cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intelligibility in semantics: reply to van Deemter

In "Domain of Discourse" (Gauker 1997) I used the story of Tommy and Suzy as the crux of a reductio on the expressive theory of communication. Kees van Deemter (1998) defends a neutral solution, according to which there is no uniquely correct interpretation of Tommy's utterance. His argument reveals a significant difference between him and me over what is required of semantic interpretation. His point of view is one that I did not adequately address in my paper; so I am glad to have the opportunity to address it here. To begin, I have to correct three mistakes in van Deemter's exposition of my paper. First, it is misleading to quote my characterization of expressivism as holding that "the primary function of language is to enable speakers to convey propositions to hearers" (Gauker 1997, p. 5) without mentioning my explicit characterization of the expressivist's conception of what it is to convey a proposition. We do not have expressivism apart from the idea that speakers choose their words with the intention of enabling hearers to recognize the content of an underlying thought. Second, I do not concede that Tommy's utterance is genuinely ambiguous. Although I did not say so in my paper, my own opinion is that the domain is really the marbles in Suzy's room. What I argued was only that the expressivist cannot adopt this interpretation. Finally, I do not hold that expressivism entails that an utterance has whatever meaning the speaker intends to convey. I argued that the neutral solutions are ultimately mistaken, but I did not deny that they are compatible with expressivism. My objection to the expressivist's neutral solutions turns on two assumptions, namely, that Suzy's retort "What you said is false!" is productive and, second, that we should expect productive discourse to be intelligible. Discourse is productive when it serves its participants well by helping them to achieve their collective goals. In the present case, the pertinent collective goal would be keeping the peace. Suzy's retort is productive in this sense because it initiates a discourse that leads to agreement. It is only because she regards Tommy's utterance as so plainly false that she considers what he might have had in mind. A discourse is intelligible to us when we are able to recognize the cogency of the reasoning given, the force of the objections offered, the pertinence of whatever questions may be asked, and, when provided with the pertinent facts, whether the propo-
Asian Americans Distinct Politically

I read Anil G. Jacob's piece in the January 2006 issue of PS (“Asian American Political Participation: Research Challenges for an Emerging Minority,” 103–106) with a mixture of admiration and consternation. He has my admiration for getting published as a graduate student, and that too in PS —a feat that I'm sure will stand him good measure when he is on the job market. However, he has my consternation because he makes slight of a field that has, especially in the last five years, produced a good deal of scholarship on a myriad of questions relating to Asian-American political behavior.
Isolation of nucleoprotein from the parvovirus KRV.

Abstract Disruption of the parvovirus KRV in alkali followed by sedimentation in sucrose at pH 10.0 results in the separation of the virion single-stranded DNA into two discrete sedimentation peaks. The first peak-at 16 S has the sedimentation value reported for purified KRV single-stranded linear DNA. The DNA has a mean contour length of 1.53 ± 0.19 μm which agrees closely with the previously reported length of KRV-DNA. The second DNA peak at 8–10 S contains DNA of approximately unit length and two subunit fragments. The fragments could result from the breakage of KRV-DNA at one specific point. The 8–10 S peak material appears to also contain protein and DNA polymerase activity. The protein may be complexed with the viral DNA since the density of the DNA in cesium chloride (1.66–1.69 g/ml) is altered from that found with purified KRV-DNA (1.72–1.73 g/ml). The importance of the nucleoprotein peak and its possible role in viral replication are discussed.
Design and Control of Chemomuscle: A Liquid-Propellant-Powered Muscle Actuation System

This paper describes the design and control of a new chemomuscle actuation system for robotic systems, especially the mobile systems inspired by biological principles. Developed based on the pneumatic artificial muscle, a chemomuscle actuation system features a high power density, as well as similar characteristics to the biological muscles. Furthermore, by introducing monopropellant (a special type of liquid fuel) as the energy storage media, the chemomuscle system leverages the high energy density of liquid fuel and provides a compact form of high-pressure gas supply with a simple structure. The introduction of monopropellant addresses the limitation of pneumatic supply on mobile devices and thus is expected to facilitate the future application of artificial muscle on biorobotic systems. In this paper, the design of a chemomuscle actuation system is presented, as well as a robust controller design that provides effective control for this highly nonlinear system. To demonstrate the proposed chemomuscle actuation system, an experimental prototype is constructed, on which the proposed control algorithm provides good tracking performance.
Electroreflectance in a nonuniform field in the small-wave-number approximation and its measurement by ellipsometry

The changes in the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant of a solid induced by an electric field which decreases exponentially with distance from the surface are calculated from perturbation theory for photon energies near interband transitions. This exponential model for the field is of interest because it approximates well the actual field over a fairly wide range of surface conditions and because it contains only two adjustable parameters, the surface field and the rate of decay of the exponential. The contribution from each of these parameters can be separated and identified in the results. Previous calculations of electro-reflectance in a nonuniform field have employed the one-electron Franz-Keldysh theory for a uniform field, assuming the field to vary slowly enough with distance from the surface so that a WKB approximation could be used to extract spatially averaged values of the change in dielectric constant. Our calculation is not limited by the WKB approximation, and is applicable even at very large field nonuniformities. However, when the field penetration depth is less than about three times the photon penetration depth, effective masses must be known in order to complete our calculation, but it is still valid. The theory, used to interpret a modulated-ellipsometry experiment on Ge in the 2.1-eV region, shows that illumination of the sample surface by a second light beam can decrease the field penetration depth by at least a factor of 20, and increase the surface field by at least a factor of 10, because of increased free-carrier screening.
New approaches to the pre‐ and post‐contact history of Arctic peoples

The last few years have witnessed the addition of new techniques and research strategies to the study of the population history of Arctic peoples. Osteon-photon analysis of bone cores provides an improved method of assigning age at death to skeletons. Consequently, it is possible to improve calculations of life expectancy and relate them to pathological correlates such as osteoporosis, separate neural arches, spina bifida and arthritis along with regular growth changes. This capability enables much better utilization of pre-contact skeletons and therefore of the numbers, density and composition of populations before European contact. The general picture emerging from skeletal studies, census records and living populations is, in Arctic Eskimos, one of high fertility, high mortality and short length of life, with a slow population growth rate. Aleuts show lower fertility, lower mortality and longer length of life, also with a low population growth rate.
A methodology for modeling the formation and decay of nitro-PAH in the atmosphere

An outdoor chamber system with dilute diesel exhaust was used to photochemically generate nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAH). A reaction scheme was proposed for PAH decay and NPAH formation and decay. These reactions were then added to the photochemical smog mechanism, Carbon Bond-4. The primary gas phase reactions for fluoranthene (FL) and pyrene (PY) involved hydroxyl radical (OH) attack. The addition of NO2 to the gas phase adduct of FL + OH or PY + OH was the only pathway for 2NF and 2NP formation in model simulations. Simulations of the formation and decay of 2-nitrofluoranthene (2NF) and the photo-decay of 1&2 nitropyrene were reasonably close to measured chamber concentrations. The greatest uncertainties in the current model were the rates (or yields) from NO2 addition to the OH-PAH adducts to form NPYs and NFLs, and the photo-induced decay rates of particle associated 2NP and 2NF. Of additional importance is the potential reaction of O3 with particle NPAH, and the possibility of unknown particle reactions leading to NPAH formation.
Assessment of a Double Hole Film Cooling Geometry Using S-PIV and PSP

A novel, double hole film cooling configuration is investigated as an alternative to traditional cylindrical and fanshaped, laidback holes. This experimental investigation utilizes a Stereo-Particle Image Velocimetry (S-PIV) to quantitatively assess the ability of the proposed, double hole geometry to weaken or mitigate the counter-rotating vortices formed within the jet structure. The three-dimensional flow field measurements are combined with surface film cooling effectiveness measurements obtained using Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP). The double hole geometry consists of two compound angle holes. The inclination of each hole is θ = 35°, and the compound angle of the holes is β = ± 45° (with the holes angled toward one another). The simple angle cylindrical and shaped holes both have an inclination angle of θ = 35°. The blowing ratio is varied from M = 0.5 to 1.5 for all three film cooling geometries while the density ratio is maintained at DR = 1.0. Time averaged velocity distributions are obtained for both the mainstream and coolant flows at five streamwise planes across the fluid domain (x/d = −4, 0, 1, 5, and 10). These transverse velocity distributions are combined with the detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions on the surface to evaluate the proposed double hole configuration (compared to the traditional hole designs). The fanshaped, laidback geometry effectively reduces the strength of the kidney-shaped vortices within the structure of the jet (over the entire range of blowing ratios considered). The three-dimensional velocity field measurements indicate the secondary flows formed from the double hole geometry strengthen in the plane perpendicular to the mainstream flow. At the exit of the double hole geometry, the streamwise momentum of the jets is reduced (compared to the single, cylindrical hole), and the geometry offers improved film cooling coverage. However, moving downstream in the steamwise direction, the two jets form a single jet, and the counter-rotating vortices are comparable to those formed within the jet from a single, cylindrical hole. These strong secondary flows lift the coolant off the surface, and the film cooling coverage offered by the double hole geometry is reduced.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Assessing Willingness to Care for Persons With AIDS: Validation of a New Measure:

Objective: This article describes the development and validation of the Willingness to Care Scale, a multifactorial measure assessing the experiences of informal caregivers for persons living with ...
Hypermethylation of the CpG island of the RASSF1A gene in ovarian and renal cell carcinomas.

Homozygous deletion and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chromosome 3p21 have been observed in several types of human cancer including lung cancer and breast cancer. In previous work, we cloned and identified the human RAS association domain family 1A gene (RASSF1A) from the lung tumor suppressor locus 3p21.3. The CpG island and promoter region of RASSF1A is highly methylated in primary lung and breast tumors. In this study, we analyzed the methylation status of the promoter region of RASSF1A in 3 different tumor types: colon, ovarian and renal cell carcinoma. In colon cancers, 3 out of 26 tumor tissues (12%) were methylated at the CpG island of the RASSF1A gene. Renal and ovarian cancers showed a much higher frequency of methylation. For ovarian tumors, 8 out of 20 tumors (40%) were methylated. In renal cell carcinomas, 18 out of 32 cases (56%) were methylated. For all tumor types, none of the available normal tissues was methylated. This data suggests that methylation of the CpG island and promoter of the RASSF1A gene is common not only in lung and breast tumors but also in renal cell carcinoma and ovarian cancer.
Superconducting metastable simple cubic alloys

Abstract Four new superconducting alloy phases with simple cubic crystal structure with one atom per unit cell are reported. Evidence is presented to suggest that this rather unusual crystal structure is favorable for the occurence of superconductivity.
Early involvement of small inhibitory cortical interneurons in Alzheimer’s disease

Work on acute models of cortical injury has revealed a population of small GABAergic interneurons that are induced to increase their low constitutive expression of neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase (nNOS). In some cases, this activation may play a role in NO-mediated degeneration of pyramidal neurons. In this report, we explore the anatomy of various classes of cortical nNOS (+) (nitrergic) neurons, with emphasis on small interneurons, in the medial temporal lobe of subjects with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from two well-characterized cohorts, the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA) and the Religious Order Study (ROS). We find that small calbindin (+) cortical interneurons are induced to high levels of NADPHd/nNOS reactivity early in AD and abound in areas with emerging neurofibrillary pathology, that is, in entorhinal cortex in the beginning of the limbic stage of Braak, in hippocampal CA1 in the mature limbic stage and in temporal neocortex in the late limbic stage. This pattern was robust and significant in the younger of the two AD cohorts studied (BLSA), but persisted as a trend in the older cohort (ROS). In optimally prepared material, we find a significant correlation between numbers of these interneurons and markers of neuronal cell death, for example, caspase-3 activation. Our results show that small cortical inhibitory interneurons represent an extensive signaling system that is induced to higher levels of NADPHd/nNOS expression early in the paralimbic–limbic–neocortical sequence of AD progression. We propose that nNOS/NO signaling initiated in these interneurons can serve as a marker of early cortical injury in AD. The specific role played by inhibitory interneurons and NO in the elaboration of specific neuropathologies associated with AD, that is, Aβ and neurofibrillary deposits and cell death deserves further exploration in experimental animal models.
Quantitative safety goals for risk management of industrial facilities

Abstract This paper discusses the issues, constraints and conflicts involved in risk management for industrial facilities and proposes a global and explicit approach to numerical safety goals. The use of such quantitative targets is part of a more general strategy of risk management. The factors involved are technical, organizational, ethical, social, legal and economic. In order to set priorities among safety measures, the first step is a probabilistic risk analysis, which should not be limited to technical parameters but should also include organizational factors. A review of precedents and “floating numbers” commonly used as safety targets is presented. A general structure of safety goals is then proposed with illustrative numbers. The case of existing facilities and the treatment of uncertainties are discussed briefly.
The effect of secretin on hydrogen ion transport in the duodenum and jejunum.

Abstract To measure the capacity of the upper small intestine to dispose of acid in the absence of bile and pancreatic juice, in vivo titrations were performed in cat upper duodenum, lower duodenum, and jejunum to various pH levels in a recirculating perfusion circuit in groups of five cats. The effect of secretin in this capacity to dispose of acid was investigated by repeating the experiment with intravenous infusion of GIH secretin at 3 CU/kg/hr. Identical results were obtained in the lower duodenum and jejunum, but significant increase in rate of H + removal was seen in the upper duodenum at all pH levels. Histological examination showed that the Brunner's glands did not extend for more than half of the length of upper duodenum, and are not found in either the lower duodenum or jejunum. No morphological changes were detectable other than depletion of mucin in Brunner's glands in animals stimulated with secretin. It is concluded that the only effect secretin has on H + transport in the upper small intestine is to increase alkaline secretion from, for example, Brunner's glands, resulting in a larger amount of neutralization.
Adaptation to gradual as compared with sudden visuo-motor distortions.

If visual feedback is discordant with movement direction, the visuo-motor mapping is disrupted, but can be updated with practice. In this experiment subjects practiced discrete arm movements under conditions of visual feedback rotation. One group was exposed to 10°-step increments of visual feedback rotation up to a total of 90°, a second group to a 90° visual feedback rotation throughout the experiment. After the first group reached the 90° visual feedback rotation, its subjects performed faster, with less spatial error, and showed larger aftereffects than the subjects who practiced constantly under the 90° visual feedback rotation condition. Results suggest that gradually increasing feedback distortion allows more complete adaptation than a large, sudden distortion onset.
A Dataflow Programming Language and its Compiler for Streaming Systems

Abstract The dataflow programming paradigm shows an important way to improve programming productivity for streaming systems. In this paper we propose COStream, a programming language based on synchronous data flow execution model for data-driven application. We also propose a compiler framework for COStream on general-purpose multi-core architectures. It features an inter-thread software pipelining scheduler to exploit the parallelism among the cores. We implemented the COStream compiler framework on x86 multi-core architecture and performed experiments to evaluate the system.
The Hispanic Labyrinth: Tradition and Modernity in the Colonization of the Americas

In its original Spanish language version, this tour de force was awarded the famed "Espejo de Espana" prize. Rubert deVentos examines the ambiguous yet highly charged relationships between Spain and the American nations of the Western hemisphere. Writing with the grace and charm that characterizes the best of the "pensador" tradition, the author has produced a fundamental treatise on social development. With his deep appreciation for the indigenous populations of South and Central America, Rubert deVentos offers a comparative perspective on the two major forms of colonization in the Americas--that of Spain and of the United States, leading to the provocative conclusion that each should have learned from the traditional rather than the modern lives of the other. He emphasizes with great precision distinctions in relative stages of industrialization in the West, differences between Catholic and Protestant faiths, the variety of legal codes imposed on Latin America, and above all the fine but critical differences between civilization and evangelization. Rubert deVentos's effort is exemplary for its immersion into the actual patterns of culture found in the encounter of civilizations. He engages in no harshness, no condemnation, no trivial pursuit of post-mortem name-calling. Rather he has a keen sense of the historical, the theological, and the inevitable. Written for the general reader and specialist in area studies alike, providing a deep sense of anthropology as well as history, "The Hispanic Labyrinth" has an ambitious aim: to give all concerned in this relationship a sense of common cause in building democracy in the process of global interaction. "Xavier Rubert deVentos" holds the chair in Esthetics at the University of Barcelona. He is a Santayana Fellow at Harvard University and a founding member of the New York Institute for the Humanities. He has held visiting professorships at the University of Cincinnati, and the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author of works in Spanish and Catalan, including "On Modernity; The Theory of Sensibility" and other books on philosophical themes. He is also a deputy to the European Parliament. "The Hispanic Labyrinth" is translated from Spanish by Mary Ann Newman, teacher of Spanish-American literature in New York City.
Spin coating over topography

A model for predicting film thickness profiles around topographical features during spin coating is presented. This model is applicable to features of arbitrary geometry in the two lateral dimensions. This generally permits study of the planarization of real device structures, including both isolated and neighboring features, with any orientation with respect to the wafer center. Predictions from this model agree qualitatively with measured thin-film profiles from interferograms taken during spinning. Phenomena such as pile-up and wakes result from interactions between surface tension and other driving forces in the flow. >
Electromyography of the gluteal muscles in Hylobates, Pongo and Pan : implications for the evolution of hominid bipedality.

The gluteal musculature of primates has been a focus of great research interest among those who study human evolution. Most current theorists agree that gluteus superficialis (= maximus) need not have changed its action in the step from pongid to hominid, but dispute has arisen over a purported change in action and role of the gluteus medius. To clarify the functions of gluteus medius, gluteus superficialis, and tensor fasciae femoris during ape locomotion, we conducted a telemetered electromyographic study of these muscles in two gibbons, one orangutan, and four chimpanzees as they walked bipedally on the ground and on a horizontal tree trunk, walked quadrupedally on the same substrates, and climbed a vertical tree trunk. The results indicate that the gluteus medius of apes is not, as has been previously suggested, primarily an extensor of the thigh; its action is chiefly that of medial rotation. The role of the gluteus medius during bipedality is the same in apes and humans–to provide side-to-side balance of the trunk at the hip. The change in the hominid lateral balance mechanism can be viewed as primarily osteological, allowing preservation of the same muscle function with an extended thigh. As a result, the stride length is increased and there occurs a diminution of the demands placed on other muscles to maintain anteroposterior balance at the hip and knee. Our data also support the view that vertical climbing may be specifically preadaptive to bipedalism. One may picture the earliest hominid as part biped, when on the ground traveling between scattered food trees, and part climber, when moving from the ground to food.
Comparisons between Pharmacologically and Edinger-Westphal–Stimulated Accommodation in Rhesus Monkeys

PURPOSE. Accommodation results in increased lens thickness and lens surface curvatures. Previous studies suggest that lens biometric accommodative changes are different with pharmacological and voluntary accommodation. In this study, refractive and biometric changes during Edinger-Westphal (EW) and pharmacologically stimulated accommodation in rhesus monkeys were compared. METHODS. Accommodation was stimulated by an indwelling permanent electrode in the EW nucleus of the midbrain in one eye each of four rhesus monkeys. Dynamic refractive changes were measured with infrared photorefraction, and lens biometric changes were measured with high-resolution, continuous A-scan ultrasonography for increasing stimulus current amplitudes, including supramaximal current amplitudes. Accommodation was then stimulated pharmacologically and biometry was measured continuously for 30 minutes. RESULTS. During EW-stimulated accommodation, lens surfaces move linearly with refraction, with an increase in lens thickness of 0.06 mm/D, an anterior movement of the anterior lens surface of 0.04 mm/D, and a posterior movement of the posterior lens surface of 0.02 mm/D. Peak velocity of accommodation (diopters per second) and lens thickness (in millimeters per second) increased with supramaximal stimulus currents, but without further increase in amplitude or total lens thickness. After carbachol stimulation, there was initially an anterior movement of the anterior lens surface and a posterior movement of the posterior lens surface; but by 30 minutes, there was an overall anterior shift of the lens. CONCLUSIONS. Ocular biometric changes differ with EW and pharmacological stimulation of accommodation. Pharmacological stimulation results in a greater increase in lens thickness, an overall forward movement of the lens and a greater change in dioptric power. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46: 609 – 617) DOI:10.1167/iovs.04-0990
Mechanisms of Caloric Restriction Affecting Aging and Disease

Caloric restriction (CR) appears to affect aging by the inhibition of the specific chronic diseases which occur at increasing frequency with age. A common disease in F-344 rats, granulocytic leukemia, appears to have a window where it is sensitive to the effects of CR. Other diseases, such as pituitary adenomas, appear to have a different relationship to growth in the animal. Additionally, a model for the major disease for a number of long-lived strains of mice, lymphoma, which CR effects by inhibiting the expression of the causative agent, is being developed. Evaluation of the effects of CR on neoplasia, degenerative disease and physiological parameters suggests that the major factors in expression of these diseases is the alteration of growth factors, hormonal status, etc., and that these alterations also affect strain-specific pathologies depending on when they are changed in the life span. Effecting different diseases at different times in the life span, long-term CR, by limiting exposure to endogenous growth factors, altering physiological characteristics, and limiting exposure to food toxicants, inhibits the onset of disease, and its sequela, aging.
Scanning tunneling microscopy of quantum confinement effects in lead sulfide thin films

We report the use of the scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) to investigate 1-dimensional quantum confinement effects in lead sulfide (PbS) thin films. The band gap was varied by control of the PbS film thickness and barrier materials. PbS quantum well structures with a thickness range of 1–20 nm were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) due to its unique characteristics: precise thickness control with sub-nm resolution, pinhole-free films, and conformal coating. Two barrier materials were selected based on their barrier height: silicon dioxide as a high barrier material and zinc sulfide as a low barrier material. PbS quantum wells embedded in different barrier materials were characterized with STS to measure band gap variations. Experimental results showed that the band gap of PbS thin films increased as film thickness decreased and barrier height increased. The experimental results showed good agreement with an effective mass model.
Alternative therapies to address the unmet medical needs of patients with phenylketonuria

Standard therapy for phenylketonuria (PKU), the most common inherited disorder in amino acid metabolism, is an onerous phenylalanine-restricted diet. Adherence to this stringent diet regimen decreases as patients get older, and this lack of adherence is directly associated with cognitive and executive dysfunction and psychiatric issues. These factors emphasize the need for alternative pharmacological therapies to help treat patients with PKU. Sapropterin dihydrochloride is a synthetic form of tetrahydrobiopterin, the cofactor of phenylalanine hydroxylase that in pharmacological doses can stabilize and increase residual enzyme activity in some patients with PKU. About one-third of all patients with PKU respond to oral sapropterin. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) is a prokaryotic enzyme that converts phenylalanine to ammonia and trans-cinnamic acid. Phase I and II trials have shown that injectable recombinant Anabaena variabilis PAL produced in Escherichia coli conjugated with PEG can reduce phenylalanine...
Distributed electric power systems of the future: Institutional and technological drivers for near-optimal performance

Abstract Viewing electric power distribution systems as complex engineering systems whose states and inputs are defined by both technical and non-technical components of the system could help us understand challenges and lead to possible innovative solutions. In this setup, regulatory incentives, pricing, demand, and technological innovation are all endogenous feed-forward and/or feedback signals to the existing physical network and shape its evolution in both the short and long terms. We suggest that it is, indeed, possible to design technical, economic, and regulatory feed-forward and feedback signals keeping in mind the desired performance of the system. A particularly unique challenge is to enhance and operate the existing systems by incorporating distributed technologies (distributed generation or DG, active demand response, controllable wires) whose added value comes from just-in-time and right-location adjustments to the changing conditions. One way of interpreting the value of technologies of this type is to understand that they provide flexible and efficient responses by the end-user (DG and demand), therefore reducing the need for capacity reserve at the system level. Technical implementations and regulatory rules are not in place today to support systematic penetration of these technologies into the existing distribution systems. In this paper we stress the critical role of future load serving entities (LSEs) as aggregators and catalysts of customer choice at the value as one possible way forward. The LSEs would, through systematic protocols between themselves and the wholesale markets, on one side, and the customers whom they serve, on the other side, effectively implement incentives to induce near-optimal distribution system performance over long time horizons by investing in near-optimal technologies. These incentives must capture and compare both cumulative effects of real time decisions and the effects of longer-term investment decisions on near-optimal industry architecture. A non-traditional cost–benefit analysis which draws on temporal and spatial economies of scope is critical for ensuring penetration of what might be viewed as a rather costly disruptive technology. To illustrate the relevance of such analysis on incentives design, we provide numerical examples showing the objectives of the price-responsive demand and the objectives of the evolving distribution (local wire) companies under several regulatory rules.
Changes in the spatial variation of soil properties following shifting cultivation in a Mexican tropical dry forest

The role of secondary vegetation in restoring soil fertility during shifting cultivation in the tropics is well known. Yet the effect of secondary succession on the spatial patterns of soil properties has received little attention. To determine whether changes in the plant community as a result of shifting cultivation affect the scale of spatial dependence for biologically important soil nutrients, we sampled three dry tropical forest stands in Campeche, Mexico. These stands represented a gradient of cultivation history: one mature forest stand, a forest fallow that had undergone one cultivation-fallow cycle, and a forest fallow that had undergone two cultivation-fallow cycles. We used an analysis of semivariance to quantify the scale and magnitude of spatial dependence for organic matter content (OM), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and aluminum (Al) in each stand. The scale of spatial dependence varied with cultivation history, but the degree of spatial dependence did not differ among stands. In the mature forest P and K were autocorrelated over distances >7.5 m. In the forest fallows 48–88% of the variation in soil P and K was autocorrelated over distances up to 1.1–5.1 m. In contrast, the range of autocorrelation for Al (∼2.5 m) did not differ among stands. We conclude that shifting cultivation changes the range of autocorrelation for biologically important soil nutrients at a scale that may influence plant growth. The finer scaled pattern of soil nutrients in forest fallows is likely to persist with continued shifting cultivation, since fallows are cleared every 3–15 years.
Pharmacokinetic analysis of polyamide nucleic-acid-cell penetrating peptide conjugates targeted against HIV-1 transactivation response element.

We have demonstrated that polyamide nucleic acids complementary to the transactivation response (TAR) element of HIV-1 LTR inhibit HIV-1 production when transfected in HIV-1 infected cells. We have...
Design and evaluation of persea, a sybil-resistant DHT

P2P systems are inherently vulnerable to Sybil attacks, in which an attacker creates a large number of identities and uses them to control a substantial fraction of the system. We propose Persea, a novel P2P system that derives its Sybil resistance by assigning IDs through a bootstrap tree, the graph of how nodes have joined the system through invitations. Unlike prior Sybil-resistant P2P systems based on social networks, Persea does not rely on two key assumptions: (1) that the social network is fast mixing and (2) that there is a small ratio of attack edges to honest nodes. Both assumptions have been shown to be unreliable in real social networks. A node joins Persea when it gets an invitation from an existing node in the system. The inviting node assigns a node ID to the joining node and gives it a chunk of node IDs for further distribution. For each chunk of ID space, the attacker needs to socially engineer a connection to another node already in the system. The hierarchical distribution of node IDs confines a large attacker botnet to a considerably smaller region of the ID space than in a normal P2P system. We then build upon this hierarchical ID space to make a distributed hash table (DHT) based on the Kad network. The Persea DHT uses a replication mechanism in which each (key, value) pair is stored in nodes that are evenly spaced over the network. Thus, even if a given region is occupied by attackers, the desired (key, value pair can be retrieved from other regions. We evaluate Persea in analysis and in simulations with social network datasets and show that it provides better lookup success rates than prior work with modest overheads.
Targeted Delivery of Tumor Suppressor microRNA-1 by Transferrin- Conjugated Lipopolyplex Nanoparticles to Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Stem Cells

Objective: Among heterogeneous glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells, glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) is a subpopulation having a critical role in tumor initiation and therapy resistance. Thus targeting GSCs would be an essential step to completely eradicate this lethal disease. MicroRNA-1 (miR-1) expression is deregulated in GBM patients and restoration of miR-1 by viral-vector in GBM cells has been demonstrated to inhibit tumor initiation and attenuate cell migration. Here, we show that a transferrin-targeting non-invasive nanoparticle delivery system (Tf-NP) can efficiently deliver miR-1 to GBM patient-derived GSC-enriched sphere cultures (GBM spheres). Methods: Delivery efficiency of the transferrin- targeting non-invasive nanoparticle was investigated by flow cytometry and further confirmed by confocal microscopy. The levels of miR-1 and its target molecules in GBM spheres were measured by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting. Migration capacity of Tf-NP-miR-1 treated GBM spheres were evaluated by transwell migration assay. Results: Tf-NPmiR- 1 treatment resulted in an over 200-fold increase of mature miR-1 compared to free miR-1 and Tf-NP-miR negative control (Tf-NP-miR-NC). Transferrin-mediated NP delivery resulted in a 3-fold higher delivery efficiency compared to NP without transferrin modification. Tf-NP-miR-1 treatment on GBM spheres significantly inhibited migration of GBM spheres by 30–50% with associated decline of MET and EGFR expression. Our data supported that Tf-NP could be used as an efficient and effective delivery system which has high potential to benefit the development of miR-based therapeutics for GBM treatment.
PRIVATE POLICING AND PRIVATE ROADS: A COASIAN APPROACH TO DRUNK‐DRIVING POLICY

Alcohol-related traffic accidents are externalities, not because of drinking, but because of relatively free access to public roads. Access limits are Coasian (property-rights) policies, but more effective limits will arise if road owners are liable for failing to provide safe roads. This can be achieved by privatising roads, thereby creating strong incentives to employ innovative private traffic policing.
Drilling trajectory optimization

This is an excellent introduction to contemporary drilling technology. A well is not just a hole in the ground; putting the hole where you want it is no small matter.
A relationship between handling and a developmental abnormality in the flour beetle, Tribolium spp

In this experimental analysis of the teratology of Tribolium, we studied the effect of crowding and handling on a disorder associated with pupal eclosion. Handling increased the incidence of the abnormality which occurred infrequently in controls: the crowding level tested by us had no effect. T. confusum Duv., strain b-I produced more abnormal beetles than T. castaneum (Hbst.), strain c-IV-a. Handling older pupae increased the disorder to a greater extent than in young and non-pupae.The handling procedure was quite vigorous and the threshold level required to produce the effect is not known. The phenomenon might be important in population ecology but the pathway through which handling produces it is unknown.
PaleoBase: Macrofossils Part 1.0

Norman MacLeod (Editor), 2000, The Natural History Museum, London, and Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, (CD-ROM $40) ISBN: 0-632-05641-X. Making fossils fun for students is one of the challenges of the professional paleontologist; another challenge certainly remains identifying paleontological unknowns encountered in the field. Sure, we have inorganic chemistry beat when it comes to audience enjoyment for the former and, yes, there are references available for the latter, but that does not mean it's always easy. Thankfully, PaleoBase now exists: a valuable tool for use in the education of professional and non-professional paleontologists alike. It also potentially will allow paleontologists to evaluate the taxonomy of specimens they recover in the field. The software package essentially couples the world class paleontological collections of the Natural History Museum (London) with experts on macrofossil systematics in a relational database. This package is the computer age complement to Euan Clarkson's superb (1979, 1998) Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution. A book that many, if not all, paleontologists used at some point during their careers, and Clarkson, in fact, is listed as the special advisor to this project. The authors of this package hail it as the future of systematics and …
The Paradoxes of Environmental Policy and Resource Management in Reform-Era China*

AbstractOver the last 5,000 years serious environmental problems—deforestation, desertification, erosion, and widespread pollution of air, land, and water—have prevailed throughout most of China, brought about by a diverse set of social and political contexts. In this paper I focus on an enduring contradiction associated with the post-1978 reforms, namely accelerated environmental resource degradation in rural areas amid unprecedented national economic growth. Declining entitlements to assets and social capital in China’s rural village populations are a crucial aspect of altered state-peasant relations, as these are increasingly mediated by the market during China’s transition to a hybrid economy. This has resulted in changing patterns of resource use, impacting both the environment and peasant livelihoods. A brief assessment of China’s postrevolutionary environmental policy and management practices provides the context for detailed case studies in Henan Province. These examples highlight the relationship...
Color and Light Scattering of Platinum in Some Lead Glasses

The coloration and light scattering of sodium lead silicate, borate, and phosphate glasses containing platinum, introduced as PtCl4, have been studied. Under the normal atmosphere of a furnace heated by silicon carbide elements, the platinum is retained in the colloidal state in the sodium lead silicates and borates, producing gray glasses. In the phosphate glasses yellow to orange ionic colors as well as grays are produced. Lead oxide increases the stability of platinum ions in the phosphate glasses. Under strong oxidizing conditions, ionic platinum also can be obtained in the borate and silicate glasses. Tyndall scattering can be detected in what appear to be clear, colorless glasses. This light scattering has been observed in some glasses containing as little as 1 p.p.m. platinum.
Interparticle interactions and direct imaging of colloidal phases assembled from microsphere-nanoparticle mixtures.

We investigate the interparticle interactions, phase behavior, and structure of microsphere−nanoparticle mixtures that possess high size and charge asymmetry.1 We employ a novel Monte Carlo simulation scheme2 to calculate the effective microsphere interactions in suspension, yielding new insight into the origin of the experimentally observed behavior.3 The initial settling velocity, final sediment density, and three-dimensional structure of colloidal phases assembled from these binary mixtures via gravitational settling of silica microspheres in water and index-matched solutions exhibit a strong compositional dependence. Confocal laser scanning microscopy is used to directly image and quantify their structural evolution during assembly. Below a lower critical nanoparticle volume fraction (φnano < φL,C), the intrinsic van der Waals attraction between microspheres leads to the formation of colloidal gels. These gels exhibit enhanced consolidation as φnano approaches φL,C. When φnano exceeds φL,C, an effecti...
Proximal Junctional Kyphosis and Proximal Junctional Failure

Proximal junctional failure (PJF) should be distinguished from proximal junctional kyphosis, which is a recurrent deformity with limited clinical impact. PJF includes mechanical failure, and is a significant complication following adult spinal deformity surgery with potential for neurologic injury and increased need for surgical revision. Risk factors for PJF include age, severity of sagittal plane deformity, and extent of operative sagittal plane realignment. Techniques for avoiding PJF will likely require refinements in both perioperative and surgical strategies.
Aggregate behavior and lumped kinetics of many reactions in backmixed and plug-flow reactors

The long-time behavior of a reaction mixture containing infinitely many species in isothermal continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) is analyzed and contrasted with that in a plug-flow reactor (PFR). The reaction kinetics considered are irreversible first-order, irreversible coupled pseudo first-order, and reversible first-order. Asymptotic lumped kinetics for the mixture as a whole are developed as a function of feed properties and reactor type. Such lumped kinetics in many cases are of the power law form, with the exponent for a CSTR being lower than that for a PFR. Conditions under which non-power-law kinetics arise are given. Due to the wide spread of reactor residence times, the mixture in CSTRs admits a much richer variety of asymptotic possibilities than in the PFR. The results uncover some behavioral differences and relationships between CSTRs and a PFR for converting complex mixtures such as petroleum distillates or coal liquids.
Developing an Interdisciplinary Science of Organizations

This article presents a review of the book “Developing an Interdisciplinary Science of Organizations,” by Karlene H. Roberts, Charles L. Hulin and Denise M. Rousseau.
(Book Review) Africa: Mapping New Boundaries in International Law by Jeremy I. Levitt

This is a review of Jeremy Levitt’s edited collection of chapters in Africa: Mapping the Boundaries of International Law, which is an impressive work to the dearth of scholarship on Africa’s contribution to the normative substance and theory of international law. The book explicitly seeks to counter the racist mythology that Africans were tabula rasa in international law. In his own introduction to the book, Levitt makes it clear that “Africa is a legal marketplace, not a lawless basket case.” The eight contributors to the book are renowned scholars who make the case that Africa is not stuck in pre-history – that the continent has been an active participant in making and humanizing international law in diverse areas such as human rights, women’s rights, international humanitarian law, democracy theory, and international criminal law, among others.
Ukrainian Nation-Building Under Kuchma

Kuchma paid lip service to an ethnically based Ukrainian national identity but made little effort to implement relevant policies.
Community-acquired pneumonia: the elusive quest for the best treatment strategy.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent disease which can be fatal and has a heavy impact on resources use. The introduction of penicillin more than seventy years ago led to an impressive drop in the mortality rate in severe disease. A diminution of mortality in milder disease is less apparent, but appropriate antibiotics lead to a reduction of symptoms duration and of hospital resources use, which are important outcomes on a patient and societal perspective. However, despite previous works, some aspects of antibiotic treatment for this common condition remain unsettled.
Construction of arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis.

The use of a subcutaneous arteriovenous fistula constructed at the wrist is described, which allows repeated percutaneous cannulation of the arterialized superficial veins of the forearm. This technique significantly eliminates the incidence of thrombosis, infection, and multiple revisions often associated with the external shunt.
Factors affecting sequential behavior in a point-earning task

Prior research by Schwartz (1982) reveals that in a sequential behavior task known as partial reward 50% (PR50), college students show strong sequence stereotypy when instructed to earn points, and sequence variability when instructed to find rules governing why points are being generated. A study by Gross and Gutman (1988) reveals that PR50 subjects instructed to earn points behave much the same as subjects who are instructed to find rules. However, that study used a much smaller reward magnitude than Schwartz’s. The present results show that point-earning PR50 subjects act like rule finders regardless of the magnitude of reward. These findings cannot be explained by minor procedural differences, but may be explained by the explicit manner in which instructions are worded and/or social factors embedded in how the PR50 procedure is administered.
Basal Ganglia and Thalamic Infarction

The signs, symptoms, and radiographic findings in 36 children, newborns to 13 years of age, with ischemic infarctions of the basal ganglia, internal capsule, or thalamus are reported from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.