cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactions of O-acyl-l-serines with tryptophanase, tyrosine phenol-lyase, and tryptophan synthase

The reactions of tryptophanase, tyrosine phenol-lyase, and tryptophan synthase with a new class of substrates, the O-acyl-L-serines, have been examined. A method for preparation of O-benzoyl-L-serine in high yield from tert.-butyloxycarbonyl (tBoc)-L-serine has been developed. Reaction of the cesium salt of tBoc-L-serine with benzyl bromide in dimethylformamide gives tBoc-L-serine benzyl ester in excellent yield. Acylation with benzoyl chloride and triethylamine in acetonitrile followed by hydrogenolysis with 10% palladium on carbon in trifluoroacetic acid gives O-benzoyl-L-serine, isolated as the hydrochloride salt. O-Benzoyl-L-serine is a good substrate for beta-elimination or beta-substitution reactions catalyzed by both tryptophanase and tyrosine phenol-lyase, with Vmax values 5- to 6-fold those of the physiological substrates and comparable to that of S-(o-nitrophenyl)-L-cysteine. Unexpectedly, O-acetyl-L-serine is a very poor substrate for these enzymes, with Vmax values about 5% of those of the physiological substrates. Both O-acyl-L-serines are poor substrates for tryptophan synthase, measured either by the synthesis of 5-fluoro-L-tryptophan from 5-fluoroindole and L-serine catalyzed by the intact alpha 2 beta 2 subunit or by the beta-elimination reaction catalyzed by the isolated beta 2 subunit. With all three enzymes, the elimination of benzoate appears to be irreversible. These results suggest that the binding energy from the aromatic ring of O-benzoyl-L-serine is used to lower the transition-state barrier for the elimination reactions catalyzed by tryptophanase and tyrosine phenol-lyase. Our findings support the suggestion (M. N. Kazarinoff and E. E. Snell (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 6228-6233) that tryptophanase undergoes a conformational change during catalysis and suggest that tyrosine phenol-lyase also may undergo a conformational change during catalysis.
Shear Design of Prestressed Concrete: A Unified Approach

Design methods for the shear resistance of reinforced and prestressed concrete beams are based on empirical evidence. Due to different approaches in their development, different equations are used to calculate the shear strength of reinforced and prestressed concrete. Recent research has provided a simplified approach for the shear design of reinforced concrete that eliminates many of the shortcomings of current design procedures and corresponds well to a wide range of test results. The objective of this research was to investigate the applicability of this new approach to prestressed concrete. The applicability of the shear model was evaluated by a comparison of its results with the experimental strengths of 86 specimens which failed in shear. This investigation indicated that the shear model is applicable to prestressed sections. For design purposes, the shear model was simplified to develop a design expression that unifies the design of reinforced and prestressed concrete sections.
Analysis of a corpus of poetry by a connectionist model of poetic meter

Abstract A corpus of 1000 lines of poetry (ten 100-line samples from ten different authors) is analyzed by a computerized connectionist model of poetic meter. The analysis finds that poets utilize measurably distinct patterns of stress and suggests that these patterns might ‘fingerprint’ individual writers. In addition, the analysis shows that the variations of metrical patterns are in accord with the prevailing verse aesthetics of the period in which poets are writing.
Observations of a thin near surface layer in an estuarine environment: An exceptional bloom of the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea in the Lee estuary (Lough Mahon), Co. Cork, in September 2010

Abstract Observations on the occurrence of an exceptional phytoplankton bloom in the Lee estuary, Co. Cork, in September 2010 are reported. A thin layer of phytoplankton dominated by the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea (Dinophyceae), with a cell concentration of 16,900 cells ml−1 and chlorophyll a concentration of 680 μg l−1, was observed at a depth of 1 m. The layer extended over a horizontal distance of 3 km and was located in the estuarine pycnocline. Levels of dissolved oxygen supersaturation were elevated at 190 (%) saturation (15.9 mg O2 l−1 ) and the highest biochemical oxygen demand associated with the bloom was greater than 25 mg O2 l−1. Using biovolume data to calculate carbon content, and a water exchange rate of 0.06 d−1 and dilution factor of 0.1, the potential oxygen demand following bloom collapse was estimated to be 7.22 mg O2 l−1. The potential impact of this thin layer on the water quality of the estuary is discussed.
Space weather comes of age: new sensors and models for ionospheric specification and forecast

Traditionally the ionosphere and thermosphere are considered "data-starved" regions of the atmosphere but recent experimental and operational optical satellite instruments and new techniques to exploit GPS and orbiting radio beacons are dramatically improving the situation. Similarly, new classes of assimilating ionospheric models are under development to exploit these data and provide a significantly improved capability to specify and forecast weather of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS), launched by the DoD Space Test Program in 1999 demonstrated ultraviolet remote sensing of the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere from limb sensors in low Earth orbit (LEO). Soon after, the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on the NASA TIMED satellite employed a similar capability using cross track ultraviolet remote sensing. The first of five sets of operational versions of both of these instruments, the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI) and Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Imager (SSUSI), respectively, where launched aboard the first of the DMSP Block 5D3 weather satellites in October of 2003. Radio frequency techniques for ionospheric remote sensing using ground-based dual frequency GPS receivers and GPS occultation receivers on LEO satellites are making a significant contribution to the global ionospheric database. In 2005, the launch of a constellation of six satellites called the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) will provide ionospheric measurements using GPS occultation receivers ultraviolet photometers and dual frequency UHF radio beacons. The latter will allow tomographic ionospheric reconstructions using ground-based receivers. These and other data will be used to drive the Global Assimilations of Ionospheric Measurements (GAIM) model to dramatically improved current modeling and forecast capabilities for the global thermosphere and ionosphere. More innovations are under development in the form of long-dwell, high temporal and spatial resolution measurements of the ionosphere from geosynchronous orbit using the Ionospheric Mapping and Geocoronal Experiment (IMAGER). IMAGER will provide GOES-like monitoring of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere.
Rapid convergence of crystalline energy bands by use of a plane‐wave‐gaussian mixed basis set

All of the crystalline electron wave functions are expanded in an analytic mixed LCAO-PW basis. The LCAO'S, expressed as contracted sets of non-overlapping even-tempered Gaussians, describe the short wave length part of the electron wave functions, while the plane waves describe the long wave length part. One LCAO is obtained from each isolated atom electron state (neglecting electron spin) for each atom in the unit cell. About 65 plane waves give valence and low conduction band convergence to 0.2 eV for both C and zinc-blende ZnO, whereas over a thousand terms would be required for comparable OPW convergence. The analytic mixed basis set should be applicable to the calculation of electron energy bands in a wide variety of crystalline compounds.
A* Algorithm Inspired Memory-Efficient Detection for MIMO Systems

Implementation of a best-first detection algorithm for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems requires large amounts of memory especially in large systems with high-order modulation. In this letter, we propose modified best-first detection algorithms in which the order of nodes is determined by both the original cost and the estimated future cost associated with each node, as inspired by an improved shortest path algorithm (A* algorithm). The modified algorithms maintain the detection optimality, reduce the memory requirement and sorting complexity, and achieve improved detection performance in memory-constrained scenarios.
Serum proteomic profiling in patients with drug-induced liver injury

Background Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a complex disorder that is difficult to predict, diagnose and treat.
Stimulated neutrino transformation through turbulence on a changing density profile and application to supernovae

We apply the model of stimulated neutrino transitions to neutrinos travelling through turbulence on a non constant density profile. We describe a method to predict the location of large amplitude transitions and demonstrate the effectiveness of this method by comparing to numerical calculations using a model supernova (SN) profile. The important wavelength scales of turbulence, both those that stimulate neutrino transformations and those that suppress them, are presented and discussed. We then examine the effects of changing the parameters of the turbulent spectrum, specifically the root-mean-square amplitude and cutoff wavelength, and show how the stimulated transitions model offers an explanation for the increase in both the amplitude and number of transitions with large amplitude turbulence, as well as a suppression or absence of transitions for long cutoff wavelengths. The method can also be used to predict the location of transitions between anti-neutrino states which, in the normal hierarchy we are using, will not undergo Mikheev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein transitions. Lastly, the stimulated neutrino transitions method is applied to a turbulent 2D supernova simulation and explains the minimal observed effect on neutrino oscillations in the simulation as being due to excessive long wavelength modes suppressing transitions and the absence of modes that fulfill themore » parametric resonance condition.« less
Meningitis due to Enterobacter aerogenes subsequent to resection of an acoustic neuroma and abdominal fat graft to the mastoid

Meningitis is an uncommon complication of neurosurgical procedures, with an incidence of 1.1% to 2.5%. Although unusual, the frequency of nosocomial Gram-negative meningitis appears to be increasing. Gram-negative meningitis has been documented following disruption of the dura-arachnoid barrier secondary to trauma or surgery. The association of Gram-negative bacillary meningitis with neurosurgical procedures was first reported in the 1940's. Wolff et al. described the association between Enterobacter species and post-neurosurgical infection. More recently, risk factors for nosocomial Enterobacter meningitis have been characterized by Parodi et al. Adipose graft, as an independent risk factor has not yet been reported. A patient with acoustic neuroma resection, who developed bacterial meningitis from an abdominal fat pad graft to a mastoidectomy bed is described. A brief overview was made of post-neurosurgical Gram-negative meningitis.
The Plasma Lens as an e- e- Luminosity Enhancer: SLAC Experimental Results

The use of gaseous plasmas to strongly focus high density, high energy electron and positron beams has been experimentally demonstrated. Focusing plasmas have been beam-induced. In addition, interesting aspects of laser-induced preionization of the target gas have been observed. Potential applications to luminosity enhancement for linear colliders warrant further development of these techniques with machine parameters in mind.
Capacity factors of a mixed speed railway network

Fifty-four combinations of track network and speed differential are evaluated within a linear, discrete time network model that maximizes an objective function of train volume, delays, and idle train time. The results contradict accepted dispatching practice by suggesting that when introducing a priority, high-speed train onto a network, maximum network flow is attained when the priority train operates at maximum speed. In addition, increasing siding capacity at meeting points may offer a network capacity improvement comparable to partial double track.
Synthesis/release of ecdysteroids by Cotesia congregata, a parasitoid wasp of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta†

Parasitized Manduca sexta undergo developmental arrest in the instar (typically the fifth) from which the parasitoid wasp Cotesia congregata will emerge. Host hemolymph ecdysteroid titers as well as levels of other regulatory molecules are manipulated by the parasitoid to create an environmental milieu which is most suitable for the wasp to complete its life cycle. Based on the results of in vivo studies (reported earlier), the parasitoid appears to require a host hemolymph ecdysteroid titer of 300–400 pg/μl, which it effects in its host, in part, by synthesizing and releasing ecdysteroid. Here we used in vitro incubation to characterize C. congregata's synthesis and release of this group of steroid hormones. In addition, we identified physical characteristics as markers for tracking parasitoid ecdysteroid content as well as hormone synthesis and release. Ecdysteroid content of whole body homogenates increased with parasitoid age. Body length, anal vesicle size and time of ecdysis provided more precise indicators of times when ecdysteroid content would be high or low. Ecdysteroid levels peaked at the time of the parasitoid's molt from the 1st to the 2nd instar and again in the largest parasitoids that were preparing for their molt to the 3rd instar. Ecdysteroid synthesis and release also increased with parasitoid age. When body length was the independent variable, synthesis and release peaked in larvae that were 3.0 mm (often undergoing a molt), dipped in larvae that were 3.6 mm (post-molt), and rose again as larvae increased in length. E, 20HE and polar ecdysteroids were the predominant ecdysteroids released on days 1 through 4. Thus, an ecdysteroid known to be physiologically active is released by the parasitoid. This is the first time that a precise, detailed system of markers has been identified for tracking C. congregata development. Our results support the view that parasitoid synthesis and release of ecdysteroids are associated with specific events in the parasitoid's life cycle and can be predicted by selected physical markers including parasitoid size and instar, size/degree of ballooning of the anal vesicle, and shedding of the 1st instar cuticle. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 40:17–29, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Preincubation of recombinant Ipa proteins of Shigella sonnei promotes entry of non-invasive Escherichia coli into HeLa cells

Invasion plasmid antigens of Shigella sonnei, IpaB, C, D, were expressed as fusion proteins either with maltose-binding protein (MBP) or Strept-tag sequence. Affinity-purified IpaB and IpaD were separated from MBP by digestion with Factor Xa. Recombinant IpaC having Strept-tag sequence at its C-terminal was also purified by avidin affinity column chromatography. These recombinant proteins showed the ability to cause non-invasive Escherichia coli K-12 to internalize HeLa cell only when all of the proteins were preincubated with the bacterial prior to the inoculation of the mixture into HeLa cell culture. Electron microscopy also showed internalized bacteria within HeLa cells suggesting that functional complex of invasins (IpaB, C and D) were formed in vitro.
Design and analysis of an electromechanical filter with piezoelectric transducers

Filtering analog signals is certainly not a new topic. It is essential in a variety of applications ranging from communication systems, such as radio, telephone and paging devices, to navigation equipment and system control. It is a subject matter that is more familiar when using strictly electrical components. However, it is known that electromechanical systems, specifically mechanical filters, can also be used to filter signals. Existing mechanical filter technology could be considered to be macro-scale, which encompasses dimensions of centimeters and larger. There is interest in developing micro-scale filters that are well-integrated with electronics. Filter design literature is also quite spread out, making for a design process that is neither precise, nor easily grasped. The objective is to investigate and build a more structured design procedure for developing mechanical filters. This paper presents a design procedure for a mechanical filter. The procedure is carried out, resulting in a three-resonator piezoelectric filter (with 1500 Hz center frequency) that is built and tested. The results are presented, indicating how closely the design specifications are met. The desire is to use this general process to design and fabricate a micro-scaled device in the future.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Methylxanthines stimulate calcium transport and inhibit cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in abalone sperm

Experiments were designed to determine the mechanism by which methylxanthines elevate abalone sperm cAMP concentrations and induce the acrosome reaction (AR). Theophylline or, more effectively, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX) inhibit the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities of abalone sperm homogenates. 45Ca2+ uptake by sperm is also stimulated by theophylline, and more effectively by MIX, and this stimulatory effect is blocked by KCN. Verapamil, a compound known to antagonize Ca2+ conductance, has no effect on the Ca2+ or MIX-induced cAMP elevation at concentrations up to 200 microM. However, verapamil reduces the sperm cAMP elevation caused by the addition of Ca2+ plus MIX. This inhibition is not complete, even at 200 microM verapamil. The AR induced by Ca2+ plus MIX is completely inhibited by 200 microM verapamil. The data suggest that these methylxanthines elevate abalone sperm cyclic nucleotide concentrations by inhibiting cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities. Furthermore, since sperm cAMP metabolism is modulated by Ca2+ flux, methylxanthines also appear to elevate abalone sperm cAMP concentrations by their effects on Ca2+ transport. The Ca2+-induced cAMP elevation occurs through a verapamil-insensitive mechanism, whereas the potentiation by MIX of the Ca2+ effect to elevate cAMP occurs through both verapamil-insensitive and -sensitive mechanisms. The methylxanthine-induced AR is mediated by a primary effect on Ca2+ transport and occurs through a verapamil-sensitive mechanism. Cyclic AMP may play a role in the methylxanthine-induced AR, but does not appear to act as the primary mediator of this exocytotic event.
A Study of Hereditary Chondrodystrophia in the Chick (“Creeper” Fowl) by Means of Embryonic Transplantation

Conclusions1. The “Creeper”-factor, both in homozygous and in heterozygous condition, acts locally in the limb-forming areas at least from the stage of the first visible appearance of the limb buds on. 2. In particular, the possibility that the Cp-factor acts indirectly by causing a deficiency of any substance contained in the blood circulation (nutritive, hormones, Ca, etc.) is ruled out. The transplantations were made shortly after onset of circulation. 3. Wing and leg primordia of early lethal CpCp-embryos differentiate into “phocomelic” appendages if transplanted to a normal host. This confirms Landauer's2 findings that “phocomelus” is the manifestation, in the appendages, of the Cp-factor in homozygous condition. 4. The fact that CpCp-limb primordia survive the critical stage of lethality if incorporated in a normal host suggests that the cause of lethality resides not in the limb-forming area but in another structure outside of it.
Technologies Of Health Policy

Major factors in adoption of new national health policies include (1) a crisis or perceived opportunity; (2) a persuasive diagnosis of what is needed; (3) a prescription for new policies; and (4) new technologies that are ready to go. The past twenty-five years illustrate that the development of new policy ideas to where they can be implemented as major nationwide reforms can take a decade or more. Many national policy ideas for evidence-based medicine—such as electronic health records, rapid-learning networks, predictive modeling, Medicare/Medicaid disease management, widespread pay-for-performance, and large consumer-information databases—are in a development phase.
Covalent binding of trans-stilbene to rat liver microsomes.

Abstract A number of estrogenic compounds have been shown to bind covalently to tissue macromolecules. Some of these agents cause impairement of liver function as measured by bromosulfophthalein clearance time. Trans-stilbene, a weak synthetic estrogen, which has been shown to be hydroxylated in several animal species, was investigated to determine if it covalently binds to tissue macromolecules. Liver damage was also evaluated histopathologically. Trans-stilbene binds covalently in vivo to various tissues of non-pretreated, phenobarbital-pretreated and 3-methylcholanthrene-pretreated rats. Pretreatment with 3-methylcholanthrene caused the greatest amounts of 14C-trans-stilbene to covalently bind to plasma and liver proteins. Studies in vitro showed that 14C-trans-stilbene became covalently bound to hepatic microsomes and that the covalent binding of 14C-trans-stilbene to liver microsomes from non-pretreated, phenobarbital-pretreated and 3-methylcholanthrene-pretreated rats was linear with time for at least 20 min. Oxygen and NADPH were necessary for binding. Carbon monoxide inhibited covalent binding to microsomes from non-pretreated rats and, to a much lesser extent, to microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-pretreated rats. The effects of various pretreatments on the covalent binding in vitro paralleled those of the binding in vivo. Although trans-stilbene was seen to bind covalently in vivo and in vitro, no histopathological abnormalities of liver or kidney were observed. Pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene, before administration of trans-stilbene, also did not cause any tissue abnormalities in liver or kidney. Glutathione did not seem to act as a protective agent in this study because, even after complete depletion of this substance, trans-stilbene did not cause any significant liver or kidney histopathological changes.
Tritium particle transport experiments on TFTR during D-T operation

The {ital t}({ital d},{ital n}){alpha} and {ital d}({ital d},{ital n}){sup 3}He neutron emissivity profiles are measured in a deuterium neutral-beam--heated plasma where a small amount of tritium (T) gas has been puffed. The tritium density is inferred from the neutron emissivities, and transport coefficients ({ital D},{ital V}) are determined. The particle diffusivities of T and {sup 4}He and the thermal diffusivity are similar in magnitude and profile shape. The convective velocity is small for {ital r}/{ital a}{lt}0.6, and is anomalous for {ital r}/{ital a}{gt}0.6. These are the first measurements of {ital D} and {ital V} for a hydrogen isotope in a tokamak plasma.
Two-Photon Absorption, Nonlinear Refraction and Optical Limiting in Semiconductors

Two-photon absorption coefficients /32 of ten direct gap semiconductors with band-gap energy Eg varying between 1 .4 and 3.7 eV were measured using 1.06 µm and 0.53 um picosecond pulses. $2 was found to scale as E43, as predicted by theory for the samples measured. Extension of the empirical relationship between $2 and Eg to InSb with Eg = 0.2 eV also provides agree-ment between previously measured values and the predicted 02. In addition, the absolute values of $2 are in excellent agreement (the average difference being <26%) with recent theory, which includes the effects of nonparabolic bands. The nonlinear refraction induced in these materials was monitored and found to agree well with the assumption that the self-refraction originates from the two-photon-generated free carriers. The observed self-defocusing yields an effective nonlinear index as much as two orders of magnitude larger than CS2 for comparable irradiances. This self-defocusing, in conjunction with two-photon absorption, was used to construct a simple, effective optical limiter that has high transmission at low input irradiance and low transmission at high input irradiance. The device is the optical analog of a Zener diode.
One-Dimensional Wave Bottom Boundary Layer Model Comparison: Specific Eddy Viscosity and Turbulence Closure Models

Six one-dimensional-vertical wave bottom boundary layer models are analyzed based on different methods for estimating the turbulent eddy viscosity: Laminar, linear, parabolic, \Ik\N—one equation turbulence closure, \Ik\N–e—two equation turbulence closure, and \Ik\N-ω—tw equation turbulence closure. Resultant velocity profiles, bed shear stresses, and turbulent kinetic energy are compared to laboratory data of oscillatory flow over smooth and rough beds. Bed shear stress estimates for the smooth bed case were most closely predicted by the \Ik\N–ω model. Normalized errors between model predictions and measurements of velocity profiles over the entire computational domain collected at 15° intervals for one-half a wave cycle show that overall the linear model was most accurate. The least accurate were the laminar and \Ik\N–e models. Normalized errors between model predictions and turbulence kinetic energy profiles showed that the \Ik\N–ω model was most accurate. Based on these findings, when the smallest overall velocity profile prediction error is required, the processing requirements and error analysis suggest that the linear eddy viscosity model is adequate. However, if accurate estimates of bed shear stress and TKE are required then, of the models tested, the \Ik\N–ω model should be used.
The role of multi-employer collective agreements in regulating terms and conditions of employment in Hungary:

The transition has opened up the space for trade unions to take up a different role and to adopt new strategies of interest representation. Multi-employer collective bargaining was reinstitutionalised in 1989 and this paper analyses the role of multi-employer collective agreements in shaping the new Hungarian industrial relations system and assesses the regulating force of such agreements. The conclusion is reached that multi-employer collective agreements have, in general, not proved to be an effective new mechanism for regulating terms and conditions of employment. After the wave of multi-employer agreements concluded in 1991 and 1992, their coverage decreased substantially. At the present time there appears to be no more than a rather small section of employers and trade unions who have adopted agreements of this type for the - partial - regulation of terms and conditions of employment. The paper argues that not enough frameworks and institutions have been set up to enable collective bargaining and joi...
Observations on Late Pleistocene cooling and precipitation in the lowland Neotropics

Although accurate reconstructions of Amazonian palaeoclimates are central to under- standing the distribution and history of Neotropical biodiversity, current reconstructions based on proxy data are discordant and subject to intense debate. We review some current thinking in Amazonian climatology and incorporate some new ideas in an attempt to explain the apparently con- tradictory records of palaeoprecipitation from across the Amazon Basin. We suggest that palaeoecol- ogists need to recognise that organised convective radiation, the process that induces most wet season rainfall in Amazonia, should be treated as a phenomenon related to, but separate from, the passage of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Decoupling ITCZ migration from larger con- vective activity provides a mechanism to account for observed palaeoclimatic heterogeneity. Patterns of observed precipitation change are consistent with the long-term persistence of closed forest across much of Amazonia, indicating that the greatest changes in precipitation during the last glacial max- imum came during the wet season, which would have little negative impact on forest extent. Neo- tropical cooling at the last glacial maximum (LGM) is widely accepted, although the estimates of that cooling range between 1 � C and > 5 � C. In answering the basic question 'What is meant by cooling?' we observe that interhemispheric ice mass asymmetry may have caused cooling to be manifested differently according to location. A terrestrial cooling of ca. 5 � C, as well as radiative cooling and event-based cooling combined to induce vegetation change. Probably, both absolute temperature and mean monthly minima were reduced by polar air incursions in the northern Neotropics. How- ever, in the southern Neotropics, mean monthly minima were reduced by more frequent incursions of Patagonian air masses, but absolute minima may have been largely unchanged. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Origins of Campaign Agendas

Why and how do candidates choose the issues on which their campaigns are based? Drawing on a large database of candidate advertisements from the 1998 House and Senate campaigns, extant theories of issue emphasis, which focus on factors such as party ownership and candidate record, are tested here and these theories are expanded by examining in more detail the role of constituency characteristics. Most notably, party ownership’s impact is demonstrated to be weak: candidates are more willing to ‘trespass’ or talk about the other party’s issues than previous literature has found. Also ‘trespassing’ is shown to be facilitated by framing the other party’s issues in certain ways. The results have implications for theories of candidate strategy and for normative questions, such as how much ‘dialogue’ occurs in campaigns. One chief function of electoral campaigns is to place issues before voters. Given that most voters are relatively inattentive to politics, campaigns provide a crucial arena for candidates to discuss their views on specific issues. Commentators in turn refer to the agendas that candidates formulate as ‘what this election is about’. Campaign agendas also resonate beyond the campaign as elected officials arrive in various capitals and draw on these agendas to guide policy making. Campaign agendas take on even greater import because there are electoral benefits to agenda setting. Candidates can win votes by emphasizing issues where they perceive an advantage, thereby making these issues prominent in voters’ minds. This strategy is an appealing alternative to other, arguably more difficult tactics, such as shifting one’s own position as a candidate to match the voters’ or persuading voters to adopt a specific position on an issue. As candidates begin to formulate agendas, salient political events and public opinion are very much on their minds. For example, events such as a war or an economic recession often figure prominently in campaign agendas. Candidates also consult the electorate; answers to a polling question like ‘What do you think is the most important problem facing our country?’ may lead candidates to profess similar concerns. These kinds of factors undoubtedly contribute to variation in campaign agendas across election years. However, these factors may not fully explain variation among candidates within any given election. Salient events and the public’s agenda are often national in scope and should
Judging mens rea: the tension between folk concepts and legal concepts of intentionality.

Concepts such as intention, motive, or forethought have generated a great deal of doubt, dispute, and confusion in legal decision making. Here we argue for an empirically based strategy of defining and using such mens rea concepts. Instead of the standard approach of settling these concepts by theoretical argument and the debaters' own intuitions, we rely on social psychological research to determine the meaning and significance of folk concepts concerning mens rea. We demonstrate the reliable and systematic use of people's concept of intentionality, contrast it with the bewildering variety of related legal concepts, and apply the folk model of intentionality to debated distinctions between intention and intentionality, desire and intention, and belief and intention. This folk-conceptual approach promises clarity of mens rea concepts and a reconciliation of the legal and layperson's view of human behavior. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Guest Editorial Robot Vision

In August 1982 a conference on Robotics and Industrial Automation (Proc. SPIE 360, D. P. Casasent, ed.) elicited a tremendous response, with standing room only at nearly all presentations. This was followed in August 1983 by a Critical Review of Technology conference on Robotics and Robot Sensing Sys-tems (Proc. SPIE 442, D. Casasent and E. L. Hall, eds.). Beginning in November 1983 a permanent conference time and site were established. Future annual SPIE meetings in this field will be held in the fall in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Implementation of the Sound Partners Reading Program

Eleven first grade and 10 second grade students, all with reading and behavioral difficulties, received one-on-one tutoring using the Sound Partners reading program (Vadasy & Pool, l997). Students received 30 min of tutoring each day for 5 months. Students were assessed on Letter-Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Word Attack subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised (WJ-R): Tests of Achievement. An informal measure (rapid letter naming) was also used. Results indicated that gains of approximately 1 standard deviation (or greater) were noted for subtests of the WJ-R for first-grade students; second graders showed relatively stable performance from pre- to posttest assessments. Similar performance was noted on the informal measure across grades. Program satisfaction data showed that overall the tutors, teachers, and students were pleased with the program. Discussion focuses on the implications for future investigations.
ViVUD: Virtual Server Cluster Based View-Upload Decoupling for Multi-Channel P2P Video Streaming Systems

Despite the success to deliver increasingly large number of channels to millions of users, the current multi-channel P2P video streaming systems still suffer several fundamental performance problems, such as large start-up delays and poor performance for unpopular channels. To alleviate the impact of channel churn and resource imbalance, the View-Upload Decoupling (VUD) P2P streaming design decouples peer downloading and uploading, and enables cross-channel resource sharing. However, VUD incurs upload bandwidth overhead and distribution swarm management cost. It is also challenging to adapt VUD distribution swarms in extreme peer churn scenarios, such as flash-crowd. In this paper, we propose ViVUD, a Virtual Server Cluster based VUD design. In ViVUD, a virtual server cluster consisting of bandwidth-rich peers is provisioned to improve the streaming quality of each channel. A virtual server cluster provides stable video feeds to boost peers newly joining a channel to reduce their start-up delays. To enable cross-channel bandwidth sharing, following the VUD design, virtual server clusters for unpopular channels are formed by bandwidth-rich peers watching popular channels. Through analysis and simulations, we show that, compared with the original VUD design, ViVUD incurs less upload bandwidth overhead, has lighter management requirement, achieves lower channel start-up delays, and adapts faster to flash crowds.
Design and implementation of multicast operations for ATM-based high performance computing

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the efficient implementation of multicast operations for cluster-based parallel computing on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks. Both software- and hardware-based multicast operations have been implemented and studied on a three-switch ATM network testbed. Performance measurements are presented that illustrate how software approaches can best take advantage of switch-based network architectures, and what additional advantage can be gained from using underlying hardware support. >
'From Red Blanket to Civilization': Propaganda and Recruitment Films for South Africa's Gold Mines, 1920-1940

This article highlights the importance of motion pictures in the Transvaal Chamber of Mines' strategy to recruit and educate African workers for the Witwatersrand gold mines during the interwar years. Responding to the need for an ever-expanding workforce, in the mid-1920s industry officials began producing and exhibiting recruiting films in the reserves and protectorates in a bid to establish hegemony over labour reservoirs. Miners on the Rand were also shown films promoting western medicine and safety procedures in a bid to reduce contagion and worksite injuries. These films, overlooked in the historiography to date, are an important source for historians as they were among the earliest examples of colonial cinema produced south of the Sahara, and provided tens of thousands of African villagers with their first opportunity for viewing motion pictures. Accounts in white newspapers smugly reported on spectators ‘running in terror’ from the screen, but Chamber memos show that officials recognised the abili...
Electrocardiographic monitoring in the hospitalized patient: a diagnostic intervention of uncertain clinical impact

Electrocardiographic monitoring, also known as telemetry monitoring or cardiac monitoring, focuses on the detection of clinically significant dysrhythmia. Although electrocardiographic monitoring has advantages and is undoubtedly invaluable in certain patients, significant overuse of cardiac telemetry monitoring does occur. The impact of this inappropriate use increases the cost of healthcare and can delay the admission process, an unpleasant burden which the hospital and its patients must bear. In addition, the liberal use of monitoring in unnecessary situations may give the hospital staff a false sense of security and/or desensitize them to alarms. In many instances, electrocardiographic monitoring may not be necessary. This article will review the literature regarding inpatient telemetry and its impact; furthermore, we will suggest high-yield criteria for its application among the inpatient population.
Mechanism for the posture-specific plasma volume increase after a single intense exercise protocol

To test the hypothesis that exercise-induced hypervolemia is a posture-dependent process, we measured plasma volume, plasma albumin content, and renal function in seven healthy subjects for 22 h af...
Electromagnetic modeling of beam position and phase monitors for the LANSCE linac

Electromagnetic modeling has been used to compare designs of pickups for the beam position and phase monitors (BPPM) for the Los Alamos neutron science center (LANSCE) linac. This study is a part of the efforts to upgrade LANSCE beam diagnostics [1]. MAFIA 3-D time-domain simulations with an ultra-relativistic beam allow computing the signal amplitudes and phases on the BPPM electrodes for the given processing frequency, 201.25 MHz, as functions of the beam transverse position. An analytical model can be applied to extrapolate the simulation results to lower beam velocities. Based on modeling results, a BPPM design with 4 one-end-shorted electrodes each covering 60-degree subtended angle, similar to the SNS linac BPPM [2], appears to provide the best combination of mechanical and diagnostics properties for the LANSCE side-coupled linac.
Optimization of prosthetic hand manufacturing

3D printing is a manufacturing method that holds much promise for customized prosthetic devices, particularly in developing countries. There are many open-source prosthetic hands designed specifically for the additive manufacturing process. However, the excessive time (i.e., 32–53 hours) required for printing and assembly hinders scale up. This article analyzes 3D printing and injection molding strategies to determine the optimal manufacturing method that balances manufacturing time and cost. While injection molding is less suited to individualization of prosthetic hands due to high upfront costs and long development times associated with the creation of each new mold, production time and cost significantly decrease thereafter. After analyzing manufacturing costs and times as well as anthropometric data, a hybridized process was selected in which the palm would be 3D printed and other parts injection molded. For the injection molded components, a set of three standard sizes was selected to fit the majority of the population by analyzing anthropometric data from both the U.S. military and general populations.
Patient Sexual Behaviors and Sexual Harassment: A National Survey of Physical Therapists

Background and Purpose. The objective of this study was to describe the extent to which physical therapists have experienced patient sexual behaviors and sexual harassment. Subjects and Methods. A questionnaire was mailed to 750 individuals selected from a computer-generated, randomized sample provided by the American Physical Therapy Association of members who identified themselves as being licensed physical therapists and currently engaged in clinical practice. Completed questionnaires were returned by 48.6% of the eligible sample. Results. Eight-six percent of the respondents reported having experienced some form of patient sexual behavior in the course of practice. The vast majority of these incidents were not rated as harassment. Sixty-three percent of the respondents, however, reported at least one incident of sexual harassment. Despite those high rates, less than one third of the respondents had received any training in how to handle sexual harassment. Conclusion and Discussion. The results support the findings of previous investigators who concluded that patient sexual behavior and sexual harassment is an important issue that needs to addressed in training programs.
Redefining Russia: Fieldwork, Qualitative Methods, and Russian Politics

This paper examines changes in the varieties of qualitative fieldwork undertaken in Russia by Western political scientists over the last decade. All qualitative research faces a fundamental hurdle in overcoming issues of access and ensuring the credibility of one’s observations. These issues are particularly acute when the area of investigation is explicitly political and local regimes are sensitive to scrutiny. The initial consequence may be a shrinking of the field and a corresponding change in fieldwork practices. To assess the presence and extent of such changes, this paper examines the use of qualitative research methods in articles focused on Russian politics that were published in first- and second-tier political science journals in the United States and Great Britain over the last decade. I argue that changes in the practice of qualitative fieldwork go further than reflecting an adaptation of technique to new political context. In the long run, the standing of Western political scientists within their own discipline comes into play when confronting these changes in fieldwork practices. Awareness of the past stigma of Russianists as “Sovietologists” and “Kremlinologists” means that they are more likely to accept a reconceptualization of Russia or abandon it altogether rather than risk isolation from academic hiring and publishing opportunities.
On the performance of energy detectors in generalized fading environments

In this article, we carryout performance analysis on energy detectors in myriads of generalized fading environments. We utilize a new “exponential-type” contour and finite-range integral representations for the generalized M-th order Marcum Q-function QM(α,β) when its real order M>0 is not necessarily an integer. The accuracy of the new alternative integral representation for Marcum Q-function is validated using various existing representations. The form of the proposed integral representations (valid for real order M) facilitates its utility in various applications such as the evaluation of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) of Bartlett periodogram (with/without zero padding) and the partial area under the ROC curves metric of Bartlett periodogram with/without diversity combining in a myriad of fading environments.
The effects of methylphenidate on cerebral responses to conflict anticipation and unsigned prediction error in a stop-signal task:

To adapt flexibly to a rapidly changing environment, humans must anticipate conflict and respond to surprising, unexpected events. To this end, the brain estimates upcoming conflict on the basis of prior experience and computes unsigned prediction error (UPE). Although much work implicates catecholamines in cognitive control, little is known about how pharmacological manipulation of catecholamines affects the neural processes underlying conflict anticipation and UPE computation. We addressed this issue by imaging 24 healthy young adults who received a 45 mg oral dose of methylphenidate (MPH) and 62 matched controls who did not receive MPH prior to performing the stop-signal task. We used a Bayesian Dynamic Belief Model to make trial-by-trial estimates of conflict and UPE during task performance. Replicating previous research, the control group showed anticipation-related activation in the presupplementary motor area and deactivation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus, as well ...
Lack of Historical Restrictions on the Commercial and Private Transfer of Firearms in the United States

This Article seeks to answer what may seem a silly question: How widespread were private party transfers (both sales and lending) and commercial sales of firearms in the Bill of Rights and Fourteenth Amendment periods of American history. In U.S. v. Hosford (D.Md. 2015), the decision held: “Neither party has attempted to provide comprehensive evidence of the state of the law at the time of ratification concerning the commercial sale of firearms.” This paper provides such evidence. There was a thriving trade in arms of all types, especially firearms, no restrictions on the general (commercial and private) transfer of arms, and few on the transfer of particular items (e.g., bowie knives) or to particular persons (e.g., negros).
The Importance of Other Information in Setting Stock Prices: A Cross-Country Comparison

We investigate the explanatory power that Ohlson's (1995) other information (v) has for explaining stock prices in different countries. We use analysts' earnings forecasts to estimate the value of other information for a sample of public companies in seven industrialized countries. We hypothesize that in those countries where financial accounting earnings are more (less) value relevant, other information will be less (more) important in setting stock prices. We estimate separate firm-level time-series regressions, and our measure of value relevance is the increase in R2 from a regression of prices on book value, residual income, and other information. The increase in R2 from adding residual income to the model is negatively correlated with the increase from adding other information across our sample countries. Our results provide evidence that other information tends to be more (less) value relevant in those countries in which earnings information is less (more) value relevant.