cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thompson v. Clark: Does a Fourth Amendment Malicious Prosecution Claim Require Affirmative Proof of the Plaintiff’s Innocence?

The article for the American Bar Association previews the U.S. Supreme Court case of Thompson v. Clark, No. 20-659, to be argued on October 12, 2021. A New York City police officer arrested Thompson for obstruction of justice and resisting arrest. Thompson sued the officer under Section 1983 for malicious prosecution under the Fourth Amendment after that criminal complaint was dismissed "in the interest of justice." The question presented is whether the rule that a plaintiff must demonstrate favorable termination of a criminal case when filing a Section 1983 claim alleging "unreasonable seizure pursuant to legal process" requires the plaintiff to show that the criminal case ended in a manner "not inconsistent with innocence,” as petitioner Thompson contends, or in a manner that "affirmatively indicates innocence,” as the respondent police officer argues.
Imperfection and Thickness Measurement of Panels Using a Coordinate Measurement Machine

This paper summarizes the methodology used to measure imperfection and thickness variation for flat and curved panels using a Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM) and the software program MeasPanel. The objective is to provide a reference document so that someone with a basic understanding of CMM operation can measure a panel with minimal training. Detailed information about both the measurement system setup and computer software is provided. Information is also provided about the format of the raw data, as well as how it is post-processed for use in finite-element analysis.
Abstract 17329: Prognostic Value of Coronary Flow Reserve in Patients with Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Introduction: Although abnormal coronary flow reserve (CFR) is frequently seen after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, little is known about its association with clinical outcomes. Hypothesis: We tested the hypothesis that CFR quantification will provide improved risk stratification in patients with prior CABG. Methods: We studied 567 consecutive patients (73.5% male; age 73 ± 11 years) undergoing PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for evaluation of chest pain and/or dyspnea after CABG from 2006 to 2013. The median time between first CABG and PET MPI was 9.9 years, and 45 patients underwent redo CABG before PET study. Ischemia + Scar score was calculated by dividing summed stress score by 68 and multiplying by 100 to obtain a percentage. Rest and stress myocardial blood flow (MBF, in mL/min/g) were quantified, and CFR was calculated as stress/rest MBF. Primary and secondary endpoints were defined as all cause death, and all cause death plus non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), respectively. Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the association of CFR and outcomes. Results: The mean CFR was 1.56 ± 0.56. During a median follow up of 2.4 years, 146 deaths and 43 non-fatal MI occurred. The annualized death rate increased with increasing levels of LV ischemia+scar score on PET MPI, and it was highest with each worsening groups of CFR (Figure). In survival analysis adjusting for clinical risk score (Morise), a history of MI, time from CABG, LV ischemia+scar score, and rest LVEF, higher CFR was associated with lower primary (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.93 [95% CI: 0.90 - 0.97] per 0.1 unit increase, p < 0.001) and secondary endpoints (HR: 0.94, [95% CI: 0.91 - 0.97] per 0.1 unit increase, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Coronary flow reserve measurements, as measured by PET MPI, provide improved risk stratification in patients with prior CABG. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Hepato‐pancreatectomy: how morbid? Results from the national surgical quality improvement project

Background Simultaneous resection of both the liver and the pancreas carries significant complexity. The objective of this study was to investigate peri-operative outcomes after a synchronous hepatectomy and pancreatectomy (SHP).
Physical pictures: Engineering models circa 1914 and in Wittgenstein's "Tractatus"

Today I want to talk about an element in the milieu in which Ludwig Wittgenstein conceived the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus that has not been recognized to date: the generalization of the methodology of experimental scale models that occurred just about the time he was writing it. I find it very helpful to keep in mind how this kind of model portrays when reading the Tractatus — in particular, when reading the statements about pictures and models, such as: That a picture is a fact (TLP 2.141 1), That a picture is a model of reality (TLP 2.12), That the “pictorial relationship” that makes a picture a picture is part of that picture (TLP 2.1.5.3), and That a picture must have its pictorial form in common with reality in order to able to depict it (TLP 2.17).
New Species of Hemiphileurus Kolbe from Honduras and Guatemala (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Phileurini)

Abstract The following new species of Hemiphileurus are described: H. cavei Ratcliffe from Honduras and H. dechambrei Ratcliffe from Guatemala. A diagnosis is given for each species, and the parameres are illustrated for these and similar species.
The cleavage of a phospha-alkyne at a reduced tantalum centre. Possible intermediacy of a tantalum phosphide

Abstract The reaction of Ta(OAr)2Cl3 (Ar  4-Me,2,6-t-Bu2C6H2) with 3.0 equivalents of Na/Hg, followed by treatment with 3.0 equivalents of t-BuC results in the formation of the 2,5-di-t-butyl-1,3,4-triphosphacyclopentadienyl (1) and 2,4,5-tri-t-butyl-1,3-diphosphacyclopentadienyl (2) anions. It is speculated that the formation of 1 involves the phosphide intermediate, (ArO)2TaP.
Fusion Peptide of Influenza Hemagglutinin Requires a Fixed Angle Boomerang Structure for Activity

The fusion peptide of influenza hemagglutinin is crucial for cell entry of this virus. Previous studies showed that this peptide adopts a boomerang-shaped structure in lipid model membranes at the pH of membrane fusion. To examine the role of the boomerang in fusion, we changed several residues proposed to stabilize the kink in this structure and measured fusion. Among these, mutants E11A and W14A expressed hemagglutinins with hemifusion and no fusion activities, and F9A and N12A had no effect on fusion, respectively. Binding enthalpies and free energies of mutant peptides to model membranes and their ability to perturb lipid bilayer structures correlated well with the fusion activities of the parent full-length molecules. The structure of W14A determined by NMR and site-directed spin labeling features a flexible kink that points out of the membrane, in sharp contrast to the more ordered boomerang of the wild-type, which points into the membrane. A specific fixed angle boomerang structure is thus required to support membrane fusion.
Flexible digital signal processing architecture for narrowband and spread-spectrum lock-in detection in multiphoton microscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy

The lock-in amplifier is a critical component in many different types of experiments, because of its ability to reduce spurious or environmental noise components by restricting detection to a single frequency and phase. One example application is pump-probe microscopy, a multiphoton technique that leverages excited-state dynamics for imaging contrast. With this application in mind, we present here the design and implementation of a high-speed lock-in amplifier on the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) coprocessor of a data acquisition board. The most important advantage is the inherent ability to filter signals based on more complex modulation patterns. As an example, we use the flexibility of the FPGA approach to enable a novel pump-probe detection scheme based on spread-spectrum communications techniques.
Theo1: Characterization of very long-term frequency stability

Theo1 is the first new species of variance that addresses a particularly difficult measurement problem, namely, obtaining reliable estimation of frequency stability for sample periods that are long compared to the length of a data run. Theo1 has statistical properties that are like the Allan variance (Avar), but Theo1 also has two advantages over other estimators of frequency stability: (1) it can evaluate frequency stability at a sample period (τ) of 3/4 the length of a data run, and (2) it presently attains the highest equivalent degrees of freedom (edf) of any estimator of frequency stability including Total-var and overlapping-Avar. Theo1 is unbiased relative to Avar for WHFM noise. Theo1 is biased slightly low with FLFM and RWFM, and we present a formula for a hybrid statistic (TheoH) made up of a combination of Theo1 and Avar in which bias is automatically removed. We explain the sampling function used in Theo1 and show that its frequency response is nearly ideal for extracting power-law noise processes of the types encountered with precision oscillators and clocks. We present results which, for a given data run, show how Theo1 anticipates the levels of frequency stability that are determined by Avar when given a longer data run from the same set of clocks.
Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in a Child After General Anesthesia

Inquiries to Anthony J. Locastro, M.D., 3518 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3388. Occlusion of the central retinal artery is uncommon in children. Brown, Magaral, and Shields! studied 27 children and young adults who developed retinal artery obstruction and found an association with migraine, coagulation abnormalities, trauma, sickle cell disease, cardiac disorders, use of oral contraceptives, pregnancy, drusen of the optic disk, and increased intraocular pressure. None of the cases occurred under general anesthesia. We treated a healthy 12-year-old girl who developed a central retinal artery occlusion during a procedure to correct scoliosis of the spine. A 12-year-old girl underwent posterior spinal fusion of the third thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae with an iliac crest graft and rib excision. During this eight-hour operation, the patient was in a prone position with her face resting on a padded head ring (Fig. 1). Throughout the procedure, there was no hypotension (blood pressure less than 100/60 mm Hg), and the blood volume was maintained. Continuous monitoring showed blood oxygen saturation to be completely maintained. In the recovery area, ecchymosis and edema of the right eyelids were observed, and the iris was noted to be discolored. An ophthalmology consultation confirmed the eyelid ecchymosis
Quantifying Self-Organization with Optimal Predictors

Despite broad interest in self-organizing systems, there are few quantitative, experimentally applicable criteria for self-organization. The existing criteria all give counter-intuitive results for important cases. In this Letter, we propose a new criterion, namely, an internally generated increase in the statistical complexity, the amount of information required for optimal prediction of the system's dynamics. We precisely define this complexity for spatially extended dynamical systems, using the probabilistic ideas of mutual information and minimal sufficient statistics. This leads to a general method for predicting such systems and a simple algorithm for estimating statistical complexity. The results of applying this algorithm to a class of models of excitable media (cyclic cellular automata) strongly support our proposal.
Diagnosing Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract Diagnosing microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) after it has occurred requires a combination of microbiological, metallurgical, and chemical analyses. MIC investigations have typic...
Stimulus-evoked changes in neostriatal dopamine levels in awake and anesthetized rats as measured by microdialysis.

Abstract The effect of medial forebrain bundle (MFB) stimulation on neostriatal dopamine levels was examined using in vivo microdialysis in urethane-anesthetized and awake, freely-moving rats in conjuction with single unit extracellular recordings from antidromically identified nigral dopaminergic neurons. Dialysis samples were collected during baseline periods or while stimulating the MFB with trains of 5 or 10 pulses at different frequencies within a physiologically relevant range. When the perfusion solution contained 1.2 mM Ca2+, even intense, high frequency stimulation was ineffective at producing significant elevations in neostriatal dopamine levels whereas cocaine or amphetamine reliably caused several-fold elevations in dopamine levels. When the perfusate contained 2.4 mM Ca2+, modest MFB stimulation within the range of spontaneous nigral cell firing produced large and reliable increases in dopamine levels. There was a significant correlation between the proportion of dopaminergic neurons that could be antidromically activated from the MFB and the increase in neostriatal dopamine. There was no effect of stimulus pattern on the increase in dopamine levels, and results obtained in awake, freely-moving animals did not differ from those obtained in anesthetized animals. These data provide good evidence that in vivo microdialysis is sensitive to neostriatal dopamine overflow evoked by stimulation within the normal rate of firing of nigrostriatal neurons and that Ringer's Ca2+ concentration is a critical variable in the detection of stimulus-induced release of dopamine.
Hybrid organosilazane/organosilylamine telechelic oligomers?I. Two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy characterization of dimethylsilylethylenediamine oligomers

The detailed characterization of multifunctional hybrid organosilazane/organosilylamine telechelic oligomers by IR and 1H, 13C and 29Si NMR spectroscopy in one and two dimenions has been undertaken. The specific multifunctional oligomers, comprising NH/NH2 or SiCl functionalities depending on the monomer feed-ratio, were prepared from mono- and di-functionally reacted dichlorodimethylsilane (DDS) and mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-functionally reacted ethylenediamine (EDA). Varying the feed-ratio afforded control of the microstructures of the oligomers and the preparation of oligomers with, in some cases, conterminously located silicon–chlorine (SiCl) groups. The combination of the NMR methods with the IR technique has enabled the detailed microstructural characterization of the oligomers and the identification of the functionalities therein. This approach and the knowledge gained from the DDS/EDA system has been applied to the microstructural characterization of other hybrid organosilazane/silylamine preceramic telechelic oligomers.
The risks and benefits associated with global outsourcing

Many companies have turned to outsourcing as a common practice for their businesses. This paper looks at the current trend of outsourcing and its efficiency for the companies that use it. This is done by looking at the reasons for and against outsourcing and comparing the two. The evidence points to the fact that outsourcing enhances a company's worth, lowers the cost of production and helps a corporation stay competitive. This evidence makes outsourcing very attractive and efficient for companies in the current economy. However, there are quite a few dreadful facts that accompany the outsourcing trend and that must be heeded for the right choices to be made. The more favourable result currently is that outsourcing can be beneficial for a company as long as it is carefully planned and strategically enacted to avoid all possible pitfalls. A look at the economic theory behind outsourcing leads to a question of what the next step is for the future.
A Multidimensional Agency Survey

Human service agency cultures are often difficult to understand. Competing values and paradoxical assumptions add to that difficulty. In this study, we use a well-established framework for organizational analysis to establish a tool to assess differing values and assumptions in diverse field agencies. A total of 200 MSW field instructors responded to a mailed survey at a 50% response rate. Comparisons of responses by participants in private and public agencies revealed that public agencies tended to have more traditional cultures than nonprofit agencies. Younger agencies were more likely to score higher than older agencies on items representing alternative perspectives. Participants perceived their organizations as straddling multiple perspectives. Knowing what values and assumptions are dominant within an organization may allow the professional to assess his or her fit within that organization and how to approach change within respective cultures.
Understanding the dynamic relationship between cerebral blood flow and the BOLD signal: Implications for quantitative functional MRI.

Abstract Calibrated BOLD imaging, in which traditional measurements of the BOLD signal are combined with measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) within a BOLD biophysical model to estimate changes in oxygen metabolism (CMRO 2 ), has been a valuable tool for untangling the physiological processes associated with neural stimulus-induced BOLD activation. However, to date this technique has largely been applied to the study of essentially steady-state physiological changes (baseline to activation) associated with block-design stimuli, and it is unclear whether this approach may be directly extended to the study of more dynamic, naturalistic experimental designs. In this study we tested an assumption underlying this technique whose validity is critical to the application of calibrated BOLD to the study of more dynamic stimuli, that information about fluctuations in venous cerebral blood volume (CBV v ) can be captured indirectly by measuring fluctuations in CBF, making the independent measurement of CBV v unnecessary. To accomplish this, simultaneous arterial spin labeling and BOLD imaging were used to measure the CBF and BOLD responses to flickering checkerboards with contrasts that oscillated continuously with frequencies of ~ 0.02–0.16 Hz. The measurements were then fit to a dynamic physiological model of the BOLD response in order to explore the range of consistent CMRO 2 and CBV v responses. We found that the BOLD and CBF responses were most consistent with relatively tight dynamic coupling between CBF and CMRO 2 and a CBV v response that was an order of magnitude slower than either CBF or CMRO 2 . This finding suggests that the assumption of tight flow–volume coupling may not be strictly valid, complicating the extension of calibrated BOLD to more naturalistic experimental designs.
LEGSys: wireless gait evaluation system using wearable sensors

Measurement of gait parameters typically takes place in dedicated laboratory environments, which require space commitment, and expensive equipments such as multi-camera motion capture systems and force plates. Despite the high cost, a laboratory-bound approach limits the number of strides each person can take and the length of time the measurements last. To enable detailed measurement of gait in unconstrained environments, we are developing LEGSys™ (Locomotion Evaluation and Gait System), a portable gait evaluation system based on wearable motion sensors. LEGSys™ supports up to five small 9-degree-of-freedom (9DOF) inertial sensors to capture details of leg movements. The key advantages of this system include the capability of being used outside of gait laboratory, over ample walking distance and long duration of time, with different footwear conditions, and on different walking surfaces.
Individual, Social, and Environmental Factors Associated With Support for Smoke-Free Housing Policies Among Subsidized Multiunit Housing Tenants

INTRODUCTION Mandatory smoke-free policies in subsidized, multiunit housing (MUH) may decrease secondhand smoke exposure in households with the highest rates of exposure. Ideally, policies should be based on a strong understanding of factors affecting support for smoke-free policies in the target population to maximize effectiveness. METHODS A face-to-face survey was conducted from August to October 2011 using a stratified random sample of private subsidized housing units in Columbus, OH, without an existing smoke-free policy (n = 301, 64% response rate). Lease holders were asked to report individual, social, and environmental factors hypothesized to be related to support for smoke-free policies. Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with policy support. RESULTS Most tenants supported smoke-free policies in common areas (82.7%), half supported policies inside units (54.5%), and one third supported a ban outside the building (36.3%). Support for smoke-free policies in units and outdoors was more common among nonsmokers than smokers (71.5% vs. 35.7%, p < .001 and 46.2% vs. 25.4%, p < .001, respectively). Several individual and social, but no environmental, factors were independently associated with policy support. Smokers who intended to quit within 6 months or less were more likely than other smokers to support in-unit policies (45.3% vs. 21.1%; p = .003). CONCLUSIONS More than half of subsidized MUH tenants supported smoke-free policies inside their units. Strategies to address individual- and social-level barriers to behavior change should be implemented in parallel with smoke-free policies. Policies should be evaluated with objective measures to determine their effectiveness.
Preparing Newcomers to Enhance Assimilation into Groups: A Group Therapy Example

A common event in most groups is the introduction of new members into the established group in order to compensate for attrition, to expand, or to change. Newcomers in group often have little or no idea of what occurs in the group and may drop out if expectations are too divergent from the realities of the group process. The introduction of a newcomer may also have disruptive effects on the established group. These effects may be exaggerated in therapy groups. However, with preparation of the newcomer and the group, the integration of the newcomer can be enhanced. The literature on newcomers in groups is scattered and deals with many settings. This literature is examined and a general model examining factors felt to be important for successful assimilation in group psychotherapy is presented.
Vascularization of Skin Grafts

THE question of how skin grafts are revascularized is still not resolved1–3. In particular, it is not known whether the vessels in the vascular bed of a graft derive from the host or the donor. In what follows, we provide three independent lines of evidence which suggest that in full-thickness skin grafts, the vessels are native to the graft at least for the first several days and during the period of allograft rejection. The possibility that the endothelium in surviving allografts may eventually be replaced by cells of host genotype is important4 but outside the scope of this report.
An existence theorem for a nonlinear difference equation

where p > 1 and {s,)‘p is a real sequence. We establish conditions under which (1.1) has a positive nondecreasing solution. Here a solution of (1.1) is a real sequence y = (_Y~); which satisfies (1.1). Since (1.1) is a recurrence relation, given real initial values y, and y, , it is clear that we can inductively obtain y, , y, , . . . . Since p is a real number greater than 1, the sequence (yk] may not be real (that is, not a solution). Note, however, that any constant multiple of a solution is again a solution. The existence question originated in [l], where it was shown that Hardy’s inequality for a series [2] can be viewed as a necessary condition for the existence of a positive nondecreasing solution of (1.1). Our existence theorem reduces to a nonoscillation criterion in the case p = 2, since then (1.1) changes to a second order linear difference equation (see, e.g. [3]). A brief outline of the paper is as follows. Section 2 introduces a Riccati-type transformation and then develops various necessary conditions for the existence of a positive nondecreasing solution. Section 3 discusses some of the functional analytic background which is needed in order to apply Schauder’s theorem. Section 4 contains the proof of our existence theorem, and Section 5 describes a comparison theorem which allows us to drop the assumption that the coefficients sk in (1.1) are nonnegative.
Ryser's permanent identity in the symmetric algebra

The polynomial algebra ofver a field is canonically isomorphic to the symmetric algebra over a vector space. Several identities expressing homogeneous polynomials in terms of sums of powers of linear polynomials are exploited to obtain Ryser'ś permanent identity along with extensions of some recent identities due to Bebiano.
The role of the (output) phonological buffer in reading, writing, and repetition

Recent efforts directed at understanding the nature of cognitive disorders have been guided by the assumption that the analysis and interpretation of cognitive impairments cannot proceed independently of a clearly formulated model of the cognitive systems assumed to be disrupted. In other words, the approach that is used increasingly in the analysis of cognitive disorders is to formulate a detailed model of the component structure of a particular cognitive system which, when “lesioned” appropriately, functions in such a way as to generate the patterns of cognitive impairments observed in brain-damaged patients. Research within this framework has already contributed to a general characterisation of the architecture of various cognitive systems; it has helped raise a number of important questions about the structure of specific components of these systems; and it has contributed to the formulation of specific hypotheses about the locus of functional lesions that underlie particular forms of cognitive impairment.
K+ channels close more slowly in the presence of external K+ and Rb+.

The voltage-sensitive gates regulating the permeability of ionic channels in nerve membrane were originally thought to be insensitive to the concentration1 and species2,3 of readily permeant cations. In contrast, blocking cations—tetraethyl-ammonium4, N-methylstrychnine5 or pancuronium6—when present in the inner end of potassium or sodium channels, hinder closing of the gates by a ‘foot in the door’ effect. Recent work on acetylcholine channels has clearly shown that the lifetime of the conducting state is prolonged by certain species of permeant cations7,8. In this case, the presence of a permeant ion near the inner end of the channel is thought to prevent closing. Somewhat similar effects have recently been reported for the K+ channels of nerve membrane9–11. We report here unequivocal evidence that the permeant cations K+ and Rb+ when present externally, slow the closing of K+ channels in squid axon, supporting the view that gating is indeed sensitive to the presence and species of permeant cations in the channels.
A comment on “buffer space allocation in automated assembly lines”

Counterintuitive optimal buffer capacity allocation patterns appeared in a 1988 paper by J. M. Smith and S. Daskalaki. This comment explains those patterns with examples and a simple diagram. Intuition gained from this explanation should be of use for researchers and practitioners alike.
Goal Programming For Preliminary Design And Critical Technology Identification: Application To Infrared Step-Stare Moving Target Detection

AbstractAnalytic models of technology development risk allow the use of powerful numericaloptimization techniques earlier than usual in the design of advanced systems. Goal pro-gramming is used to find preliminary designs with the best performance -to -cost ratio for agiven development risk budget. The advanced technologies that are allocated the greatestportions of this risk budget are the most critical. The application of this approach tospace -based infrared step -stare sensors is discussed.IntroductionDetermining the feasibility and cost of satellite systems proposed for the 1985 to 2000time frame requires anticipating improvements in rapidly changing technologies such assensors, computers, structures, and launch vehicles. Preliminary designs for feasibilityand cost studies must balance the development risks associated with these anticipatedtechnology improvements against the gains in performance they promise. A design that istoo optimistic about technology improvements is vulnerable to development delays and costoverruns if one of the technologies fails to improve as expected.Our approach is to quantify technology development risks and use goal programming) tofind preliminary designs with the best performance -to -cost ratio for a given development"risk budget." The advanced technologies that are allocated the greatest portions of thisrisk budget are critical to the success of the system and may deserve to be "pushed" (byincreased research and development effort) to reduce the development risk.Goal programming formulationWe estimate individual technology development risks from future trend diagrams
Dotted and curved line character segmentation

This paper presents new methodology for addressing curvature and segmentation in text as applied to dotted line images. Several improvements are provided, including methods and procedures for handling (a) curvature in text detection and segmentation, (b) rotation angle determinations, (c) isolation of only the character pixels in the image, (d) use of a fill algorithm to solidify the dotted character, and (e) discernment of segmented characters which may be printed too closely or that touch each other. Applying the new algorithms under various lighting conditions against 90 water bottle images (from Ozarka R and Dasani R ) with differing text yielded a 93% accuracy rate. Additionally, the fill algorithm presented here improved recognition by more than 20% as compared to non-filled characters.
INNOVATION POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES: AN OVERVIEW OF THE ISSUES*

Why produce a book on innovation policy? The answer rests on the importance of relationships between government action, technological innovation in industry and economic performance, and on newly emerging issues, as yet unexplored, that involve these relationships.2 Declining productivity growth rates and reduced international competitiveness of some US industries recently have focused the attention of policymakers and researchers alike on these relationships. Academics, speaking primarily from business schools and departments of economics, diagnose the illness that appears to beset us and suggest cures. Some call for a larger ‘strategic’ element in the formulation and implementation of policies which affect the performance of US industries, while others call for improving the effectiveness of existing policies. We know something about the overall effects of government policies on industrial performance and industrial innovation, but relatively little about the ways which US policy making processes and political institutions condition efforts to improve, or introduce greater coordination into, those policies. Similarly, we know relatively little about how to evaluate specific innovation-related programmes and policies, or how to translate the findings of existing studies into persuasive prescriptions for government action.
Three-Dimensional Structure of the Zone-Drawn Film of the Nylon-6/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites

Semicrystalline polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites exhibit a unique three-dimensional structure associated with the high-aspect ratio constituents (layered silicates and polymer crystallites), which is sensitive to shear and deformation history. Beginning from quenched biaxially extruded films of nylon-6/ montmorillonite nanocomposites, the impact of elevated temperature uniaxial drawing on the orientation of the layered silicate and crystallites, crystalline polymorphism, and layered silicate buckling was studied using X-ray and transmission electron microcopy. The quenched biaxially protruded films exhibited a uniplanar crystalline texture with the b-axis of the dominate γ-form oriented toward the normal to the film surface and the surface of the layered silicate oriented parallel to the film surface. Small-angle scattering features suggest that the lamellar of the γ-form is within the proximity of the layered silicate and has a fringed micelle structure. Upon uniaxial drawing, α-crystallites developed with a lamellar regularity of ∼15 nm along the draw direction, comparable to previous studies on pure nylon-6 fibers. The newly formed α-form exhibited a uniaxial texture with the b-axis parallel to the draw direction. This suggests that the α-form crystallized during the drawing of the film and does not have an orientation correlation with the layered silicate. Finally, the layered silicate within the zone-drawn film buckled perpendicular to the draw direction, analogous to failure of a uniaxially strained sheet of paper. The failure mode appears to occur for a collection of parallel aluminosilicate layers (2-4) and not individually. Recognition of the structural changes of the layered silicate and crystalline regions in response to uniaxial deformation of planar oriented films is critical to ascertaining the local transport properties of shaped layered silicate nanocomposite parts.
Impact of 2008 Hurricane Ike on Bridge Infrastructure in the Houston/Galveston Region

The storm surge, wind, and waves produced by Hurricane Ike in 2008 caused notable damage to the transportation infrastructure in the Houston/Galveston region of Texas. This paper presents the lessons learned from damage to bridge infrastructure in the Houston/Galveston region observed after Hurricane Ike, with comparisons to empirical evidence from past hurricane events on common failure modes and design details affecting bridge performance under hurricane-induced loads. A rich set of damage data is developed, drawing upon postevent inspections and reconnaissance data to present details such as bridge type, failure mode, and surge elevation for the 53 damaged bridges. Many of the damaged structures in the region were either constructed of timber or were low-clearance water-crossing bridges, and these bridges were often completely destroyed by the storm surge and wave loading. Scour and debris also hampered the performance of both major structures and rural bridges. The evidence from the performance of these structures highlights the need for new design alternatives or retrofits such as the use of shear keys and restrainer cables, grated decks, or replacement of timber bridges with box-culvert structures, among other solutions.
Measurements of Signal Components in Single Visualy Evoked Brain Potentials

A two step procedure is described for measuring the characteristics of visual evoked brain potentials. First, the recorded waveforms are processed by a filter designed to minimize the mean square error produced by the ongoing EEG. This filter is different for each subject and is based on certain statistical properties of the measured data. Second, the filtered potentials are searched automatically by a computer to determine the existence and location of the individual components in the responses. By aligning the corresponding components in different waveforms and averaging over the waveform segment in the immediate vicinity of the peak, a latency corrected average is obtained that provides a new representation of the response waveform.
Nonlinear Slewing Spacecraft Control Based on Exergy, Power Flow, and Static and Dynamic Stability

This paper presents a new nonlinear control methodology for slewing spacecraft, which provides both necessary and sufficient conditions for stability by identifying the stability boundaries, rigid body modes, and limit cycles. Conservative Hamiltonian system concepts, which are equivalent to static stability of airplanes, are used to find and deal with the static stability boundaries: rigid body modes. The application of exergy and entropy thermodynamic concepts to the work-rate principle provides a natural partitioning through the second law of thermodynamics of power flows into exergy generator, dissipator, and storage for Hamiltonian systems that is employed to find the dynamic stability boundaries: limit cycles. This partitioning process enables the control system designer to directly evaluate and enhance the stability and performance of the system by balancing the power flowing into versus the power dissipated within the system subject to the Hamiltonian surface (power storage). Relationships are developed between exergy, power flow, static and dynamic stability, and Lyapunov analysis. The methodology is demonstrated with two illustrative examples: (1) a nonlinear oscillator with sinusoidal damping and (2) a multi-input-multi-output three-axis slewing spacecraft that employs proportional-integral-derivative tracking control with numerical simulation results.
Extraversion, hemispatial bias, and eyeblink rates.

Abstract Two experiments were conducted in order to explore the relationship between extraversion and brain activity. In Experiment 1, subjects were randomly assigned to receive either caffeine or placebo. Higher levels of extraversion were associated with more frequent eyeblinking, which is an indirect index of central dopaminergic activity. The strength of the association between eyeblinking and extraversion was stronger among females than among males, and did not differ appreciably between the caffeine and placebo conditions. Higher levels of extraversion also tended, on average, to be associated with greater relative left hemisphere activation, as measured by the Chimeric Faces Task. However, the strength of the association appeared to vary as a function of both gender and caffeine/placebo condition. Experiment 2 attempted to replicate the finding that extraversion is associated with hemispatial bias. Subjects completed the Chimeric Faces Task in the evening and then again the following morning. The correlations between hemispatial bias and extraversion were generally rather strong for both males and females, with more extraverted individuals exhibiting greater relative left hemisphere activation. The strength of the association did not vary appreciably as a function of the time of day at which subjects completed the Chimeric Faces Task.
Decay of the Higgs boson into heavy-quarkonium states

The exclusive production of a pair of heavy-quarkonium states $V$ ($=\frac{\ensuremath{\psi}}{J}, \ensuremath{\Upsilon}, \ensuremath{\zeta},\dots{}$) from the decay of the Higgs boson in the standard model is studied in the approximation of zero binding energy. The branching fractions could only be as large as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ around the kinematic thresholds. The alternative process $H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{V}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ is also studied and found to have branching fractions usually less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$.
A possible three-phonon group from Ni62

A model thnt gives a better prediction for the energies of the two- phonon states in nuclei than the simple harmonic oscillator has been proposed by Kerman and Shakin. They have achieved a good fit to the energies of the three twophonon levels of Ni/sup 62/ in terms of two parameters. An experiment is described in which a collective group was found at the energy prechcted by theory for the three-phonon quintet of levels. A Ni/sup 62/ target was bombarded by 43- Mev alpha particles, and a pulse-height spectrum is shown for alpha particles scattered at 38 deg . The three-phonon group energy was computed from the experimental results to be 3.24 plus or minus 0.04 Mev. (H.D.R.)
Development of a PMN-PT/PDMS vibrational energy harvester

Improving the energy conversion efficiency is one critical factor for practical usage of vibrational energy harvesting devices. In this paper, we design and prototype a vibration-based energy harvester with a high output energy density. The proposed harvester is based on a composite cantilever beam-mass design. The cantilever beam is made of a high piezoelectric constant, lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) material. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating is applied to the cantilevers to decrease stress concentration of the thin PMN-PT and therefore increase the strength of the cantilever. A PDMS proof mass is also added to decrease the natural frequency of the cantilever system and to increase displacement and the voltage output. It is found that a 7.4 mm PMN-PT cantilever with a PDMS coating and proof mass produces a sustained 0.7 mW of RMS power (16.8 V, 58 μA) at an acceleration of 55 m/s 2 .
'Complete' Spinal Cord Injury Does Not Block Perceptual Responses to Genital Self-stimulation in Women

Background: A priori hypothesis: vaginal and/or cervical self-stimulation will not produce perceptual responses in women with "complete" spinal cord injury (SCI) at or above the highest level of entry of the hypogastric nerves (T10-12) but will produce perceptual responses if SCI is below T-10. Design: Women with complete SCI were assigned to a group with "upper" (T-10 and/or above) (n=6) or "lower" (below T-10) (n=10) SCI; uninjured women (n=5) constituted a control group. Perceptual response to vaginal and/or cervical self-stimulation was quantified as magnitude of analgesia to calibrated finger compressive force. Setting: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Human Physiology Laboratory, College of Nursing, Newark. Participants: Consecutive samples of first 16 of 34 women with SCI who responded to nationwide advertisements, met inclusion criteria, and volunteered; control group was the first 5 respondents. Intervention: Vaginal or cervical (cervix uteri) self-stimulation applied for 12 minutes, interspersed with non-stimulation periods, while measuring analgesia. Main Outcome Measure: Quantify analgesia magnitude to vaginal or cervical self-stimulation. Results: Significant analgesia was produced in the un-injured group and the group with lower SCI, supporting the hypothesis. Unexpectedly, significant analgesia was also produced in the group with upper SCI. Women in the group with upper SCI also experienced menstrual discomfort, awareness of vaginal and/or cervical stimulation per se, and orgasms. Conclusions: (1) Genitospinal visceral afferent pathways function in the women in the group with upper SCI, although unrecognized by the American Spinal Injury Association criteria, and/or (2) there exists a functional genital afferent pathway that bypasses the spinal cord and projects directly to the brain, which we propose to be via the vagus nerves.
Malaria parasite chitinase and penetration of the mosquito peritrophic membrane.

Abstract Malaria parasites (ookinetes) appear to digest the peritrophic membrane in the mosquito midgut during penetration. Previous studies demonstrated that lectins specific for N-acetylglucosamine bind to the peritrophic membrane and proposed that the membrane contains chitin [Rudin, W. & Hecker, H. (1989) Parasitol. Res. 75, 268-279]. In the present study, we show that the peritrophic membrane is digested by Serratia marcescens chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14), leading to the release of N-acetylglucosamine and fragmentation of the membrane. We also report the presence of a malaria parasite chitinase that digests 4-methylumbelliferyl chitotriose. The enzyme is not detectable until 15 hr after zygote formation, the time required for maturation of the parasite from a zygote to an ookinete, the invasive form of the parasite. At 20 hr, the enzyme begins to appear in the culture supernatant. The chitinase extracted from the parasite and found in the culture supernatant consists of a major band and two minor bands of activity on native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The presence of chitin in the peritrophic membrane, the disruption of the peritrophic membrane during invasion, and the presence of chitinase in ookinetes suggest that the chitinase in ookinetes is used in the penetration of the peritrophic membrane.
Modulation of the Active Complex Assembly and Turnover Rate by Protein–DNA Interactions in Cre–LoxP Recombination

Cre promotes recombination at the 34 bp LoxP sequence. Substitution of a critical C-G base pair in LoxP with an A-T base pair, to give LoxAT, reduced Cre binding in vitro and abolished recombination in vivo [Hartung, M., and Kisters-Woike, B. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 22884-22891].We demonstrated that LoxAT can be recombined in vitro. However, Cre discriminates against this substrate both before and after DNA binding. The preference for LoxP over LoxAT is the result of reduced binding and a slower turnover rate, amplified by changes in cooperativity of complex assembly. With LoxAT, similar levels of substrate turnover required 2-2.5-fold higher protein-DNA concentrations compared to LoxP, but the sigmoidal behavior of the concentration dependence was more pronounced. Further, the Cre-LoxAT complexes reacted 4-5-fold more slowly. In the 2.3 A resolution Cre-LoxAT complex structure, the major groove Arg259-guanine interaction was disrupted, explaining the reduced binding. Overall structural shifts and mobility changes indicate more favorable interactions between subunits, providing a hypothesis for the reduced turnover rate. Concomitant with the displacement of Arg259 from the DNA, adjacent charged residues Glu262 and Glu266 shifted to form salt bridges with the Arg259 guanidinium moiety. Substitution of Glu262 and Glu266 with glutamine increased Cre complex assembly efficiency and reaction rates with both LoxAT and LoxP, but diminished Cre's ability to distinguish them. The increased rate of this variant suggests that DNA substrate binding and turnover are coupled. The improved efficiency, made at some expense of sequence discrimination, may be useful for enhancing recombination in vivo.
Medical fact and ulcer disease: a study in scientific controversy resolution.

This study seeks to advance the understanding of controversy resolution in science. I take as a case study conceptualization and treatment of ulcer disease. Analysis of causal accounts and effective treatments illustrate the ways in which competing parallel research programs in medicine embody opposing social, political, and economic forces which are bound to the epistemological dimensions of scientific controversy (e.g., standards of evidence, reference, and inference), and which in turn shift perception of the burden of proof. The analysis illustrates the ways in which (1) medical diagnoses create as much as discover useful distinctions and (2) epistemic and non epistemic values divide scientists into competing research programs, as well as (3) the ways in which these structures often effectively prevent scientific controversy closure. Popular judgment generally appreciates medical knowledge as being primarily descriptive, as picking out facts that exist in the world, describing these facts and their relationship to 'disease', and then prescribing treatments which, given additional facts concerning curative agents or treatments, will cure the 'disease'. Such belief, though, belies the complex interaction of epistemic and non-epistemic values embodied within medical research and therapeutic programs. In 1970, Imre Lakatos asked the following question concerning the replacement of one competing scientific research program by another: 'Can there be any objective (as opposed to socio-psychological) reason to reject a programme, that is, to eliminate its hard core and its programme for constructing protective belts?' (Lakatos 1970, 155) While his answer in rough outline was that such an objective reason is provided by a rival research program which both explains the previous successes of the other program and also offers greater heuristic power, the question serves as a reminder of the ways in which the psychology of discovery, theory construction and the every
Inability of decenylsuccinic acid to protect Escherichia coli against damage by freezing.

CHEMICAL protection against injury due to damage by freezing has been extensively studied by various workers1–8. Recently Kuiper9 reported that decenylsuccinic acid induced resistance to desiccation, cold and frost in young bean plants. When decenylsuccinic acid penetrates into the lipid layer of the membrane of bean root cells it increases water permeability. This permeability was only slightly temperature dependent10. Our laboratory has been interested in the protection against damage by freezing in bacteria111. We obtained samples of decenylsuccinic acid from B. J. Humphrey, Humphrey–Wilkinson, Inc., North Haven, Conn., U.S.A., and investigated the activity of the compound in Escherichia coli cell suspensions exposed to sub-zero temperatures.