with varying delays in the millisecond to microsecond range. This work in “microchemistry” was recognized by the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1967.