cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lafrance on Doxa

The word δξα is used frequently by Plato and with the many shades of meaning that it had in the idiomatic Greek of his time. References to all its occurrences and to those of δοξζω in the Platonic corpus Lafrance gives in an appendix to his book (415–422); and from these in his first chapter (19–33) he selects typical cases to exemplify a score or more of what he calls “literary” meanings, which he divides into two main groups, the objective sense, “appearance”, and the subjective, “opinion”. By eliminating the occurrences of doxa in these colloquial or “literary” senses he restricts his investigation to Plato's philosophical uses of the term, disregarding even the occurrences of these in what he deems to be merely repetitious or undeveloped passages and subjecting to minute analysis only the most fully developed and consequently most significant philosophical passages concerned with doxa . This is the fourth of the four methodological principles that are formulated by Lafrance to govern his investigation and read in the light of which the dialogues, he believes, reveal an intelligibly coherent theory of doxa (15–18). According to the first of these principles in the reading of any Platonic text there must be borne in mind the period of Plato's intellectual evolution in which it was written and the nature of his epistemological notions at that moment; according to the second, Platonic dialogues being genuine philosophical dramas, it is always as fulfilling a function in a definite dramatic situation that Plato discloses his thought to the precise extent that he has decided to do so, and consequently any passage on doxa , to which as such no dialogue is devoted, must be understood in the light of the context in which the question of doxa has arisen. According to the third principle the understanding of a Platonic text requires that account be taken of the scholarly literature dealing with it.
Phase Equilibira and Photopolymerization Induce Phase Transitions of Mesogenic Diacrylate Monomer and Low Molecular Mass Liquid Crystal Mixtures

Experimental phase diagrams of binary mesogenic mixtures of reactive mesogenic diacrylate (RM257) monomer and low molar mass liquid crystals (E7) were determined by means of differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The combined free energy densities of Flory–Huggins for liquid–liquid demixing, Maier–Saupe for nematic ordering, and phase field free energy for crystal solidification was proposed to describe the phase diagrams of the starting E7/RM257 mixtures. The phase diagram thus constructed is an ideal mixing type, exhibiting a narrow loop of isotropic + nematic (I + N) coexistence region followed by the crystal + nematic (Cr1 + N) region in descending order of temperature. Of particular interest is the permanent fixation of the mesophase structures upon photopolymerisation of neat RM257 in the corresponding nematic and crystalline phases. Upon photopolymerisation of a low RM257 content mixture in both isotropic and nematic states, the nematic–isotropic transition of E7 was found to per...
Efficacy of vancomycin/tri-iododecyclemethyl ammonium chloride-coated ventriculostomy catheters in reducing infection.

OBJECTIVE:The biotoxicity of tri-iododecyclemethyl ammonium chloride (TDMAC)-coated catheters in the brain was tested, as was the efficacy of the vancomycin-bonded, TDMAC-coated catheters to inhibit staphylococcal growth in vitro and to delay the onset of clinical manifestations of catheter-related
Recent Developments Of The Laser In Medicine

With the low priority for R and D, research and development, for laser applications in medicine, it is surprising that any current report of progress could be developed. However, still in an all too limited phase, laser medicine continues in this country both for diagnosis and treatment other than for diseases of the eye. (Ref. 1, 2). Fortunately,there is increased activity both in laser biology and medicine in Europe and Russia at the present time. A laser cancer treatment institute has been established in Kiev, Russia. West Germany has plans to develop a laser institute of biology and medicine through the Gesllschaft fur Strahlen and Umweltforschung. So progress in this important field of laser applications will be continued at least, if not here. It is not recognized by those who have withdrawn funding for basic research that research in biology and medicine helps to develop programs for laser safety. With effective programs of laser safety, the field of applications of the laser has expanded and will continue to expand. Work in laser biology is necessary for progress in laser medicine.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Human Adaptive Strategies in Amazonian Blackwater Ecosystems

Blackwater ecosystems of Amazonia represent extreme nutrient-poor conditions that differ from those found in other regions of the Amazon. The tendency to contrast mainly the floodplain (varzea) and the upland forests (terra firme) has made it possible to overlook significant differences present within the Amazonian terra firme. These differences can be important in understanding human adaptation, particularly at the extremes of the nutrient-poorl-rich gradient. Human populations inhabiting blackwater areas have adjusted to the low productivity of the environment through complex forms of exchange and subsistence specialization, inherited and hierarchical control over the more productive fisheries, segmentary lineage organization, very small settlements at considerable distances from each other, and dependence on bitter manioc for the bulk of their calories. Analytical recognition of ecosystem heterogeneity in Amazonia is likely to lead to reinterpretations of several human/environment processes that have interested anthropologists, such as the protein debate and the role of environmental characteristics on the development of culture.
Relationships among eigenshape analysis, Fourier analysis, and analysis of coordinates

Eigenshape analysis (a singular value decomposition of a matrix of the tangent angle function φ*(t)) has recently been proposed as an alternative to Fourier analysis for description of outline shapes of organisms. Whenall eigenvectors andall harmonics are retained both approaches represent orthogonal rotations of the same points. Thus distances between pairs of shapes (and any multivariate analyses based on distances) must be the same for both analyses. When true shapes are known to be smooth, dropping higher-order Fourier harmonics results in a desirable smoothing of the digitized outline and a large reduction in computational cost. An alternative method of eigenshape analysis is presented and related to elliptical Fourier analysis and analysis of raw coordinates.
Coupled Cluster Theory and Multireference Configuration Interaction Study of FO, F2O, FO2, and FOOF

Structures, vibrational frequencies, atomization energies at 0 K, and heats of formation at 298 K were obtained for four oxyfluoride molecules, several of which are known to present difficulties for single reference ab initio methods. Whereas much of this work was carried out with coupled cluster theory, multireference configuration interaction calculations were also performed, as an independent check on the reliability of the former. The use of large basis sets (up through augmented sextuple zeta quality in some cases) and a simple basis set extrapolation formula enabled us to accurately estimate the complete basis set limit. However, to achieve near chemical accuracy (±1 kcal/mol) in the thermodynamic properties, it was necessary to include three corrections to the frozen core atomization energies, in addition to the zero-point vibrational energy: (1) a core/valence correction; (2) a Douglas−Kroll−Hess scalar relativistic correction; and (3) a first-order atomic spin−orbit correction. Several approache...
An extended version of the fuzzy relational database model

Abstract The fuzzy relational database model proposed by Buckles and Petry is a formal method for organizing and using fuzzy information in relational databases. The model possesses two key properties that hold for classical relational databases: no two tuples have identical interpretations and each relational algebra operation has a unique result. The original fuzzy relational database model was based on similarity relations which were defined on finite scalar domains. Buckles and Petry later extended the model to incorporate fuzzy number domains; this extension was done without loss of consistency with the representation or the relational algebra. In a recent paper we have extended the original model to proximity relations which generalize similarity relations; the key properties of Buckles and Petry's model are preserved in the extension. In this work we demonstrate that the existence of partitions on finite scalar domains in the fuzzy relational model is the key to preserving the important properties of the classical relational model. We explain how proximity relations defined on finite scalar domains are used to partition the domains. Further, we show that normal fuzzy sets can be employed as domain values. These fuzzy sets become members of fi nite scalar domains and their characteristic functions are employed in generating the proximity relations of the fuzzy relational database model.
Culture, the Public Sphere, and Media Sociology: A Search for a Classical Founder in the Work of Robert Park

This article examines the history of media sociology in the U.S., through a critical analysis of articles published in the major sociology journals during the twentieth century. I argue that media sociology has been at its most vibrant when its goal has been to understand the dominant cultural structures that shape the public sphere. Robert Park was the first sociologist to adopt this perspective, with his research on newspapers and the power of the press. This interest continued into the 1950s, with research on media and propaganda. By the 1960s, however, concern had shifted away from the public character of media, focusing instead on the ways in which social factors intervened between media messages and society. While important, this shift in analytical focus ultimately led to a more reductionist media sociology, which failed to explore how media provided a distinctive type of social output. There is evidence that a less reductionist media sociology has begun to emerge since the 1990s, with the rise of cultural sociology and theories of the public sphere. This new media sociology could increase its visibility within mainstream sociology by making more explicit connections to the Chicago School tradition, and by claiming Robert Park as its classical founder.
Much of water used for irrigation comes from nonsustainable sources

Some of the water used for irrigation comes from renewable sources such as local precipitation, rivers, lakes, and renewable groundwater. But some comes from nonrenewable groundwater sources. Because water supply for irrigation is so essential to the world's food supply, it is important to quantify how much water comes from sustainable sources. Wada et al. conducted a global assessment of how much water used for irrigation comes from nonsustainable groundwater sources. The researchers used a global hydrological model to simulate the amount of water needed for optimal crop growth and the amount available from renewable sources. They combined this information with country-level data on groundwater use to estimate the amount of groundwater used for irrigation that comes from nonrenewable sources.
Electronic properties of tubule forms of hexagonal BC3.

First-principles and tight-binding electronic-structure calculations of hypothetical tubule forms of hexagonal ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ have been performed. According to the total-energy and force calculations, stable atomic geometries of the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ tubules can be obtained by rolling hexagonal ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ sheets keeping the C---C and C---B lengths at 1.42 and 1.55 \AA{}, respectively. Since the energy increase upon tubule formation is smaller than that of carbon tubules, we conclude that the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ tubules are likely to form. The planar ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ sheet has \ensuremath{\pi} and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ bands above the Fermi level, and this feature is retained in the electronic structures of the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ tubules. The influence of concentric formations of the ${\mathrm{BC}}_{3}$ tubules on their conductivities is also discussed.
The effects of control on betting: paradoxical betting on items of high confidence with low value

Traditional decision theories emphasize the probabilities and values of possible outcomes, but decisions may also be influenced by perceived control, with control defined as probability alterability. In 3 experiments, participants were offered bets on their own answers to general knowledge questions, bets that are characterized by control. The bets were fair if participants' reported confidence was well calibrated, positively valued if participants were underconfident, but unfavorable when participants were overconfident. Bet acceptance was a steep, linear, increasing function of confidence that is termed paradoxical betting. This pattern was generally contrary to the value of bets (considered either as average outcome or as subjective utility) and was steeper in slope than matched bets on apparently random events in Experiment 3. The author argues that control is a fundamental determinant of decision making that is readily incorporated in some existing models of decision weighting.
Elastic Fragments for Dense Scene Reconstruction

We present an approach to reconstruction of detailed scene geometry from range video. Range data produced by commodity handheld cameras suffers from high-frequency errors and low-frequency distortion. Our approach deals with both sources of error by reconstructing locally smooth scene fragments and letting these fragments deform in order to align to each other. We develop a volumetric registration formulation that leverages the smoothness of the deformation to make optimization practical for large scenes. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach substantially increases the fidelity of complex scene geometry reconstructed with commodity handheld cameras.
Recovery of function and changes in sensitivity to amphetamine following caudate lesions in rats

Rats trained to bar press on a Fl 15-sec schedule for water reinforcement were administered various doses of d-amphetamine (0.25–4.0 mg/kg) both before and 6–8 wk after bilateral lesions of the caudate nucleus. Preoperatively, low doses (0.25–0.5 mg/kg) of d-amphetamine increased responding and high doses (2.0–4.0 mg/kg) of d-amphetamine depressed responding. Postoperatively, the d-amphetamine dose-response curve was shifted to the left in rats with small caudate lesions and shifted to the right in rats with larger caudate lesions. Although both lesions produced initial impairments of bar-pressing rates, only the larger lesion resulted in a persistent impairment. The lesion-induced hyper- and hyposensitivity to d-amphetamine were, therefore, associated with greater and lesser degrees of functional recovery, respectively.
A General Approach for Computation and Interpretation of Dilution Curves

A short appraisal is made of computerized methods utilized in the evaluation of dilution curves. Based on requirements of experimental and clinical studies, a general on-line real-time approach is proposed that increases information retrieval from standard curves. A simple, hybrid scheme tests for exponential or other declines if desired. The point for curve extrapolation is determined by the test that also controls the character of the extrapolated curve. Information obtained from the test itself can define characteristics of the decline and thereby yield insight into the character of the system itself.
Clinical experience with the implantable cardioverter defibrillator

Abstract The implantable cardioverter defibrillalor has played an increasingly greater role in the management of episodes of sudden cardiac-related death related to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. This study reviews the cases of 142 patients who underwent insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, 104 who received a device alone (group I) and 38 who underwent insertion of the device in combination with other cardiac surgical procedures (group II). The overall operative mortality was 3.5% and this did not differ between the two groups. The complication rate was higher for group II than for group I patients, and consisted primarily of an increased incidence of atrial arrhythmias (53% versus 13%; p
Transthoracic video endoscopic electrocautery of sympathetic ganglia for hyperhidrosis palmaris: Special reference to localization of the first and second ribs

BACKGROUND. The surgical technique for transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy varies from one to three skin incisions, room air to carbon dioxide pneumothorax, and destruction of the second (T 2 ), third (T 3 ), and fourth sympathetic ganglia to destruction of the T 2 ganglion only. A knowledge of the surgical anatomy of the apex may help the surgeon to safely use this technique. METHODS. Forty-seven patients with palmar hyperhidrosis underwent video-assisted endoscopic electrocautery of the T 2 and T 3 ganglia with the use of one-lumen endotracheal tube for general anesthesia, one skin incision, and carbon dioxide pneumothorax. Surgical anatomy, palm temperature, and surgical results were analyzed. RESULTS. The first ribs of 23 patients were endoscopically visible and most of these first ribs were not as parallel to the second ribs as the third ribs were. The first ribs of the remaining 24 patients were palpable with a diathermy bar. In all but three patients with dense pulmonary adhesions, the distal end of the intrathoracic segment of the subclavian artery was seen to pierce the pleura at the upper border of the first rib. Ninety-one palms remain dry and 27 patients develop compensatory sweating in an average follow-up of 12 months. Excluding three patients whose sympathetic ganglia could not be electrocauterized because of severe pulmonary adhesions, 95% of the remaining 44 patients are satisfied with the results. CONCLUSIONS. Transthoracic video endoscopic electrocautery of the T 2 and T 3 ganglia for patients with palmar hyperhidrosis may yield excellent results if the first rib can be properly identified.
Complex microcalorimeter models and their application to position-sensitive detectors

We present a general formalism for calculating the linear response, noise spectrum, and energy resolution of complex calorimeters. Using this formalism calorimeters with arbitrary numbers of distinct linked heat capacity systems and/or coupled thermometers can be analyzed. We use this formalism to derive the theoretical resolution of an imaging microcalorimeter called a position- sensitive transition-edge sensor.
The Effects of Proficiency Level and Passage Content on Reading Skills Assessment1

This study is designed to investigate the use of reading skills by intermediate and advanced learners of Spanish and to determine whether performance on these skills is uniform across learners and across reading texts, and whether there is a gradation of skills from least complex to most complex. Subjects read two authentic unabridged passages in Spanish and were asked to answer questions based on the skills isolated for the study. These skills are: a) locating details which include the subskills recognition and paraphrase; b) simple inferential skills which include understanding words in context and recognizing cause and effect; c) complex inferential skills which include recognizing main ideas and drawing conclusions. The results of the study showed a) a significant three-way interaction of level, passage and skill; b) a significant interaction of passage and skill; c) a significant interaction of level and skill; and d) a significant main effect of skill. The findings of the study lend support to a hierarchy of skills. However, it is argued that reading comprehension cannot be viewed in terms of a discrete set of skills when the nature of reading is so complex.
Corrosion of ceramics in halogen-containing atmospheres

Abstract Most single component oxide ceramics undergo active corrosion in halogen-containing gases such as HCl to form gaseous corrosion products only. At high temperatures, such corrosion reactions are controlled by gaseous diffusion of the product gases away from the solid surface. As a result, the reaction kinetics and the corrosion rate can be predicted if the thermodynamics of the reaction are known. Similar behaviour is expected for nitride ceramics. However, several multicomponent oxides, typified by NiAl2O4, and carbides may react to form a porous solid product layer through which diffusion takes place and controls the corrosion rate. Nevertheless, even in these cases, if gaseous diffusion still controls, the rate of corrosion can be modeled and predicted.
A Longitudinal Field Study of the Intervention Process Using Archival Measures of Employee Absenteeism and Turnover

This research attempted to determine the power of an organization development (OD) program to reduce absenteeism and turnover rates among hourly employees of a medium‐sized Mid‐western life insurance company in the USA. Forty‐six months of archival records were examined within time series and interrupted time series designs (with and without non‐equivalent control groups). Comparisons were also made against annual industry averages for companies within the same size and geographical region categories as the study organization. None of the six hypotheses relating OD to reduced employee absenteeism and turnover was supported, suggesting that the claims of OD supporters may be exaggerated.
Stiffness of the aortic wall in hypercholesterolemic children.

Abstract Arterial stiffness may be an indicator of early vascular changes signaling the development of vascular disease, while hypercholesterolemia is a well-recognized promoter of atherogenesis. It has been shown that hypercholesterolemic children have a thicker intima-media in the carotid artery than children with normal cholesterol. The aim of this study was to assess the stiffness of the abdominal aorta in children with hypercholesterolemia. Noninvasive imaging evaluation of the aorta was performed in 85 outpatient children (age, 3 to 14 years) with and without high cholesterol levels (and 247 mg/dL [6.4 mmol/L], respectively). Ultrasound imaging of the abdominal aorta that allowed diameter measurements was available in 67 children. Using an image-processing workstation, the maximum and minimum internal diameter of the aorta was measured, and the following indices of elastic properties of the abdominal aorta were derived: arterial strain, pressure-strain elastic modulus, and stiffness. No statistical difference for aortic strain, stiffness, and elastic modulus was found in normocholesterolemic compared with hypercholesterolemic children. The effect of age on the elastic modulus was different in the two groups: in normal children, the elastic modulus increased linearly with age (y = −0.020 + 0.003 × age [months], P P = .051). The slope of the regression equations [elastic modulus v age) was significantly different in the two groups ( t = 2.45, P = .017). The behavior of arterial stiffness with respect to age was similar, y=0.677 + 0.018 × age ( P = .002) in normocholesterolemic children and y=2.06 + 0.00198 × age [ P = .66] in hypercholesterolemic children. The slope of the regression equations (stiffness v age) was significantly different in the two groups ( t = 2.37, P = .021). The present study demonstrates an influence of hypercholesterolemia on age-related modification in the elastic properties of the aorta. A remodeling of the aortic wall in hypercholesterolemic children (cholesterolemia > 247 mg/dL) could explain the different age-dependent increase in aortic elastic modulus and stiffness.
Ion source issues for the DAEδALUS neutrino experiment.

The DAEδALUS experiment calls for 10 mA of protons at 800 MeV on a neutrino-producing target. To achieve this record-setting current from a cyclotron system, H2+ ions will be accelerated. Loosely bound vibrationally excited H2+ ions inevitably produced in conventional ion sources will be Lorentz stripped at the highest energies. Presence of these states was confirmed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and strategies were investigated to quench them, leading to a proposed R&D effort towards a suitable ion source for these high-power cyclotrons.
Effects of androgenic gland ablation on male primary and secondary sexual characteristics in the Malaysian prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae), with first evidence of induced feminization in a nonhermaphroditic decapod.

Abstract Male Macrobachium rosenbergii (de Man), categorized into three developmental stages according to possession of male gonopore complexes, appendixes masculina, and mature chelipeds, were subjected to bilateral androgenic gland ablation (andrectomy). Andrectomized males initially lacking appendixes masculina and mature chelipeds do not develop them; those initially possessing appendixes masculina and mature chelipeds do not lose them. Growth rate of the appendixes masculina, however, is reduced. Andrectomized males are unable to redifferentiate amputated or accidentally lost appendixes masculina and mature chelipeds. Instead, the appendages regenerate as immature forms. Andrectomized M. rosenbergii possess atrophied testes and vasa deferentia. Histological sections of the testes revealed a reduction in number of spermatogenic lobules. Spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes were commonly found; secondary spermatocytes and spermatids were found only occasionally. Andrectomy appears to inhibit but not prevent meiosis. Feminization occurred in five andrectomized males. Complete feminization, including initiation of oogenesis and development of oviducts and female gonopores, occurred in males andrectomized in the youngest developmental stage. Males andrectomized in later developmental stages were either partially feminized or not feminized. Reimplantation of androgenic glands reverses the effects of andrectomy. Remasculinization, as evidenced by differentiation of appendixes masculina, was noted after the first postimplantation molt. The testes of remasculinized males were normal in gross anatomy and spermatogenic ability. The data indicate a uniform function for the androgenic glands with respect to male primary and secondary sexual characteristics among the Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Decapoda. Past theories on androgenic gland function are modified in light of the present information.
Coupled ice-ocean dynamics in the marginal ice zones Upwelling/downwelling and eddy generation

This study is aimed at modeling mesoscale processes such as upwelling/downwelling and ice edge eddies in the marginal ice zones. A two-dimensional coupled ice-ocean model is used for the study. The ice model is coupled to the reduced gravity ocean model through interfacial stresses. The parameters of the ocean model were chosen so that the dynamics would be nonlinear. The model was tested by studying the dynamics of upwelling. Wings parallel to the ice edge with the ice on the right produce upwelling because the air-ice momentum flux is much greater than air-ocean momentum flux; thus the Ekman transport is greater than the ice than in the open water. The stability of the upwelling and downwelling jets is discussed. The downwelling jet is found to be far more unstable than the upwelling jet because the upwelling jet is stabilized by the divergence. The constant wind field exerted on a varying ice cover will generate vorticity leading to enhanced upwelling/downwelling regions, i.e., wind-forced vortices. Steepening and strengthening of vortices are provided by the nonlinear terms. When forcing is time-varying, the advection terms will also redistribute the vorticity. The wind reversals will separate the vortices from the ice edge, so that the upwelling enhancements are pushed to the open ocean and the downwelling enhancements are pushed underneath the ice.
Synthesis of aryl methylthio ethers employing α-oxoketene dithioacetals

Abstract Reaction of α-oxoketene dithioacetals with methallyl magnesium chloride followed by acid treatment affords simple and annulated aryl methylthio ethers. The methylthio substituent can be easily removed with Raney Ni, undergo a Ni catalyzed substitution reaction with Grignard reagents, or serve as a directing and protecting group in Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions.
Electronic Structure and Mobility of Alkylated and Nonalkylated Organic Semiconductors: Role of van der Waals Interactions

We present a comparison based on first-principles calculations of the electronic structure of nonalkylated and alkylated dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene: DNTT and DNTT-C10. The calculations show that the addition of alkyl chains decreases intermolecular distances, in agreement with experiments. Calculations indicate that effective masses are reduced by the addition of alkyl chains, and within a simple deformation potential model, this translates into higher mobility for DNTT-C10. The shorter intermolecular distances found in DNTT-C10 are attributed to van der Waals interactions between alkyl chains.
Biomechanics of the Diabetic Foot: Consideration in Limb Salvage.

Significance: The biomechanics of the diabetic foot is altered and maladaptive. We lack a thorough understanding of the functional consequences of limb salvage. We currently rely on observation and descriptive data pertaining to the biomechanics of the diabetic foot. Recent Advances: Technology has driven our ability to objectively describe biomechanics of the diabetic foot. Dynamic, segmental, gait analysis in conjunction with peak plantar pressure measurements have provided valuable insight. Critical Issues: The biomechanical pathogenesis of a chronic ulceration that necessitates limb salvage is difficult to capture. The subsequent changes that occur after limb salvage are even more difficult to understand. However, methodical biomechanical analysis over the past several decades have provided a deeper understanding of diabetic foot function. Future Directions: Ultimately, a better understanding of the biomechanics of the diabetic foot would allow us to better select the most appropriate amputation level...
Toward robust parametric trajectory segmental model for vowel recognition

In this paper we present a robust and discriminative segmental trajectory modeling for vowel recognition. We proposed two new approaches. One is using weighted least square estimation for the parametric trajectory parameter, which gives a much more robust performance over traditional least square estimation approach. The other is a specifically designed transformation matrix proposed to reduce the possible mismatch between the Gaussian modeling assumption and the trajectory feature's nature. Our experiments on the vowel classification using the mobile phone data of SpeechDAT(II) MDB showed significant improvement over both standard HMM and traditional segmental modeling.
How do small and medium enterprises go “green”? A study of environmental management programs in the U.s. Wine industry

In industries populated by small and medium enterprises, managers’ good intentions frequently incur barriers to superior environmental performance (Tilley, Bus Strategy Environ 8:238–248, 1999). During the period when the U.S. wine industry was beginning to promote voluntary adoption of sound environmental practices, we examined managers’ attitudes, norms, and perceptions of stakeholder pressures to assess their intentions to implement environmental management programs (EMP). We found that managers within the simple structures of these small and medium firms are responsive to attitudes, norms, and pressures from internal stakeholders and that voluntarily established EMP increased the success of firms’ implementation of energy conservation and recycling practices. Applications of our findings to future research on small and medium enterprises as well as direct practical applications of our results are discussed.
Serum IgG reactive with oral anaerobic microorganisms associated with infections of endodontic origin

Numerous species of bacteria have been implicated with infections of endodontic origin. The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of serum IgG antibodies reactive with a panel of 10 oral anaerobic microorganisms implicated in infections of endodontic origin. Serum samples were collected from 4 patient groups that included healthy patients without endodontic or periodontal disease, patients with chronic adult periodontal disease, patients with endodontic disease and patients with combined endodontic-periodontal disease. When Prevotella intermedia was allowed to react with sera from the 4 patient groups, significant pairwise differences were shown between the healthy group and each of the other 3 groups. In addition, there was a significant difference between the periodontal disease group and the combined endodontic-periodontal disease group. When Porphyromonas gingivalis was allowed to react with sera from the 4 patient groups, significant pairwise differences were shown between the healthy group and the periodontal disease group, the healthy group and the combined endodontic-periodontal disease group, the endodontic disease group and the periodontal disease group and the endodontic disease group and the combined endodontic-periodontal disease group. The results of this investigation support other studies that associate P. intermedia with both endodontic disease and chronic adult periodontal disease. The results also support studies that implicate P. gingivalis as a periodontopathogen.
Inter-Method Reliability of Progression Sizes in a Hypothetical Purchase Task: Implications for Empirical Public Policy

Advances in behavioral economic research methodology have generated novel insights into public policy considerations regarding substance use and addiction. A major advancement toward this end was the development of hypothetical purchase tasks (HPTs) that permit modeling of consumption and demand without the need for actual purchases and lengthy human operant studies comprised of real reward deliveries. Psychometric research in the domain of behavioral pharmacology suggests that the HPT has adequate test–retest reliability, as well as construct and convergent/divergent validity. Research to date has exclusively examined pharmacological commodities, however, necessitating the need for technology transfer to other pressing societal issues. In the present study, we examined demand for recreational driving across three groups, each consisting of a different fuel price progression size in the HPT. Findings suggest that behavioral economic models of demand do not differ as a function of progression size, providing support to the inter-method reliability of this procedure.
Calcineurin‐independent inhibition of 3T3‐L1 adipogenesis by Pasteurella multocida toxin: suppression of Notch1, stabilization of β‐catenin and pre‐adipocyte factor 1

Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) is a potent mitogen and a specific activator of Gq-dependent signalling pathways. PMT impairs osteoblast differentiation and causes bone loss and fat reduction in vivo. We examined the effect of PMT on cell signalling pathways involved in 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. We demonstrate that PMT treatment before or together with differentiation induction factors inhibits adipogenesis and prevents upregulation of important adipocyte markers - peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and CAATT enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha). Moreover, PMT completely downregulates PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha expression in mature adipocytes. Differentiation of pre-adipocytes into adipocytes requires the suppression of pre-adipocyte factor 1 (Pref1) and Wnt signalling, along with the degradation of beta-catenin. PMT prevents downregulation of Pref1 and beta-catenin under differentiation-inducing conditions. In addition, PMT treatment downregulates expression of Notch1, a protein responsible for cell fate decision and implicated in regulation of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. PMT action on adipogenesis was not reversed by cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of Galphaq-PLC-calcium-dependent calcineurin activation. Our results reveal new pathways involved in PMT action on cellular physiology and differentiation. Our study further demonstrates that the effect of PMT on Pref1/PPARgamma/C/EBPalpha expression and adipogenesis does not occur just through activation of the Galphaq-calcium-calcineurin pathway, but involves Wnt/beta-catenin and Notch1 signalling pathways, two signalling pathways strongly linked to cancer predisposition, neurological and immunological dysfunctions, and fat and bone development.
The Chemisorption of Fluorine on Silicon (111) Surfaces

High-resolution, soft x-ray photoemission investigations of fluorine chemisorption on silicon (111) surfaces are reported. The distribution of fluorosilyl moieties was found to be strongly dependent upon the surface structure. The 2×1 reconstruction exhibited only monofluoro species, while the 7×7 showed a distribution of mono-, di-, and trifluorosilyl groups.
To Cross or Not to Cross: Alternatively Spliced Forms of the Robo3 Receptor Regulate Discrete Steps in Axonal Midline Crossing

How growth cones grow toward and then away from intermediate targets is a key issue in axon guidance. In this issue of Neuron, Tessier-Lavigne and colleagues demonstrate that two different spliced isoforms of the Robo3 receptor act sequentially in commissural neuron growth cones to mediate this process at the ventral midline in the vertebrate spinal cord.
Reproductive anomalies in stenoglossan snails related to pollution from marinas.

Over 3090 snails of the dioecious intertidal species Nassarius absoletus Say were collected from a total of 71 localities. Their reproductive anatomy was examined for a superimposition of male characteristics on to the normal female anatomy, an abnormality called ‘imposex’. Imposex was rated numerically in terms of the fraction of the population affected and the intensity of expression in bearer snails. An initial survey of 22 localities in Fairfield and Westport, Connecticut, led to the hypothesis that imposex was related to a substance arising from marinas. This was tested at nine pairs of marina and control localities in Long Island Sound, as well as six pairs along a transect ranging from Rhode Island to Georgia. Imposex scores were significantly higher at the marina locality in every pair. Further confirmation was found in a detailed survey of the estuarine harbor at Southport, Connecticut, which showed that adjacent populations could differ in the amount of imposex to the extent that both the snails and the waters they lived in remained separated by natural or man-made barriers. Imposex has been found in populations of N. obsoletus ranging from Damariscotta, Maine, to Savannah, Georgia, and it has been reported from San Francisco Bay, California. Similar anatomical abnormalities have been reported in at least 27 other species of taenioglossan and stenoglossan snails, extending the range to the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast of Europe and the British Isles. Concern is raised regarding the possible existence of another global pollutant with novel effects on marina biota.
Direct Evidence of Ending- Digit Drop-Off in Price Information Processing

Research has suggested that pricing products at one cent below a whole number (e.g., $4.99 instead of $5.00) can be an effective method for increasing purchases. Although many reasons for this have been suggested, a commonly proposed explanation is that consumers tend to drop off, or pay less attention to, the rightmost two digits. This drop-off mechanism has garnered much indirect support, but only limited research has been conducted to directly test it. In this study, respondents provided estimates of how many products they could purchase for $73. Analyses indicated that respondents thought they could buy significantly more products priced with 99 endings than products with comparable 00-ending prices. Follow-up analyses showed that (a) errors made by respondents showed a pattern consistent with a dropoff mechanism, and (b) motivation to carefully provide quantity estimates moderated the effect. The study therefore provides rare direct evidence that the drop-off mechanism may contribute to the effectiveness of 9-ending pricing. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparing behavioral receiver operating characteristic curves to multidimensional matched filters

Human factors experiments can be used to test whether a sensor can improve operator performance for detecting or recognizing a target.1 Although human factors experiments are of tremendous value, these tests are time consuming and resource intensive. To reduce costs associated with collecting behavioral data, a two-dimensional matched filter is proposed. The objective is to compare and contrast behavioral and matched filter receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plots to determine whether the matched filter technique is a good predictor of human performance. Five different background images (three infrared band images, a chromatic-fused image, and monochromatic-fused image) were used with, and without, a target (airplane) present. False alarm and target detection probabilities were computed and results were plotted on an ROC curve. The matched filter ROC curves were then compared to behavioral ROC curves. Results showed that the matched filter ROC curves were similar to behavioral ROC curves with color fusion, longwave infrared showing the highest sensitivity, and mid-wave and shortwave infrared scenes were significantly less sensitive (near chance). These results indicate that the matched filter analysis may be used to model human behavior.
RGB-(D) scene labeling: Features and algorithms

Scene labeling research has mostly focused on outdoor scenes, leaving the harder case of indoor scenes poorly understood. Microsoft Kinect dramatically changed the landscape, showing great potentials for RGB-D perception (color+depth). Our main objective is to empirically understand the promises and challenges of scene labeling with RGB-D. We use the NYU Depth Dataset as collected and analyzed by Silberman and Fergus [30]. For RGB-D features, we adapt the framework of kernel descriptors that converts local similarities (kernels) to patch descriptors. For contextual modeling, we combine two lines of approaches, one using a superpixel MRF, and the other using a segmentation tree. We find that (1) kernel descriptors are very effective in capturing appearance (RGB) and shape (D) similarities; (2) both superpixel MRF and segmentation tree are useful in modeling context; and (3) the key to labeling accuracy is the ability to efficiently train and test with large-scale data. We improve labeling accuracy on the NYU Dataset from 56.6% to 76.1%. We also apply our approach to image-only scene labeling and improve the accuracy on the Stanford Background Dataset from 79.4% to 82.9%.
Innovation and strategic sabotage as a feedback process

Abstract This article views the process of innovation and sabotage as an extended game, or as a feedback process, in which one step leads to another, and which generates an intertemporal trajectory whose qualitative properties can be examined with the aid of the standard tools of economic dynamics. We will see that this feedback relationship can entail systematic oscillatory behavior, in which periods of substantial innovative activity are interspersed with slowdowns in the innovation process. A formal illustrative model, demonstrating that such an oscillatory time path can indeed emerge, and indicating how it can occur, also proves that chaotic behavior can, at least in theory, emerge.
Incorporation Of Er Into GaN By in-situ Doping During Halide Vapor Phase Epitaxy

The incorporation of Er into GaN by in-situ doping during halide vapor phase epitaxy has been investigated. The NH 3 , HCl, metallic Ga and Er were used as source materials, while N 2 was employed as a carrier gas. The GaN:Er films were obtained at different Ga/Er source temperatures. The SIMS analysis shows that the steady state Er doping concentration can be as high as 2×10 18 cm −3 . All in-situ Er-doped samples luminescence at 1.54 μm due to the 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transition of Er 3+ at both low (11K) and room temperature. The higher the Ga/Er boat temperature, the stronger the 1.54 μm luminescence, implying a higher incorporation rate of Er into the GaN. The 4 I 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 transition luminescence, centered around 980 nm, can also be detected at both low and room temperature. The broad-spectrum PL measurements exhibited sharp bandedge luminescence without the presence of the yellow luminescence band.
Assessing impact of climate change on season length in Karnataka for IPCC SRES scenarios

Changes in seasons and season length are an indicator, as well as an effect, of climate change. Seasonal change profoundly affects the balance of life in ecosystems and impacts essential human activities such as agriculture and irrigation. This study investigates the uncertainty of season length in Karnataka state, India, due to the choice of scenarios, season type and number of seasons. Based on the type of season, the monthly sequences of variables (predictors) were selected from datasets of NCEP and Canadian General Circulation Model (CGCM3). Seasonal stratifications were carried out on the selected predictors using K-means clustering technique. The results of cluster analysis revealed increase in average, wet season length in A2, A1B and B1 scenarios towards the end of 21st century. The increase in season length was higher for A2 scenario whereas it was the least for B1 scenario. COMMIT scenario did not show any change in season length. However, no change in average warm and cold season length was observed across the four scenarios considered. The number of seasons was increased from 2 to 5. The results of the analysis revealed that no distinct cluster could be obtained when the number of seasons was increased beyond three.
The cytoplasmic organization of hyphal tip cells in the fungus Allomyces macrogynus

Light and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine hyphal tip cells of the fungusAllomyces macrogynus (Chytridiomycetes). A well defined apical body, i.e., Spitzenkorper, was observed at the extreme apex of hyphal cells. This distinctive, spherical cytoplasmic region consisted of a granular matrix devoid of ribosomes and most organelles. To our knowledge this is the first report describing such a structure in hyphae of an aseptate fungus. Vesicles (45–65 nm diameter) were concentrated in the peripheral cytoplasm of the apex, while relatively few were observed within the Spitzenkorper. Filasomes, spherical patches of dense fibrillar material containing a microvesicle core, were abundant in the apical regions near the plasma membrane. Microtubules traversed the Spitzenkorper at various angles and were in close association with the plasma membrane. Microfilaments were observed as individual elements in the cytoplasm or were organized into bundles. Individual microfilaments were frequently in close association with the plasma membrane, vesicles and microtubules. In the immediate subapical region mitochondria, multivesicular bodies, microbodies, Golgi equivalents and nuclei were abundant.