cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opinion polls, information effects, and political equality: Exploring ideological biases in collective opinion

Much of the recent literature about political knowledge and public opinion concludes that the low information levels of the American public are benign to the workings of democracy. However, this study finds that the information resources possessed by rival publics are critical determinants of how loudly their preferences are voiced in policy‐oriented survey questions. Ill‐informed respondents tend to select “no opinion” more frequently and, when they provide responses, answer more randomly than the well informed. Because of this, numerically small publics who have large proportions of well‐informed constituents can significantly influence the frequency marginals of information‐dependent questions. As informed persons also tend to be affluent, respondents from higher income groups can act as “informed minorities” that cause opinion marginals to overstate the magnitude of economically conservative opinion in a population.
Addictive agents and intracranial stimulation (ICS): Pressing for ICS before and after self-administration of sweetened morphine solutions

Rats, fixed with chronically indwelling electrodes for intracranial stimulation (ICS) of the lateral hypothalamic area, pressed a lever for the ICS. They were then given 15 days of opportunity to consume a sweetened morphine solution. They increased their intake of the solution to a mean of 61 mg/kg/day of morphine by the 15th day. During the initial days of 37 days of abstinence, they showed pronounced withdrawal symptoms. Subsequently, they were given another opportunity to consume and they relapsed into taking large quantities of morphine. After another 10 days of abstinence, rats were tested for pressing for ICS before and after 3 h of opportunity to consume sweetened morphine solution (mean morphine consumption = 28 mg/kg/session). The rats pressed reliably more after taking the morphine solution than before taking it and more than on days when they only consumed the sweetened solution without morphine. Consequently, it was concluded that pressing for ICS was accelerated after self-administration of morphine by previously addicted rats.
Experimental Investigation of the Energy Dissipated in a Magneto-Rheological Damper for Semi-Active Vehicle Suspensions

Magneto-rheological (MR) fluid dampers are often characterized by their field-dependent yield stress. This fielddependent yield stress and their fast response time make MR fluid dampers attractive alternatives to conventional viscous dampers. In comparing passive dampers with MR dampers, an equivalent viscous damping coefficient is often found from the energy dissipated by the MR damper. This study considers the energy dissipated by the MR damper under semi-active control. A hybrid control policy for semi-active vehicle suspensions is considered. A quarter car rig was used to evaluate the dynamics of the hybrid suspension using an MR damper. The steady-state performance of hybrid control is investigated with regard to the RMS displacements and accelerations of the sprung and unsprung masses. A frequency domain analysis is also presented. The transmissibilities of the sprung and unsprung masses are found using a range specific chirp signal. Results indicate that hybrid control with equal contributions from skyhook and groundhook can offer benefits to both the sprung and unsprung masses. With the performance of the hybrid semi-active suspension known, the study then considers the energy dissipated by the MR damper under hybrid control. An investigation into the possible correlation between performance and the energy dissipated by the MR damper is presented. Force-displacement curves are generated and an energy ratio is introduced. The energy ratio is the energy metric used to evaluate the energy dissipation of the MR damper. The energy ratio is defined as the ratio of the energy dissipated by the MR damper and the energy input into the system. The results indicate that the MR damper under hybrid control can dissipate nearly 70% of the energy input to the system.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Predicting efficient antenna ligands for Tb(III) emission.

A series of highly luminescent Tb(III) complexes of para-substituted 2-hydroxyisophthalamide ligands (5LI-IAM-X) has been prepared (X = H, CH3, (C═O)NHCH3, SO3−, NO2, OCH3, F, Cl, Br) to probe the effect of substituting the isophthalamide ring on ligand and Tb(III) emission in order to establish a method for predicting the effects of chromophore modification on Tb(III) luminescence. The energies of the ligand singlet and triplet excited states are found to increase linearly with the π-withdrawing ability of the substituent. The experimental results are supported by time-dependent density functional theory calculations performed on model systems, which predict ligand singlet and triplet energies within ∼5% of the experimental values. The quantum yield (Φ) values of the Tb(III) complexes increase with the triplet energy of the ligand, which is in part due to decreased non-radiative deactivation caused by thermal repopulation of the triplet. Together, the experimental and theoretical results serve as a predi...
Formation of the electron-hole droplet cloud in germanium

Abstract We describe luminescence imaging experiments that probe the nature of the phonon wind which transports electron-hole droplets in Ge. The participation of non-equilibrium phonons emanating near the excitation region is supported by: (a) sharp features in the droplet spatial distribution (b) a dependence of the average cloud density on the excitation photon energy, and (c) a rapid initial buildup of the cloud.
Encounters between Dynamic Cortical Microtubules Promote Ordering of the Cortical Array through Angle-Dependent Modifications of Microtubule Behavior

Ordered cortical microtubule arrays are essential for normal plant morphogenesis, but how these arrays form is unclear. The dynamics of individual cortical microtubules are stochastic and cannot fully account for the observed order; however, using tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells expressing either the MBD-DsRed (microtubule binding domain of the mammalian MAP4 fused to the Discosoma sp red fluorescent protein) or YFP-TUA6 (yellow fluorescent protein fused to the Arabidopsis α-tubulin 6 isoform) microtubule markers, we identified intermicrotubule interactions that modify their stochastic behaviors. The intermicrotubule interactions occur when the growing plus-ends of cortical microtubules encounter previously existing cortical microtubules. Importantly, the outcome of such encounters depends on the angle at which they occur: steep-angle collisions are characterized by approximately sevenfold shorter microtubule contact times compared with shallow-angle encounters, and steep-angle collisions are twice as likely to result in microtubule depolymerization. Hence, steep-angle collisions promote microtubule destabilization, whereas shallow-angle encounters promote both microtubule stabilization and coalignment. Monte Carlo modeling of the behavior of simulated microtubules, according to the observed behavior of transverse and longitudinally oriented cortical microtubules in cells, reveals that these simple rules for intermicrotubule interactions are necessary and sufficient to facilitate the self-organization of dynamic microtubules into a parallel configuration.
Multipath signal model with predetermined statistics

A simple signal simulation model is introduced for mobile radio channels. The model generates complex signals with predetermined statistics, power levels, correlations and cross-correlation, and is especially suitable for diversity reception investigations.
A NEW METHOD OF SEQUENTIAL APPROXIMATE OPTIMIZATION FOR STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS

Abstract In this paper a new method of sequential approximate optimization is introduced to solve some structural optimization problems. This new method employs a new intermediate variable which has two variable parameters to linearize the objective and constraint functions in terms of the intermediate variable. The approximated optimization problem obtained by using this method is separable, and it can always be convex if the parameters are properly chosen. The approximated optimization problem is then simply solved by using the dual method. The new method can be considered as a generalization of the current sequential approximate optimization methods such as CONLIN, MMA and DSQP, and it can also be reduced to a modified optimality criteria method. Several guidelines and calculation methods for determining the parameters in the intermediate variable are discussed in this paper. It is shown that the new method can greatly accelerate the convergence of the optimization process compared with previous method...
Are Noninvasive Doppler Arterial Studies Useful in Predicting Success of Infrainguinal Bypass Grafts

The prediction of success of lower extremity bypass grafts based solely on noninvasive Doppler flow data has been questioned. The prognostic value of preoperative Doppler ankle pressures (APR), ankle/brachial indices (ABI), be low-knee pressures (BKPR), above-knee pressures (AKPR), and segmental pressure gradient indices was examined in predicting immediate (IF), late (LF), and overall failure (OF), as well as amputation (AMP) in 168 infrainguinal bypass grafts. Good runoff (2-3 vessels) was present in only 36%, and vein grafts were used in 60% of limbs. OF occurred in 26.7% (IF 6.5%, LF 20.2%) with a mean follow-up of 16.2 months (range 0-63). Major AMP resulted in 17.2% limbs. In 140 limbs with audible Doppler pedal signals, there was no significant difference in AKPR, ABI, or segmental indices between successful and failed grafts. Successful grafts had a higher AKPR (114.8 ± 38.5 vs 100 ± 30.5, p < .05) and BKPR (87.9 ± 30 vs 72.2 ± 23.5, p < .01) compared with failed bypasses. No significant differenc...
Implementation of computing standards

The F-16 avionics implements what is likely the broadest application of standards of any USAF weapon system. Standards available in 1976 were applied which consisted of the MIL-STD-1553 Multiplex Data Bus, JOVIAL J3B which was the defacto software hol and precursor to JOVIAL J73 dialect and the MIL-STD-490 software documentation standard. These standards were instrumental in making the F-16 a very successful program. The F-16 avionic system is now being greatly expanded to accommodate advanced sensors and weapons currently in USAF funded development. Once again the F-16 is at the forefront in implementing the latest USAF standards. A key feature of the enhanced avionics is the application of JOVIAL J73 (MIL-STD-1589B) for all subsystems, the MIL-STD-1553B Multiplex Data Bus, the MIL-STD-1750A Computer Instruction Set Architecture, and the MIL-STD-1760 Stores Interface. Both the implementation of standards in the current F-16 avionics and also in the enhanced F-16 avionics now in development are described.
Unstable high self-esteem and the eliciting conditions of self-doubt

Abstract Previous research has implicated the role of easily activated self-doubt in unstable high self-esteem (HSE). The current study sought to further elucidate the eliciting conditions of such self-doubt by assessing cardiovascular responses that are sensitive to self-doubt. Participants heard that an upcoming test of reasoning ability could only identify either exceptionally high or especially low ability, and then completed either a difficult or easy version of the test while cardiovascular markers of challenge/threat were measured. As hypothesized, individuals with unstable HSE exhibited cardiovascular responses consistent with greater self-doubt (threat) than others, but only during a difficult test that was diagnostic of exceptionally high ability. This suggests that people with unstable HSE do not experience a high level of self-doubt whenever they are faced with a test of themselves, but instead only when there is a high risk of confirming a lack of exceptional ability. This has important implications for further understanding the nature and underlying mechanisms of unstable HSE.
Infection patterns of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in calves

Faecal samples were collected weekly over a 3 month period from 0- to 20-week-old calves on an Ohio dairy farm, and examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts by a quantitative direct immunofluorescence assay. Oocysts and cysts were detected as early as 4 days of age. Shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts peaked at 1 week and was low by 3 weeks. Some calves, however, continued to pass low numbers of oocysts. Shedding of Giardia cysts peaked at 2 weeks of age with high levels maintained until 7 weeks of age. Most calves continued to pass low numbers of Giardia cysts after weaning. Cumulative infection rates for both Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia sp. were 100%.
Dependence power, severity appraisals, and communicative decisions about problematic events in dating relationships

Individuals in relationships accrue dependence power to the extent that they are perceived by a committed partner to be uncommitted to the relationship and have viable relationship alternatives (Cloven & Roloff, 1993). This investigation examined how relational dependence power influences post‐hoc appraisals and communicative decisions about problematic events for both problematic event offenders and observers. One hundred and six dating couples participated in this investigation. Each person individually completed measures of dependence power. Then, one person in each couple was designated the offender and the other was the observer of one of five hypothetical problematic events; participants rated the severity of the scenario, as welt as completing several measures related to defining the scenario as a problematic event. Respondents also reported the likelihood that they would not communicate about the situation. Analyses indicated that for offenders, appraisals of problematic event severity were negati...
Children's Social Reasoning in Context: Reply to Gabennesch

Children's social reasoning is multifaceted. Moral judgments of justice, welfare, and rights are an important aspect of domains of social reasoning that are not merely the arbitrary and relative products of social formations. In defining all social formations as conventions that are either reified or accurately perceived as arbitrary and relative human inventions, Gabennesch relegates the moral concepts of many philosophers, moral leaders, and laypersons to ethnocentrism and reification. In the process, he fails to distinguish between metaethics relating to the source of knowledge and the form of knowledge. He also fails to account for distinctions between conventionality and moral concepts that do not constitute realism or reification. His review of the evidence of moral realism in children is selective in that isolated findings are taken out of the context of a particular study and of the entire body of evidence. Moreover, he has incorrectly interpreted many of the findings he cites in support of childhood realism. We present a summary of 48 studies demonstrating that children distinguish morality and convention. Gabennesch's perceptual metaphors hinge on an exaggerated role for conventionality in social formations at the expense of other complex social phenomena.
A COMPARISON OF INTERVENTION AND RESIDUAL ANALYSIS

By comparing intervention and residual analysis abnormal return metrics, this study illustrates the impact that cross-sectional return dependencies can have on empirical tests of the semi-strong form of the efficient market hypothesis. The source of the dependencies encountered in this study appears to be the result of nine value altering information releases (e.g., events) that occurred in a seven-month period in 1982. For one sample of bank equity returns, the abnormal return metrics obtained with residual analysis are generally smaller than those obtained with intervention analysis. In addition, the intervention analysis results suggest that two of the nine events led to significant shifts in the banks' systematic risk. These findings suggest that tests of the semi-strong form of the efficient market hypothesis conducted with a less-than randomly constructed sample need to examine the restrictions that accompany the specification of an expected return metric.
Ablation of BK Channels Impairs Mitochondria and affects Aging

Large conductance calcium and voltage activated potassium channels (BK/Slo), are known for their role on the plasma membrane but recently found to be present on intracellular organelles including mitochondria. It is known that BK expression goes down with age in coronary artery smooth muscle cells, however a direct role for BK in aging is not established. To investigate a role for BK channels in aging involving mitochondria, we used Drosophila as a model system, previously used for such studies, using the classical slo1 mutant.We found that the lifespan of slo1 mutants is significantly reduced to 30+/−2 days, (mean 50% survival, n=6, 30 flies each) as compared to wild type (Canton-S) flies (70+/−5 days, n=6, 30 flies each). Since mitochondrial ROS is directly involved in aging, we investigated the effect of mitochondrial ROS on slo1 mutants. We fed young and old slo1 mutants Paraquat (PQ), an oxidative stressor, and found that the slo1 become increasingly PQ-sensitive with age (n=3 for each group, 50 flies each/experiment). We further tested whether BK is involved in regulating mitochondria during aging, and studied mitochondrial structure and function with age. Morphological analysis by electron microscopy showed that slo1 mutants accumulate abnormal mitochondria (swirls) right on the first day of eclosion and the abnormality increases as they age (n=3 each age group). The mitochondrial sizes were comparable at young age but the older slo1 mitochondria were enlarged with disorganized cristae. We further probed mitochondrial function by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by electron transport chain, and found that complex II-III in slo1 mutant mitochondria generate higher levels of ROS (37.35+/−3.0%,n=3) as compared to wt with succinate as a substrate. Thus, we have conclusively shown that BK plays a crucial role in aging possibly via mitochondrial regulation.
Magicin, a novel cytoskeletal protein associates with the NF2 tumor suppressor merlin and Grb2

Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) is a dominantly inherited disorder characterized by bilateral vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas. Merlin, the neurofibromatosis 2 tumor suppressor protein, is related to the ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins and, like its family members, is thought to play a role in plasma membrane-cytoskeletal interactions. We report a novel protein as a merlin-specific binding partner that we have named magicin (merlin and Grb2 interacting cytoskeletal protein) and show that the two proteins interact in vitro and in vivo as well as colocalize beneath the plasma membrane. Magicin is a 24 kDa protein that is expressed in many cell lines and tissues. Magicin, similar to merlin, associates with the actin cytoskeleton as determined by cofractionation, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Analysis of the magicin sequence reveals binding motifs for the adaptor protein Grb2. Employing affinity binding, blot overlay and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate an interaction between Grb2 and magicin. In addition, merlin is capable of forming a ternary complex with magicin and Grb2. These results support a role for merlin in receptor-mediated signaling at the cell surface, and may have implications in the regulation of cytoskeletal reorganization.
Radiation force imaging: challenges and opportunities

A number of novel imaging modalities have been developed to interrogate the mechanical properties of tissue. A subset of these methods utilize acoustic radiation force to mechanically excite tissue and form images from the local responses of tissue to these excitations. These methods are attractive because of the ability to focus and steer the excitatory beams and to control their spatial and temporal characteristics using techniques similar to those employed in conventional ultrasonic imaging. These capabilities allow for a wide variety of imaging methods whose features are only beginning to be explored. However, radiation force based methods also present significant challenges. Tissue and transducer heating limit the tissue displacements achievable with radiation force applications and restrict image frame rates and fields-of-view. The small tissue displacements are difficult to detect and may be obscured by physiologic tissue motion. We review the fundamental limits of imaging methods based on radiation force generated by patient safety concerns and the impact of these limits on achievable image signal-to-noise ratios and frame rates. We also review our progress to date in the development and clinical evaluation of one class of radiation force imaging methods employing very brief impulses of radiation force.
The asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-dehydrovomifoliol. The penultimate precursor to (−)-abscisic acid (ABA)

Abstract A formal total synthesis of (−)-ABA from the chiral bicyclic lactam (3) has been accomplished in nine steps.
SU-GG-J-155: Quantifying Interfractional Prostate Motion and Deformation Based On Daily KVCT to Determine Selection Criteria for Adaptive Correction Schemes

Purpose: To quantitatively characterize interfractional prostate motion and deformation using daily kVCT to determine the frequencies of different adaptive corrections and the selection criteria. Method and Materials: Daily kVCT images for 20 prostate cancer patients treated with CT‐guided repositioning using a linac and CT‐on‐Rails combo (CTVision, Siemens) were analyzed. The prostate, rectum and bladder were delineated for a total of 486 sets of CTimages. The daily organ contours were compared to the planning contours after bony anatomy registration. Several quantities, including center of mass (COM), Dice's coefficient (DC), maximum overlapping rate (MOR), were calculated for each of the structures and were used to characterize the prostate motion and deformation and to indicate the need of performing an adaptive correction strategy. Results: The daily prostate motion and deformation were mainly due to the daily variations in the volumes of the rectums and bladders. The largest differences in daily volumes was 650% for rectum and 820% for bladder. The mean prostate DC is 69.7±13.8% (1SD). In 76% of all cases, DC is lower than 80%. In 57% of all cases, MOR is greater than 85%; 39% is between 70% and 85%; only 4% is below 70%. These, combined with dosimetric data from a separate study, indicate that, on average, the current standard repositioning and the simple correction schemes (such as aperture morphing) are adequate for approximately 60% and 35% of fractions, respectively. The full‐scope replanning is required for approximately 5% of fractions. Criteria in terms of several daily anatomic parameters were suggested. Conclusion: Adaptive correction schemes for prostate interfractional changes may be selected based on anatomic quantities such as COM, DC and MOR as determined from the CT of the day. Specific criteria were suggested. Conflict of Interest: This work is supported partially by MCW Cancer Center Fotsch Foundation.
Hollow Metal Waveguides With Rectangular Cross Section For High Power Transmission

This paper reviews the possibilities of using flexible infrared transmissive wave-guides for high power and single mode transmission. Under appropriate conditions, more than 95% transmission through several meters of waveguide with power levels the order of kWatts is possible.
Brief On the synthesis of controllers for continuous time LTI systems that achieve a non-negative impulse response

The problem of controlling the oscillatory response of a system has many practical applications. In this paper, I consider the problem of controlling the sign of the closed loop impulse response for a delay-free LTI system. If the impulse response of a stable system does not change sign, then its step response will neither undershoot nor overshoot. In this paper, I will show that such a synthesis is possible iff the open loop system does not have real, non-minimum phase zeros. In addition, I provide a stable compensator that achieves a stable, non-negative impulse response, if there exists one.
On the half-half case of the Zarankiewicz problem

Consider the minimum number f(m,n) zeroes in a 2m × 2n(0, 1)-matrix M that contains no m × n submatrix of ones. This special case of the well-known Zarankiewicz problem was studied by Griggs and Ouyang, who showed, for m ≤ n, that 2n + m + 1 ≤ f(m,n) ≤ 2n + 2m - gcd(m,n)+1. The lower bound is sharp when m is fixed for all large n. They proposed determining limm → ∞{f(m,m+ 1)/m}. In this paper, we show that this limit is 3. Indeed, we determine the actual value of f(m, km+ 1) for all k, m. For general m, n, we derive a new upper bound on f(m,n). We also give the actual value f(m, n) for all m ≤ 7 and n ≤ 20.
Laser Excitation and Equilibration of Excited Vibrational States in CH3F

CH3F, when its ν3 mode is pumped by the P(20) line of the 9.6‐μ band of a CO2 Q‐switch laser, exhibits fluorescence from the ν1 and ν4 modes at 3000 cm−1. This fluorescence has a risetime ≤ 5 μsec at 1 torr and a decay rate of 0.59± 0.02 msec−1·torr−1. The diffusion coefficient measured from the low pressure fluorescence decay curves is 0.076± 0.011 cm2·torr msec−1. A very efficient near resonant energy transfer process is probably responsible for propagation of energy up the vibrational manifold. Similar processes may be important for laser induced chemical reactions. A square dependence of the intensity of fluorescence on incident cw laser power has been observed. This appears to arise mainly from population changes caused by a general temperature increase in the gas which occurs after absorption of laser energy and equilibration of all degrees of freedom of the molecule.
Portfolio managers versus the darts: evidence from the Wall Street Journal's Dartboard Column

The possibility that professional stock analysts could be outperformed by throwing darts at the stock listing page has intrigued stock market enthusiasts for years. In this study, we examine the results from the Wall Street Journal's Investment Dartboard Columns and find that the experts outperform the darts by a wide margin and outperform five different market indices by a positive but statistically insignificant amount.
Amorphous transparent conducting oxides in context: Work function survey, trends, and facile modification

Abstract The work functions of various amorphous and crystalline transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) were measured using Kelvin probe. The films, made by pulsed laser deposition, exhibited varying work functions dependent on the composition and deposition parameters. Tin oxide showed the largest work functions of the oxides measured, while zinc oxide showed the lowest. Binary and ternary combinations of the basis TCOs showed intermediate work functions dependent on the endpoint components. Amorphous TCOs, important in OPV and other technological applications, exhibited similar work functions to their crystalline counterparts. UV/ozone treatment of TCOs temporarily increased the work function, consistent with proposed defect mechanisms associated with near-surface changes in carrier content and Fermi level. Finally, a method for facile adjustment of the work function of commercial TCOs by atomic layer deposition (ALD) capping layers was presented, illustrated by the growth of zinc oxide layers on commercial crystalline ITO films.
Selective retransmission protocol for multimedia on the Internet

Internet multimedia applications have different requirements than do traditional text-based applications, placing new demands on TCP and UDP, the dc-facto Internet transport protocols. We propose a Selective Retransmission Protocol (SRP) to balance the potentially high loss found in UDP with the potentially high latency found in TCP. SRP uses an applicationspecific decision algorithm to determine whether or not to ask for a retransmission for a lost packet, adjusting the loss and latency to the optimum level for the application. We develop and experimentally evaluate an audioconference using SRP on a wide-area network testhed. We find SRP outperforms both TCP and UDP in terms of multimedia application quality.
System and environmental conditions that impact an imaging system's optical transfer function (OTF)

In the analysis of scene content of an infrared (IR) imager the optical transfer function (OTF) must be determined. For broadband systems the OTF is dependent upon the optics detector response and source spectral characteristics. For an IR imaging system with a 15.24 cm diameter Cassegrain telescope and 5.08 cm diameter central obscuration, the OTF can readily be approximated for monochromatic scene radiation. The spectral conditions of interest are those of a hot blackbody (BB) source to that of one at ambient temperature. The differing system conditions of interest are those of a filtered IR detector versus an unfiltered detector for the 8 - 12 micrometers spectral region. The environmental conditions of interest are those of dry versus humid atmospheres. For humid atmospheres the filtered detector has a distinct sensitivity advantage in that it can block out undesired path radiance from atmospheric constituents that would decrease the signal to noise ratio. For a dry atmosphere the unfiltered detector would have an advantage in that it would have a wider spectral response and receive more of the emitted source radiation yielding better spatial resolution near high frequency cutoff.
SEM localization of laminin on the basement membrane of the chick corneal epithelium with immunolatex microspheres

Embryonic chick corneal explants were soaked in mild detergent and the anterior corneal epithelium was peeled from its basement membrane, leaving the lamina lucida surface exposed and supported on the subjacent primary stroma. Explants were treated with rabbit anti-laminin IgG, followed by sheep anti-rabbit IgG linked microspheres, and processed for SEM. The lucida surface was heavily decorated with microspheres, whereas controls treated with preimmune rabbit IgG were essentially beadless. Laminin distribution was not regular, appearing denser in some regions than others. However, the connective tissue surface of the basement membrane was never laminin-positive, even after treatment with hyaluronidase. These results suggest the basal lamina of the corneal epithelium is asymmetric, with preferential location of laminin to the lucida surface of the basement membrane.
The effect of environmental factors on the rates of cultural developments

Progress in social and cultural life is initiated by a small group of individuals, who do not follow the socially accepted habits, patterns of behavior, or ideas. Such individuals may be conveniently called nonconformists. The rate of cultural progress depends largely on their number. This number is partly determined by purely biological factors, which result in a certain fraction of individuals being born with the necessary predisposition. Partly, it is determined by the circumstance that the progeny of nonconformists is reared and educated in nonconformist behavior. This latter process requires the possibility for the existing nonconformists to gather together and to form semi-closed social groups. This, in turn, depends to a large extent on the rate of urbanization of the population, which is affected by various environmental factors. Mathematical expressions are developed which show how these different environmental factors affect the growth of the number of nonconformists, and thus affect the rate of cultural changes. Some very general comparisons with known facts indicate the possibility of future applications of the theory. The principal result of the study is the fact that social groups with identical biological characteristics may show a great difference in cultural development due to differences in environment.
Choice assessment in residential settings.

The availability of choice has been suggested as an important aspect of quality of life for persons with severe handicaps. However, the psychometric properties of proposed methods of measuring choice have not been fully assessed. The present study introduces the Resident Choice Assessment Scale, a measure designed to assess daily choices available to persons with severe handicaps. Results indicated the instrument to be reliable across raters and time, and to distinguish choice availability across developmental center, nursing home, and group home settings. The scale may be useful for determining the restrictiveness of a living environment for purposes of modification and as a dependent measure for future research.
CalVR: an advanced open source virtual reality software framework

We developed CalVR because none of the existing virtual reality software frameworks offered everything we needed, such as cluster-awareness, multi-GPU capability, Linux compatibility, multi-user support, collaborative session support, or custom menu widgets. CalVR combines features from multiple existing VR frameworks into an open-source system, which we use in our laboratory on a daily basis, and for which dozens of VR applications have already been written at UCSD but also other research laboratories world-wide. In this paper, we describe the philosophy behind CalVR, its standard and unique features and functions, its programming interface, and its inner workings.
EFFECT OF HOLDING TUBE CONFIGURATION ON THE RESIDENCE TIME DISTRIBUTION OF MULTIPLE PARTICLES IN HELICAL TUBE FLOW

The flow of solid-liquid mixtures in a novel tube configuration was investigated and the results were compared to those obtained with a single-helical tube configuration. Residence time distribution (RTD) of polystyrene and acrylic particles as affected by different processing parameters was determined. The studied parameters included flow rate, carrier fluid consistency, particle concentration, and curvature ratio of the helical tube. Curvature ratio and flow rate were found to be the most important factors affecting the RTD of particles. Interactions between particles appeared to be important, as the RTD of acrylic particles decreased significantly whereas that of polystyrene particles increased slightly upon mixing the two types of particles.
Membrane proteases as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for breast malignancy

Metastasizing cancer cells can invade the extracellular matrix using plasma membrane protrusions, termed invadopodia, that contact and dissolve the matrix. Various membrane associated proteases localized on the invadopodial membranes are responsible for the extracellular matrix degradation. Work from our laboratory shows that secreted proteases including Gelatinase A, and high molecular weight integral membrane proteases are associated with cell surface invadopodia. Three cell types, including chicken embryonic cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus, human malignant melanoma cell line LOX, and human breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231, retain the invasive phenotypein vitro, express invadopodia, degrade and enter into a fibronectin-rich collagenous matrix. We suggest that invadopodium-associated proteases are ideal targets for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer as their presence in association with primary tumors may signal increased metastatic potential. An approach toward the development of new prognostic markers for breast malignancy involved production of monoclonal antibodies directed against membrane proteases in a mixture of glycoproteins. Double immunofluorescent technique using a known invadopodium marker is designed to select specific monoclonal antibodies colocalizing at the invasion front, on invadopodia of cancer cells. Membrane protease accessibility at the cell surface can therefore be exploited for therapeutic advances by the development of specific antibodies and inhibitors that block their activities, and by the use of monoclonal antibodies to target cytotoxic molecules to micrometastases. Also, this same accessibility may potentially be used to detect surface proteases on micrometastases or to detect components shed by micrometastases in serum.
Tuning, multitone instabilities, and intrinsic differences in robustness of adaptive control systems

An example is presented of an adaptive system that becomes unstable when a multitone reference input is applied, although it is stable when the spectral components are applied separately. It is further shown that another scheme, based on an input error instead of an output error in the adaptation, does not exhibit the same instability mechanism. The technique of averaging is used to analyze this phenomenon. The equilibrium points of the averaged system, called the tuned values, are investigated. Results are given on the number of tuned values, their locations, and their stability. The analysis is not only valid for a specific plant, but for a large class of systems. >
Conditional structure versus conditional estimation in NLP models

This paper separates conditional parameter estimation, which consistently raises test set accuracy on statistical NLP tasks, from conditional model structures, such as the conditional Markov model used for maximum-entropy tagging, which tend to lower accuracy. Error analysis on part-of-speech tagging shows that the actual tagging errors made by the conditionally structured model derive not only from label bias, but also from other ways in which the independence assumptions of the conditional model structure are unsuited to linguistic sequences. The paper presents new word-sense disambiguation and POS tagging experiments, and integrates apparently conflicting reports from other recent work.
Impact of Newly Diagnosed Endometrial Polyps During Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation on In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes

Abstract Study Objective To investigate the impact of newly diagnosed endometrial polyps during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) on the outcomes of fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) cycles. Design A retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). Setting An academic center. Patients All patients initiating IVF cycles at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine during a 1-year period. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of newly diagnosed endometrial polyps during COH. Interventions IVF with fresh ET. Measurements and Main Results Two thousand nine hundred ninety-three patients were identified: 60 in the polyp group and 2933 in the nonpolyp group. The overall positive pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, spontaneous miscarriage, and live birth rates were similar between the groups. The biochemical pregnancy rate was 18.3% in the polyp group compared with 9.6% in the nonpolyp group (p = .01). This represented a 2-fold increased odds of biochemical pregnancy in the polyp group (odds ratio = 2.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–4.12) compared with the nonpolyp group. Conclusion Newly diagnosed endometrial polyps during COH is associated with an increased biochemical pregnancy rate but ultimately does not adversely impact clinical pregnancy or live birth rates after fresh IVF-ET.
A Bound for the Disturbance - to - Tracking - Error Gain of a Supervised Set-Point Control System

1 The aim of this paper is to provide a simple analysis of the dynamical behavior of a set-point control system consisting of a poorly modelled process, an integrator and a multi-controller supervised by an estimator-based algorithm employing dwell-time switching. For a slowly switched multi-controller implementation of a finite family of linear controllers, explicit upper bounds are derived for the normed-value of the process’s allowable unmodelled dynamics as well as for the system’s disturbance-to-tracking error gain.
A generalized Petviashvili iteration method for scalar and vector Hamiltonian equations with arbitrary form of nonlinearity

The Petviashvili's iteration method has been known as a rapidly converging numerical algorithm for obtaining fundamental solitary wave solutions of stationary scalar nonlinear wave equations with power-law nonlinearity: -Mu+up=0, where M is a positive definite self-adjoint operator and p=const. In this paper, we propose a systematic generalization of this method to both scalar and vector Hamiltonian equations with arbitrary form of nonlinearity and potential functions. For scalar equations, our generalized method requires only slightly more computational effort than the original Petviashvili method.
Earnings Management and the Financial Statement Analyst

This paper reviews earnings management literature from the perspective of the financial statement analyst. The analyst will want to know if the company being analyzed is likely to have manipulated or managed the financial statement numbers, which numbers in the financial statements are most likely to have been managed, and the magnitude of the management. For several decades researchers have been documenting the manipulation or management of financial statement numbers. They have documented various management devices and a host of contexts that provide incentive to manage. Yet, this review reveals that an individual analyst, working to understand a single company, has little to guide him or her in assessing the probability that the firm under consideration has managed financial statement numbers, which numbers may have been managed, and to what extent they may have been managed. While much work has been done and many papers published, the hard work of making the research useful to the financial statement user remains to be done.
Mutation screen of β-crystallin genes in 274 patients with age-related macular degeneration

Purpose: The crystallin family of proteins comprise the main structural proteins of the vertebrate lens and have been classified into α-, β-, and γ- families. Several of the β-crystallin proteins have been detected in the retina where they are each localized to different compartments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Functionally, β-crystallins have been implicated in the protection of the retina from intense light exposure. Two members of the β-crystallins, CRYBB1 and CRYBB2, have been identified in drusen preparations isolated from the retina of donor eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly population of developed countries. We therefore investigated CRYBB1 and CRYBB2 as candidate genes for AMD in 274 unrelated patients.Results: A mutation screen of the entire coding region of the CRYBB1gene uncovered eight sequence variations, including three missense changes, two intronic changes and three isocoding changes. A mutation screen of the ent...
Muskrat Stew and Other Tales of A Penobscot Life: The Life Story of Fred Ranco

Muskrat Stew and Other Tales of a Penobscot Life: The Life Story of Fred Ranco vividly recounts the life of Fred Ranco, a full-blooded Penobscot Indian born in 1932 and raised on a Maine reservatio...
Explaining Price Policy Bias in Agriculture: The Calculus of Support-Maximizing Politicians

A model is developed to explain observed patterns of policy intervention in agriculture. We analyze the interaction between political support-seeking politicians and supportsupplying citizens. Society consists of a rural and urban group. We determine the effects on transfers of relative group size, disparities in income endowments between groups, and the deadweight loss of redistribution. The framework advanced is an alternative to that of the interest group model and is used to explain, for example, why the export sectors in developing countries are taxed more and why the United Kingdom is less adamant for higher price supports than Germany.
Continuum modeling of the dynamics of externally injection-locked coupled oscillator arrays

Mutually injection-locked arrays of electronic oscillators provide a novel means of controlling the aperture phase of a phased-array antenna, thus achieving the advantages of spatial power combining while retaining the ability to steer the radiated beam. In a number of design concepts, one or more of the oscillators are injection locked to a signal from an external master oscillator. The behavior of such a system has been analyzed by numerical solution of a system of nonlinear differential equations which, due to its complexity, yields limited insight into the relationship between the injection signals and the aperture phase. In this paper, we develop a continuum model, which results in a single partial differential equation for the aperture phase as a function of time. Solution of the equation is effected by means of the Laplace transform and yields detailed information concerning the dynamics of the array under the influence of the external injection signals.
State of water in chitosan–PVA hydrogel

The bound water fraction (XBW) of a newly- developed pH-sensitive, biodegradable chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) was investigated as a function of the chitosan/PVA molar ratio, GA concentration (CGA), and ionization state. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to deter- mine the XBW of the initial hydrogel, and of the hydrogel equilibrated in pH 3 and pH 7 buffers. Changes in XBW during swelling and shrinking of hydrogel were also inves- tigated. In the initial state of hydrogel, XBW increased with increasing PVA concentration (CPVA), without being signif- icantly affected by CGA. In the buffer-equilibrated hydrogels, XBW decreased with increasing CPVA and decreasing CGA. The amount of bound water based on dry mass (CBW) was substantially higher when the hydrogel was in the ionized (swollen) state compared to its unionized counterpart. This may be due to the association of a large quantity of water molecules with —NH3 groups of chitosan when the gel swelled in the acidic environment. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals,
Calculation of the entropy and free energy from monte carlo simulations of a peptide stretched by an external force.

Hypothetical scanning Monte Carlo (HSMC) is a method for calculating the absolute entropy, S, and free energy, F, from a trajectory generated by any simulation technique. HSMC was applied initially to fluids (argon and water) and later to peptides and self-avoiding walks on a lattice. In this paper we make a step further and apply it to a model of decaglycine (at T ) 300 K) in vacuum with constant bond lengths where external stretching forces are exerted at the end points; the changes in S and F are calculated as the forces are increased. The molecule is placed initially in a helical structure, which is changed to an extended structure after a short simulation time due to the exerted forces. This study has relevance to problems in polymers (e.g., rubber elasticity) and to the analysis of experiments where individual molecules are stretched by atomic force microscopy (AFM), for example. The results for S and F are accurate and are significantly better than those obtained by the quasi-harmonic approximation and the local states method. However, the molecule is quite stiff due to the strong bond angle potentials and the extensions are small even for relatively large forces. Correspondingly, as the force is increased the decrease in the entropy is relatively small while the potential energy is enhanced significantly. Still, differences, T¢S, for different forces are obtained with very good accuracy of 0.2 kcal/mol.
Essentials of Local Anesthetic Pharmacology

It is impossible to provide effective dental care without the use of local anesthetics. This drug class has an impressive history of safety and efficacy, but all local anesthetics have the potential to produce significant toxicity if used carelessly. The purpose of this review is to update the practitioner on issues regarding the basic pharmacology and clinical use of local anesthetic formulations.