cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Famous Firms, Earnings Clusters, and the Stock Market

We show that much of the market premium for the year occurs on a handful of days, identifiable well in advance, on which several of the market's most famous, high-media-attention firms simultaneously announce earnings after the market close. Puzzlingly, the market surges occur during the 24 hours prior to the earnings announcements, from close to close. Since there is no overlap between the price increase period and the information revelation, the high returns do not appear to represent a risk premium, and our tests seem to rule out information-leakage explanations. Deepening the puzzle, the market delivers high returns only prior to post-close earnings-announcement clusters, not in advance of clusters that occur in the pre-open period. In addition to being economically large and easily tradeable, the effect is statistically significant, and the results hold consistently throughout our sample. We argue that the best explanation for our findings is that of Miller (1977) as extended by Hong and Stein (2007): when over a short “attention” period difference of opinion combines with short-sale constraints, prices will rise as optimists buy while pessimists cannot sell.
Review: Friction and Lubrication with High Water Content Crosslinked Hydrogels

As soft aqueous hydrogels have moved from new materials to the basis for real engineered devices in the last 20 years, their surface friction and lubrication are emerging as critical aspects of their function. The flexibility to alter and augment their mechanical and surface properties through control of the crosslinked 3D polymer networks has produced materials with diverse surface behaviors, even with the relatively simple composition of a single monomer and crosslink chemistry. Correspondingly with new understandings of the bulk behavior of hydrogels has been the identification of the mechanisms that govern the lubricity and frictional response under dynamic sliding conditions. Here we review these efforts, closely examining and identifying the internal and external influences that drive tribological response in high water content crosslinked hydrogels. The roles of surface structure, elasticity, contact response, charge, water interaction and water flow are addressed here as well as current synthesis and testing methods. We also collect open questions as well as the future needs to fully understand and exploit the surface properties of hydrogels for sliding performance.
Irrigation, poverty and inequality in rural China*

This paper examines the impact of irrigation on rural incomes, poverty and the income distribution in rural China. The relationship between irrigation and income is examined using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis. A simulation approach is used to explore the impact of irrigation on poverty incidence. To uncover the effect of irrigation on the income distribution, inequality is decomposed by source of income, by group according to access to irrigation and by estimated income flows as a result of specific household characteristics. The results show that irrigation increases income and reduces poverty and inequality.
Demand Estimation When There are Unobservable Substitutions Amongst Choice Alternatives

Accurate estimates of the future demand and the substitution probabilities between products are important inputs for retail assortment optimization. However, these quantities are difficult to estimate as the estimation involves understanding and modeling of consumer’s choice behavior when a complete choice set is available as well as when the choice set is incomplete (i.e., their response to out-of-stock situations). In this paper, we propose a prospect theory based reference dependent preference structure for consumer choice and use the information available in store scanner sales and inventory data to estimate both the true demand for the products as well as the substitution probabilities between products. We use a combination of theoretical arguments, simulations, and empirical analysis to establish that the proposed reference dependent logit (RDL) model yields robust and efficient estimates. We also compare the performance of RDL against the multinomial logit, two models that use exogenous substitution probabilities, and experts’ opinions regarding what the true substitution probabilities could be.
Hexabromocyclododecane flame retardant in Antarctica: Research stations as sources.

Historical persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are banned from Antarctica under international treaty; but contemporary-use POPs can enter as additives within polymer and textile products. Over their useful lives these products may release additives in-situ. Indeed, we observed 226 and 109 ng/g dry weight (dw) of the total concentrations of α-, β- and γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in indoor dust from McMurdo Station (U.S.) and Scott Station (New Zealand), respectively. Sewage sludge collected from wastewater treatment facilities at these stations exhibited ∑HBCD of 45 and 69 ng/g dw, respectively. Contaminants originally within the bases may exit to the local outdoor environment via wastewaters. Near McMurdo, maximum ∑HBCD levels in surficial marine sediments and aquatic biota (invertebrates and fish) were 2350 ng/g (total organic carbon basis) and 554 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Levels declined with distance from McMurdo. Our results illustrate that Antarctic research stations serve as local HBCD sources to the pristine Antarctic environment.
Wood energy and preservation of woodlands in semi-arid developing countries: The case of Dodoma region, Tanzania

Abstract At present little land and labor resources are expended on energy production, but the woodlands in Dodoma are disappearing, causing villagers to save time by switching from fuelwood collected on foot to charcoal shipped in by truck. Results of a linear program show that if the costs of growing the wood for charcoal are counted the switch to charcoal saves time only in areas where population is relatively dense and natural woodland remote. Woodland preservation in Dodoma will require more plantations, increased plantation productivity, improved efficiency of charcoal kilns or stoves, and ultimately a switch to some other fuel than wood.
Shape sharing for object segmentation

We introduce a category-independent shape prior for object segmentation. Existing shape priors assume class-specific knowledge, and thus are restricted to cases where the object class is known in advance. The main insight of our approach is that shapes are often shared between objects of different categories. To exploit this "shape sharing" phenomenon, we develop a non-parametric prior that transfers object shapes from an exemplar database to a test image based on local shape matching. The transferred shape priors are then enforced in a graph-cut formulation to produce a pool of object segment hypotheses. Unlike previous multiple segmentation methods, our approach benefits from global shape cues; unlike previous top-down methods, it assumes no class-specific training and thus enhances segmentation even for unfamiliar categories. On the challenging PASCAL 2010 and Berkeley Segmentation datasets, we show it outperforms the state-of-the-art in bottom-up or category-independent segmentation.
The role of ocean thermal expansion in Last Interglacial sea level rise

[1] A compilation of paleoceanographic data and a coupled atmosphere-ocean climate model were used to examine global ocean surface temperatures of the Last Interglacial (LIG) period, and to produce the first quantitative estimate of the role that ocean thermal expansion likely played in driving sea level rise above present day during the LIG. Our analysis of the paleoclimatic data suggests a peak LIG global sea surface temperature (SST) warming of 0.7 ± 0.6°C compared to the late Holocene. Our LIG climate model simulation suggests a slight cooling of global average SST relative to preindustrial conditions (ΔSST = −0.4°C), with a reduction in atmospheric water vapor in the Southern Hemisphere driven by a northward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and substantially reduced seasonality in the Southern Hemisphere. Taken together, the model and paleoceanographic data imply a minimal contribution of ocean thermal expansion to LIG sea level rise above present day. Uncertainty remains, but it seems unlikely that thermosteric sea level rise exceeded 0.4 ± 0.3 m during the LIG. This constraint, along with estimates of the sea level contributions from the Greenland Ice Sheet, glaciers and ice caps, implies that 4.1 to 5.8 m of sea level rise during the Last Interglacial period was derived from the Antarctic Ice Sheet. These results reemphasize the concern that both the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets may be more sensitive to temperature than widely thought.
Applying innovative test technologies to emerging EO weapons systems

Previous Autotestcon papers have dealt with the technical challenges of testing EO weapon systems with accurate, yet portable EO test equipment, such as Raytheon's Chameleon EO analyzer. This paper describes the most demanding challenge yet; testing the ATFLIR system. Currently under development by Raytheon systems company in El Segundo, CA, ATFLIR is the latest and most sophisticated tactical EO weapon system. The ATFLIR system combines a high resolution 3/sup rd/ GEN Targeting FLIR, a TV Camera, a high-powered tactical laser Designator/Rangefinder, a training eye-safe laser rangefinder, a laser spot tracker, and a 3/sup rd/ GEN Navigational FLIR all on a inertially stabilized gimbaled platform. This paper specifically discusswa the use of the Chameleon EO analyzer in support of ATFLIR system-level testing. Included are some of the many technical challenges of testing such an advanced system, with it's high performance imaging and it's multi-spectral, multi-functional coaxial optical path.
Treating Nurses and Student Nurses with Chemical Dependency: Revising Policy in the United States for the 21st Century.

For more than a century, the US nursing profession has been aware of substance abuse problems among its practitioners and student nurses but has generally dealt with the issue by taking disciplinary action rather than pursuing nonpunitive options. The latter course would allow more healthcare providers, following successful rehabilitation, to remain in the profession. Since the early 1980s, the American Nurses Association (ANA), National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) have actively promoted nonpunitive substance abuse policies, and many states have adopted alternative-to-discipline programs that have achieved good outcomes. At the same time, very little is known about the success rates of alternative-to-dismissal programs in nursing schools. After reviewing policies for both practicing nurses and those still in training, the authors recommend that all states adopt nonpunitive policies and that nursing schools develop alternative approaches for students that parallel and expand upon the procedures applied to practicing nurses who have a chemical dependency.
Ambidextrous theory of the weak interactions

Abstract We construct a renormalizable model of weak interactions based on the gauge group SU(2)L × SU(2)R × U(1) and incorporating a natural suppression of all flavor-changing neutral currents. We resolve the dilemma between the observations of the “high-y anormaly” and of parity-violating neutral currents in neutrino physics. Parity violation in atomic physics is predicted to be smaller than in the standard gauge model. The decay μ → ey need not be absolutely forbidden. The theory requires two charged and two neutral intermediate vector bosons with masses between 50 and 200 GeV; and at least six quark flavors, three charged leptons, and three massive neutral leptons.
Effects of a 36% tooth bleaching gel on zinc phosphate cement.

Purpose: To assess the effect of a 36% hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel on the roughness, microhardness, indentation modulus, and micromorphology of zinc phosphate cement aged 24 h or 1 week, compared to cement not exposed to bleaching gel. Methods: Dynamic indentation was performed for microhardness and indentation modulus. Contact profilometry was performed for surface roughness. Scanning electron microscopy assessed micromorphology. Means for microhardness, indentation modulus, and roughness were analyzed for differences among groups (No. 1 = 24 h/control; No. 2 = 24 h/treatment; No. 3 = 1 week/control; No. 4 = 1 week/treatment). Results: Means (SD) for groups 1–4 respectively: Vickers Microhardness (HV): 34.2(8.7)a, 32.8(10.9)a, 24.8(5.0)b, 41.5(7.4)c; Indentation Modulus (EIT, GPa): 14.2(6.9)a,b, 10.6(3.6)a, 11.2(3.8)a, 14.7(2.8)b; and Surface Roughness (Ra, microns): 1.08(0.38)a, 1.21(0.55)a, 1.55(0.21)b, 1.52(0.29)b. Means labeled with the same superscript were not statistically significantly different. Scanning electron microscopy of groups 1 and 2 revealed similar details. Group 3 surfaces had plate-like crystals not present on the group 4 surfaces. Conclusions: Bleaching gel exposure increased hardness and indentation modulus and caused limited changes in surface morphology, but the cement was not adversely affected by the bleaching protocol. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2010
Deconvolution of wide field-of-view radiometer measurements of earth-emitted radiation. I - Theory

The theory of deconvolution of wide field-of-view (WFOV) radiometer measurements of earth-emitted radiation provides a technique by which the resolution of such measurements can be enhanced to provide radiant exitance at the top of the atmosphere with a finer resolution than the field of view. An analytical solution for the earth-emitted radiant exitance in terms of WFOV radiometer measurements is derived for the nonaxisymmetric (or regional) case, in which the measurements and radiant exitance are considered to be functions of both latitude and longitude. This solution makes it possible to deconvolve a set of WFOV radiometer measurements of earth-emitted radiation and obtain information with a finer resolution than the instantaneous field of view of the instrument. It is shown that there are tradeoffs involved in the selection between WFOV and scanning radiometers.
Generalized effects in confined fluids: new friction map for boundary lubrication

Recent advances in measuring the rheology and tribology of thin liquid films between shearing surfaces have enabled previously-inaccessible parameters to be measured accurately during frictional sliding. These include the real area of contact, the local asperity load and pressure, and the sheared film thickness. The results show striking non-continuum, non-bulk like effects when the thicknesses of sheared films approach molecular dimensions as occurs under most tribological conditions. Based on these new results, we assess the validity of current presentations of friction processes, such as the Stribeck curve, and propose new constitutive relations and a dynamic friction map, including an alternative Stribeck type curve representation, which are also formulated in terms of more accessible parameters.
Fundamental Aspects of Bulk Metallic Glass Formation in Multicomponent Alloys

During the past several years, a number of multicomponent alloy families have been investigated in which the liquid alloys form metallic glass at cooling rates below 1000 K/s and as low as 1 K/s or less. These ``bulk`` metallic glass forming alloys have been cast from the melt into glass samples with the smallest dimension ranging from millimeters to centimeters. The undercooled liquid alloys show remarkable resistance to crystallization permitting studies of thermal and physical properties, the glass transition, and crystallization behavior of the melt over previously inaccessible temperatures in the deeply undercooled region. One group of these alloys, which includes the Zr-Ti-Ni-Cu-Be and Zr-Ti-Ni-Cu systems, has been extensively investigated in our laboratory. Results of atomic diffusion and viscosity measurements, crystallization behavior and TTT-diagrams, and studies of liquid phase separation in the deeply undercooled liquid have been carried out and will be discussed. Engineering properties and potential applications of these bulk glasses will be briefly mentioned. (orig.)
Adsorption, degradation, and plant availability of 2,4-dinitrophenol in sludge-amended calcareous soils.

2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) is a moderately weak acid that is expected to be highly labile (leachable and plant available) in high-pH soils. The adsorption and degradation behavior of DNP in two sludge-amended, calcareous soils was determined and used to explain DNP uptake by plants grown in the soils in the greenhouse. The DNP adsorption was minor in both soils and was only slightly affected by sludge. The DNP degradation was rapid in both soils and was unaffected by sludge. Thus, despite limited soil adsorption, plant uptake of DNP was minor in all crops and plant parts owing to rapid soil DNP degradation. Even if a municipal sludge highly contaminated with DNP was identified (an unlikely occurrence), concerns over possible plant contamination should not limit sludge applications to calcareous soils or leaching of DNP to groundwater, given careful water management.
Submicron x-ray imaging and Laue diffraction applications of tapered glass capillaries

A submicron-diameter x-ray beam from a tapered glass capillary has been used to image metal stripes on a lithography sample consisting of a 1000 angstroms thick gold pattern on a silicon wafer substrate. By fitting a function to data obtained from transmission and fluorescence measurements as the edge of a gold stripe was scanned across the end of the capillary, the beam size leaving the tip of the capillary was determined to be 2000 angstroms. The maximum gain for this capillary is now shown to be 240 at 6 keV. An image of the gold pattern with submicron resolution was easily observed from transmission measurements as the sample was scanned in two dimensions. Using the same capillary, Laue diffraction was observed from a 500-micrometers -thick silicon wafer in a 10-second exposure corresponding to an illuminated volume of 15.7 micrometers 3. Laue patterns from significantly smaller volumes should be possible in the near future.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fundamental excitations of the shared proton in the H3O2- and H5O2+ complexes.

We exploit recent advances in argon predissociation spectroscopy to record the spectroscopic signature of the shared proton oscillations in the H3O2- system and compare the resulting spectrum with that of the H5O2+ ion taken under similar conditions. Very intense 1 ← 0 transitions are observed below 1100 cm-1 in both cases and are surprisingly sharp, with the 697 cm-1 transition in H3O2- being among the lowest in energy of any shared proton system measured to date. The assignments of the three fundamental transitions associated with the three-dimensional confinement of the shared proton in H3O2- are carried out with full-dimensional (DMC) calculations to treat this strongly anharmonic vibrational problem.
Enzyme studies on white blood cells. IV. Glycolysis of added glucose; hexokinase and adenylpyrophosphatase activity.

Abstract 1. 1. Anaerobic glycolysis of added glucose in leucocytes is the result of hexokinase activity. 2. 2. The adenosine triphosphate dependency of this enzymatic reaction can be shown in leucocyte suspensions dialyzed against 0.85 % sodium chloride solution for 24 hr. 3. 3. The presence of the insoluble particles of the cells is essential for demonstrating hexokinase in leucocytes. 4. 4. The reducing substance remaining in the reaction mixture after incubation is partially unfermentable by yeast. 5. 5. The adenylic acid derived from adenylpyrophosphatase activity enables the white blood cell glycogen to break down. 6. 6. Free glucose inhibits glycogen breakdown. 7. 7. Controls on red blood cells and blood platelets have proved that it is the leucocytes which are the site of anaerobic glycolysis and adenylpyrophosphatase activity in the peripheral blood.
Book Review of Heart Disease: Environment, Stress And Gender, G. Weidner, M. Kopp and M. Kristenson (Eds.), Amsterdam, The Netherlands: IOS Press – NATO Science Series, 2002. i–xx + 384 pages. ISBN 1 58603 082 5 (hb)

The book presents a series of interesting articles from the “Increase in coronary heart disease in central and eastern Europe: stress and gender-related factors” to a NATO workshop dealing with env...
Optimum conditions for high-resolution gradient analysis

Abstract The effect of experimental variables in the photometric scanning of centrifuged sucrose gradients on the apparent resolution was studied. Better resolution was obtained with a flow cell with a comparatively large diameter flow path that was designed for bulk flow than with a flow cell with a comparatively small diameter flow path that was designed for laminar flow. Degradation of resolution caused by an increase in the flow rate was more apparent with the laminar flow cell than with the bulk flow cell. The resolution increased as the illuminated volume of the flow cell decreased but was relatively insensitive to illuminated volume at the lower values tested. Resolution was determined by the number of pea plyribosomes resolved and the shape of their peaks and by the deterioration in shape of peaks given by zones of southern bean mosaic virus during repetitive scanning. It was found that resolution of ribosomal peaks is not a good quantitative method for characterizing instrumental performance.
Code generation for WSLAs using AXpect

WSLAs can be viewed as describing the service aspect of Web services. By their nature, Web services are distributed. Therefore, integrating support code into a Web service application is potentially costly and error prone. Viewed from this AOP perspective, then, we present a method for integrating WSLAs into code generation using the AXpect weaver, the AOP technology for Infopipes. This helps to localize the code physically and therefore increase the eventual maintainability and enhance the reuse of the WSLA code. We then illustrate the weavers capability by using a WSLA document to codify constraints and metrics for a streaming image application that requires CPU resource monitoring.
Freneau's "View" of Princeton

This article contains a transcription of and places into historical context Philip Freneau's "Ode on a Remote Perspective View of Princeton College," first published in the Trenton "True American" in 1822 under the initial "R' and again in the New Brunswick "Fredonian" under the initials "N.R." in the same year.
The ancestor syndrome

In this article, the author uses the autoethnographic process to study the significance of dislocation for herself, her family, and the Portuguese in and through writing and the making of visual work. She contends that the dislocation and its significance emerge in and through the very process of making the work. By describing this process and by examining what emerges in and through it, she attempts to create an account of the inter-relationship among personal, familial, and social-historical circumstances in the formulation of subjectivity.
Parapharyngeal neuroglial heterotopia in Pierre Robin sequence: MR imaging findings

Heterotopic neuroglial tissue is a rare lesion, occurring more frequently in the nasal cavities. Other rare locations are the orbit, the scalp, the palate, the pharynx, the parapharyngeal space and the lungs. They are usually detected occasionally because they are often asymptomatic, but sometimes they might present with dyspnoea, feeding difficulty, snorting and nasal flaring. Respiratory symptoms occur when heterotopic neuroglial tissue is located in the parapharyngeal space. We report a case of an infant affected by Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) who was admitted to our Institution for a worsening respiratory distress that was not explainable only by PRS.
Looking for pure rotational H2 emission from protoplanetary disks

We report on a limited search for pure rotational molecular hydrogen emission associated with young, pre-main-sequence stars. We looked for H_2 v = 0, J = 3 → 1 and 4 → 2 emission in the mid-infrared using the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph at NASA's 3 m Infrared Telescope Facility. The high spectral and spatial resolutions of our observations lead to more stringent limits on narrow-line emission close to the source than previously achieved. One star, AB Aur, shows a possible (2 σ) H_2 detection, but further observations are required to make a confident statement. Our nondetections suggest that a significant fraction, perhaps all, of previously reported H_2 emission toward these objects could be extended on scales of 5" or more.
Does a good market make a good European

Francis Fukuyama has attained a Worholesque fifteen minutes of fame with his article “The End of History. ?“I Doing Hegel without being Hegel, he offered theses on the state of the world and the world of the state that presented grounds for satisfaction for all those who identified themselves as winners among those who had wagered on how the Idea would progress through history. As he sees it, those who played the number of Western Liberalism have won. All in all, a nice conversation piece, particularly for conservative thinkers, since they were already beginning to be bored because of the dissolution of communism, an event that removed their favourite object of rhetoric and left them with very little to talk about. One of the nice little ironies of history is that, although Fukuyama’s basic thesis about the “autonomous power of ideas” is meant to be fundamentally anti-Marxist, the manner of reading the evidence that he uses to support this thesis is quite Marxist: look not at the claimed or asserted values, nor even at the institutions of the super-structure: religious, political, juridicial, but at the praxis, the material conditions of production and exchange within societies, in order to see which ideas thus represented are on the foremarch. The victorious Idea is given two-fold form: “The universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government”, and “the ineluctable spread of consumerist Western culture.“* It might be mentioned in passing that the form of government had a little material help along the way, and it is a bit difficult to dignify “consumerism” with a title that grants it a place in the Hegelian realm of Ideas, but these are probably not constructive criticisms. The phenomena mentioned by Fukuyama in support of his theses includes the retreat of socialism in Eastern Europe and the Third World (now including of course the late Soviet Union), the end of the Cold War, peasant markets in China, and the rock music heard alike in Rangoon, Warsaw, London and Tehran. All viable alternatives having been tried, according to Fukuyama, it is clear that the best idea has won. Everything from now on is just tinkering and adjustment. Although he does not say a great deal about it, it is clear that the integration of the European Community serves Fukuyama as the model, on the level of governmental policies and political and economic arrangement, of the manifestation of the Idea. There, national conflicts, based upon rivalries of nation-states have been put aside. All of these nation-states are parliamentary democracies, thus embodying the idea of freedom. That they form a common market, “free” in the liberal sense of minimal governmental interference, and have the goal of dismantling tariffs and other barriers to trade among the states
T-lymphocyte mediated cytolysis: Temperature dependence of killer cell dependent and independent phases and lack of recovery from the lethal hit at low temperatures

Abstract Using alloantiserum and complement to inactivate cytolytic T-lymphocytes after they had administered the “lethal hit” to target cells, the rate of killer-cell independent lysis (KCIL) as measured by radiochromium release was followed at various temperatures. Under usual conditions, KCIL was half-completed on the average after 1.7 hr at 37 °C. The average Q 10 of KCIL is about 1.6 during the first few hours after cooling, but near 0 °, lysis slows down at later times. Thus, the extent of KCIL after 6–8 hr at 0 ° is frequently less than one-tenth of that at 37 °C. The Q 10 of the whole killing process is 2.5 near 37 °C but exceeds 6 near 22 °C. Evidence has been presented elsewhere suggesting that recovery from complement mediated damage may occur under appropriate conditions. Since KCIL can largely be arrested at low temperatures, we tested for possible recovery from or repair of the T-cell administered “lethal hit” during incubations at low temperature following (i) inactivation of killer cells by antiserum and complement or (ii) detachment of killer cells with EDTA and prevention of subsequent killer-target cell contact with dextran. No evidence for recovery from the “lethal hit” was found during incubations from 0.3 to 5 hr at 20 °, 15 °, or 0 °C. The temperature dependence of KCIL raises the possibility that metabolic events are of importance during KCIL. However, the previous finding that lysis following damage mediated by antiserum and complement is equally temperature sensitive leaves no basis for postulating such metabolic events. Hence, although unequivocal direct evidence has been difficult to obtain, colloid osmotic lysis is at present the simplest and most plausible explanation of killer-cell independent lysis.
Epitaxial semiconductor optical interference devices

A new class of single-crystal, semiconductor optical interference devices is described. The basic physics governing their operation and materials and growth methods to implement them are summarized. Recent experimental results for epitaxial optical filters, monolithic integration, and tunability are discussed.
Light-triggered nitric oxide delivery to malignant sites and infection.

The discovery of nitric oxide (NO) as a signalling molecule in various physiological and pathological pathways has spurred research in the design of exogenous NO donors as drugs. In recent years, metal nitrosyls (NO complexes of metals) have been investigated as NO-donating agents. Results from our laboratory during the past few years have demonstrated that metal nitrosyls derived from designed ligands can deliver NO under the total control of light of various frequencies. Careful incorporation of these photoactive nitrosyls into polymer matrices has afforded a set of nitrosyl–polymer composites that can be used to make such NO delivery site-specific. The composite materials have shown excellent antineoplastic and antimicrobial actions in several in vitro experiments. This review highlights our key results in the context of recent developments in this area of NO donors that deliver NO on demand.
A study of ferrokinetics and red cell survival in congestive heart failure

Abstract Total blood volume and plasma volume were generally increased during cardiac decompensation. A decrease in total volume and plasma volume was observed after recovery. Red cell volume was markedly increased during heart failure in two patients, one of whom had cor pulmonale. With recovery from failure the red cell volume decreased in these two patients. A moderate decrease occurred in three other patients. No marked alteration was noted in the six remaining patients. Red cell survival was normal in eight of eleven patients, slightly decreased in two patients, and definitely decreased in one patient. The fecal excretion of urobilinogen was in the normal range in the six patients so studied. Plasma and red cell iron turnover were normal or increased in patients with heart failure. After cardiac compensation a decrease occurred in all but one of eleven patients. Any decrease in red cell volume observed after cardiac compensation is usually not the result of increased red cell destruction. The decrease may be the result of decreased erythropoiesis.
MO-G-BRF-09: Investigating Magnetic Field Dose Effects in Mice: A Monte Carlo Study

Purpose: In MRI-linac treatments, radiation dose distributions are affected by magnetic fields, especially at high-density/low-density interfaces. Radiobiological consequences of magnetic field dose effects are presently unknown; therefore, preclinical studies are needed to ensure the safe clinical use of MRI-linacs. This study investigates the optimal combination of beam energy and magnetic field strength needed for preclinical murine studies. Methods: The Monte Carlo code MCNP6 was used to simulate the effects of a magnetic field when irradiating a mouse-sized lung phantom with a 1.0cmx1.0cm photon beam. Magnetic field effects were examined using various beam energies (225kVp, 662keV[Cs-137], and 1.25MeV[Co-60]) and magnetic field strengths (0.75T, 1.5T, and 3T). The resulting dose distributions were compared to Monte Carlo results for humans with various field sizes and patient geometries using a 6MV/1.5T MRI-linac. Results: In human simulations, the addition of a 1.5T magnetic field caused an average dose increase of 49% (range:36%–60%) to lung at the soft tissue-to-lung interface and an average dose decrease of 30% (range:25%–36%) at the lung-to-soft tissue interface. In mouse simulations, the magnetic fields had no effect on the 225kVp dose distribution. The dose increases for the Cs-137 beam were 12%, 33%, and 49% for 0.75T, 1.5T, and 3.0T magnetic fields, respectively while the dose decreases were 7%, 23%, and 33%. For the Co-60 beam, the dose increases were 14%, 45%, and 41%, and the dose decreases were 18%, 35%, and 35%. Conclusion: The magnetic field dose effects observed in mouse phantoms using a Co-60 beam with 1.5T or 3T fields and a Cs-137 beam with a 3T field compare well with those seen in simulated human treatments with an MRI-linac. These irradiator/magnet combinations are suitable for preclinical studies investigating potential biological effects of delivering radiation therapy in the presence of a magnetic field. Partially funded by Elekta.
Wavelength of the CH4 line at 3.39 μm

Abstract The 3.39 μm radiation of a CH 4 stabilized laser was measured by comparison with an I 2 stabilized laser whose wavelength is known in terms of the 86 Kr wavelength standards. The comparison technique involved up-conversion in LiNbO 3 and gave the result λ vac = 3.39223140 μm .
Modification of the surface properties of polyimide films using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane deposition and oxygen plasma exposure

Abstract Topographically rich surfaces were generated by spray-coating organic solutions of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, octakis(dimethylsilyloxy)silsesquioxane (POSS), on Kapton® HN films and exposing them to radio frequency generated oxygen plasma. Changes in both surface chemistry and topography were observed. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy indicated substantial modification of the POSS-coated polyimide surface topographies as a result of oxygen plasma exposure. Water contact angles varied from 104° for unexposed POSS-coated surfaces to ∼5° for samples exposed for 5 h. Modulation of the dispersive and polar contributions to the surface energy was determined using van Oss Good Chaudhury theory. Changes in surface energy are related to potential adhesive interactions with lunar dust simulant particles.
Photon consciousness: Fact or fancy?

An experiment designed to test the highly speculative hypothesis of photon consciousness was executed. It was found that, within the accuracy attainable with the apparatus, there is no empirical justification for the hypothesis.
Requirements of Δ9 and Δ12 fatty acid desaturation in Neurospora

Abstract Microsomes prepared from the wild-type strain and lipid auxotrophs of Neurospora were analyzed for Δ9-(stearoyl-CoA) and Δ12-(oleoyl-CoA) desaturase activities. The wild-type Δ9-desaturase was found to have a 20-fold higher specific activity and 2-fold lower activation energy than the Δ12-desaturase. In addition, Δ12-desaturase had higher Kmapp values for oleoyl-CoA and for NADH than the equivalent values for Δ9-desaturase. These properties were correlated with a rate-limiting role of Δ12-desaturase in the production of 18:2, the major fatty acid of Neurospora. The Δ12-desaturase also exhibited a higher tolerance to pH changes and to cyanide than did the Δ9-desaturase. Both activities could be measured in the same reaction mixture using stearoyl-CoA as the substrate, indicating a coupling of the two enzymes. Enrichment of cellular membranes of the wild-type Neurospora with 18:0 and 18:1, 18:2, 18:3 fatty acids led to the conclusion that the presence of excess substrate in the membrane induces activation of the appropriate desaturase. These experiments also suggested that the membrane fluidity, as determined by the degree of unsaturation of membrane fatty acids, may influence the activities of the desaturating enzymes. Perturbation of the polar head groups of the membrane phospholipids indicated that the correct composition of anionic phospholipids is an absolute requirement for the function of both desaturases. These studies show that the activities of the Δ9-desaturase and the Δ12-desaturase are regulated by a variety of factors and that the Δ12-desaturase is subjected to less stringent controls than the Δ9-desaturase.
Foraminifera distribution of provinces in the Gulf of Mexico

Recent benthic foraminifera distribution patterns form the basis of much palaeoenvironmental (particularly palaeobathymetric) interpretation used by geologists. We have recently summarized the distribution of recent benthic foraminifera on the Atlantic continental margin of North America1,2 and report here the results of an analysis of all published data from the Gulf of Mexico. To obtain a synthesis of foraminiferal distribution in the Gulf of Mexico, a computerized catalogue of all published occurrences (presence or absence data) was compiled. Cluster analysis of these data isolated four large, marginally overlapping areas or provinces exhibiting a spatial correlation with Gulf of Mexico water masses. A fifth, smaller, discrete area (biofacies) was found at the mouth of the Mississippi delta.
Obsessionality in eating-disorder patients: Relationship to clinical presentation and two-year outcome

Obsessionality and obsessive-compulsive symptoms have been regarded as important characteristics in the clinical presentation of the eating disorders. In this report, we examined the relation between obsessionality and the clinical presentation and outcome of a sample of eating-disordered patients. Self-rated obsessional symptoms, defined by the obsessive-compulsive subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90 (revised version), were compared with presenting clinical symptomatology, and scores on the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in a sample of 110 consecutively evaluated women who met DSM-IIIR criteria for eating disorders. Forty patients were contacted for a follow-up investigation, 2 years after the initial evaluation. Higher obsessive-compulsive subscale scores at presentation were associated with more severe dieting, a greater number of psychiatric hospitalizations, and higher EDI, SCL-90R and BDI scores. Initial obsessive-compulsive scores did not predict the subsequent outcome of a sample of these patients in the community. However, elevated obsessive-compulsive scores obtained at follow-up were associated with the presence of lower body weight and more severe eating-disorder symptoms at that time. These results support the hypothesis that elevated obsessionality is associated with more severe eating disorder symptomatology. In addition, obsessional symptoms change along with those of the eating disorder, and their persistence may be associated with a poorer outcome.
Foliar metabolic heat rate of seedlings and mature trees of Pinus ponderosa exposed to acid rain and ozone

We investigated the effects of acid rain and ozone on respiration rates of 1-year-old and current-year foliage of half-sib seedlings and mature clones of a ponderosa pine genotype by measurement of foliar metabolic heat rates. Two rain regimes (pH 5.1 and 3.0) were applied weekly to foliage only, from January to April 1992. Two ozone regimes (ambient and twice-ambient) were applied from September 1991 to November 1992. Metabolic heat rate was measured in April on 1-year-old foliage, in June on both 1-year-old and current-year foliage, and in November on current-year foliage in 1992. Except for current-year foliage in June, the metabolic heat rate was calculated per unit of both foliar dry mass and N mass. In seedlings, both measures of metabolic heat rate increased in late June for 1-year-old foliage exposed to twice-ambient ozone, and in November for current-year foliage exposed to the combination of twice-ambient ozone and pH 3.0 rain. In mature trees, metabolic heat rate was not affected significantly by ozone, rain acidity, or their interaction. In June, when both 1-year-old and current-year tissues were examined, the metabolic heat rate of expanding, current-year foliage was higher than that of fully expanded, 1-year-old foliage regardless of plant age or treatment combination.
A Call to Corporate Compassion

Over the past 25 years, American businesses have become intoxicated with greed. In effect, because greed works, it has become, to many, a necessary component of capitalism. But like all drugs, it has side effects. One such side effect is that its lack of compassion has alienated its greatest stakeholder, the consumer. The American consumer has come to both hate and need American business. Like a bungling parasite that takes too much of its host, corporate greed has conceptualized its customers as consumables versus symbiotes and is alienating itself into the red.
Effects of Hypophysectomy and ACTH on Adrenocortical Function in the Rat

Following hypophysectomy in rats, corticosterone secretion in vivo declined to a minimum within 24 hr. Cholesterol sidechain cleavage (SCC) activity per unit adrenal weight was also maximally reduced in that interval. Further losses in total SCC activity with time resulted from losses in adrenal weight rather than changes in unit enzyme activity. Administration of ACTH to rats hypophysectomized for 1 week restored unit SCC activity to control values within 48 hr. Corticosterone secretion also increased but remained far below control levels at that time. More prolonged treatment continued to increase corticosterone secretion without further affecting unit SCC activity. The results indicate that changes in SCC activity generally parallel changes in corticosterone secretion in vivo, but that diminished adrenal “responsiveness”to ACTH one week after hypophysectomy cannot be attributed to diminished SCC activity. (Endocrinology 94: 1346, 1974)
The internal dynamics of environmental organizations: Movement interest groups, communal advocacy groups, and the policy process

How do the diverse qualities that movement organizations bring to the policy process affect the representation of particular interests? This question is explored by analyzing environmental organizations across the national, state, and local levels of the American political system. This article suggests that two types of social movement organizations exist: movement interest groups and communal advocacy groups. While this article does not provide direct evidence of the different policy capabilities of the two types of movement organizations, existing research is drawn upon to consider how each type might fare in the policy process. One approach suggests that centralized organizations with incremental goals are better equipped to attain policy success, while the other stresses the need for active member involvement to engage in “disruptive” politics. To fully assess these divergent views, this article presents a broad review and analysis of the literature.
Understanding African American women's decisions to buy and eat dark green leafy vegetables: an application of the reasoned action approach.

Examine intentions to buy and eat dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV).Cross-sectional survey assessing demographics, behavior, intention, and Reasoned Action Approach constructs (attitude, perceived norm, self-efficacy).Marion County, Indiana.African American women responsible for buying and preparing household food.Reasoned Action Approach constructs explaining intentions to buy and eat DGLV.Summary statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses.Among participants (n = 410, mean age = 43 y), 76% and 80%, respectively, reported buying and eating DGLV in the past week. Mean consumption was 1.5 cups in the past 3 days. Intentions to buy (r = 0.20, P < .001) and eat (r = 0.23, P < .001) DGLV were positively associated with consumption. Reasoned Action Approach constructs explained 71.2% of the variance in intention to buy, and 60.9% of the variance in intention to eat DGLV. Attitude (β = .63) and self-efficacy (β = .24) related to buying and attitude (β = .60) and self-efficacy (β = .23) related to eating DGLV explained significant amounts of variance in intentions to buy and eat more DGLV. Perceived norm was unrelated to either intention to buy or eat DGLV.Interventions designed for this population of women should aim to improve DGLV-related attitudes and self-efficacy.
Assessment of Cognitive Appraisal and Coping Linkages Using Two Forms of Canonical Correlation

As a conceptual framework for research on stress and coping, the transactional model of Lazarus and Folkman is process-oriented and requires methodologies that capture the process nature of cognitive appraisal and coping across stages of a transaction. Two forms of canonical correlation were used to analyze strength of association measures between pairs of cognitive appraisal and coping variable sets for 138 student subjects. Analysis indicated that, when an environmental transaction includes more than one time period, the generalized canonical correlation approach may offer some advantages in assessing linkage strength over the pairwise method.
Effects of shopping information on consumers’ responses to comparative price claims

Abstract This article describes three studies that examine the effects of shopping information on consumers’ responses to comparative price claims in retail advertisements. Results of the studies show that 1) the opportunity to shop across retail stores reduces the effect of comparative price claims on consumers’ estimates of lowest price for a particular item, but has less impact on their estimates of the store’s regular price; 2) access to advertising from competing retailers has the same pattern of effects; and 3) across exposure to a series of ad claims, these effects generalize from estimates of specific item prices to judgments of the store’s general pricing. For branded shopping goods, the results show that comparative price claims may prove counterproductive for retail advertisers by leading consumers to believe that the store’s regular prices are high without convincing them that its sale prices are low.
Special Education and Genetics Connections for the 21st Century

Given recent advances in genetics, child psychiatry, and mental retardation research, etiology-based interventions are becoming increasingly possible for children with different genetic mental retardation conditions. This article reviews recent advances in the "new genetics" and shows how such advances affect special education. Focusing on Williams, fragile X, Prader-Willi, and Down syndromes, we note how etiology-related cognitive-linguistic profiles and propensities to distinct personalities and behavior problems point the way to specific, targeted strategies of intervention. Although currently only beginning in special education work, such intervention practices promise to become increasingly elaborated and effective in the decades to come.