cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organized Unidirectional Waves of ATP Hydrolysis within a RecA Filament

The RecA protein forms nucleoprotein filaments on DNA, and individual monomers within the filaments hydrolyze ATP. Assembly and disassembly of filaments are both unidirectional, occurring on opposite filament ends, with disassembly requiring ATP hydrolysis. When filaments form on duplex DNA, RecA protein exhibits a functional state comparable to the state observed during active DNA strand exchange. RecA filament state was monitored with a coupled spectrophotometric assay for ATP hydrolysis, with changes fit to a mathematical model for filament disassembly. At 37 °C, monomers within the RecA-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) filaments hydrolyze ATP with an observed kcat of 20.8 ± 1.5 min−1. Under the same conditions, the rate of end-dependent filament disassembly (koff) is 123 ± 16 monomers per minute per filament end. This rate of disassembly requires a tight coupling of the ATP hydrolytic cycles of adjacent RecA monomers. The relationship of kcat to koff infers a filament state in which waves of ATP hydrolysis move unidirectionally through RecA filaments on dsDNA, with successive waves occurring at intervals of approximately six monomers. The waves move nearly synchronously, each one transiting from one monomer to the next every 0.5 s. The results reflect an organization of the ATPase activity that is unique in filamentous systems, and could be linked to a RecA motor function.
The isolation of polyadenylate with unreacted cellulose.

Abstract Cellulose, unesterified with polydeoxythymidylate, polyuridylate or acetate selectively binds polyadenylate (poly [A]) and poly [A]- containing RNAs in high salt solution or in low salt solution at pH values of 5.5 or less. It does not bind heteropolymeric RNA but does have some affinity for DNA, particularly in its single-stranded form. These binding properties are useful in the isolation of heterogeneous nuclear and messenger RNAs of eukaryotic cells for analytic and preparative purposes.
Terror, totem, and taboo: Reporting on a report

Should we analytically constitute or dissolve the category of terrorism? The Basque case is adduced to illustrate the dynamics of constructing and deconstructing a reified notion of terrorism. Two approaches are confronted: the legal‐technical work of a committee of terrorism experts and the ethnographic work of an anthropologist. The experts’ position that social science should be subservient to police and intelligence counter‐insurgency is questioned. The intellectual history of cultural anthropology is invoked for advancing a critique of current theories of terrorism; in particular, the resurgence of psychological fallacies and unicausal arguments in explanations of terrorism is reexamined. It is argued that ritual situations are typically not governed by intrinsic or instrumental means‐ends connections and that the search for positive causes may not be the best strategy for studying contexts of behavior, such as terrorism, in which the element of chance plays a key role. Anthropologists have learned a...
Impact on a transversely anisotropic half-space

Abstract An analysis is presented of the linear wave propagation problem in a transversely isotropic half-space, with the axis of symmetry located in the free surface when subjected to arbitrary concentrated normal loading on the boundary, using a mixed Laplace and two-dimensional Fourier transform as well as a modified Cagniard-de Hoop technique. The solution for the displacement resulting from a step load is obtained in integral form from which the response to an arbitrary force history is obtained by convolution; corresponding results for the strains were derived analytically. A computer program was then developed to evaluate the field variables. The procedure can be applied for the determination of these quantities both in the interior and near the surface of the medium, and can also be utilized to predict the results for an isotropic solid by approximating this material as a slightly anisotropic body. Comparisons of the predictions of the analysis both with the results of a finite element procedure and experimental measurements in large blocks of an isotropic and a transversely isotropic material show good correlation.
The Success of Hyperrational Utility Maximizers in Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma: A Response to Sobel*

Several recent commentators have suggested that for fully rational agents who find themselves in iterated prisoner's dilemmas of indefinite length, co-operation is the rational strategy. Their argument is that these fully rational agents can be taught, through the co-operative actions of other agents, to bypass the dominant move of noncooperation and co-operate instead. The proponents of the “teaching strategy” seem to have ignored the compelling argument of Jordan Howard Sobel. While the teaching argument may work for agents who are less than purely rational, Sobel has pointed out that hyperrational utility maximizers cannot be taught; they reason deductively, not inductively, as the “teaching argument” requires.
k-space interpretation of the Rose Model: noise limitation on the detectable resolution in MRI

Noise limitation on the detected spatial resolution, described by the Rose Model, is well known in X-ray imaging and routinely used in designing X-ray imaging protocols. The purpose of this article is to revisit the Rose Model in the context of MRI where image data are acquired in the spatial frequency domain. A k-space signal-to-noise ratio (kSNR) is introduced to measure the relative signal and noise powers in a circular annulus in k-space. It is found that the kSNR diminishes rapidly with k-space radius. The Rose criterion that the voxel SNR approximately 4 is translated to kSNR cutoff values was tested using theoretical derivation and experimental histogram analysis. Experiments demonstrate that data acquisition beyond this cutoff k-space radius adds little or no information to the image. In order to reduce the noise limit on spatial resolution, the signal strength must be improved through means such as increasing the coil sensitivity, contrast enhancement, and signal averaging. This finding implies that the optimal k-space volume to be sampled or the optimal scan time in MRI should be matched to the relative SNR level.
Nephelometric method for determination of rheumatoid factor

We have developed a nephelometric technique for determining titers of rheumatoid factor. Serum dilutions are added to a mixture of commercially available latex particles of small size (0.098 micrometer) and human gamma-globulin. Rheumatoid sera induce a substantial increase in the light scattering properties of the mixture, and the highest dilution significantly increasing the light scattering is considered as the titer for that serum. This technique is simple to use, provides objective results, and can be automated for analysis of large numbers of samples.
A longitudinal evaluation of dietary restraint and its relationship to changes in body weight.

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of changes in dietary restraint (chronic dieting) on changes in body weight over time. Subjects were 305 (98 male, 207 female) adults. At pretest, subjects completed a restrained eating questionaire (Herman & Polivy, 1980), as well as reporting height, weight, gender, race, and age. Subjects were recontacted 2 1/2 years later and were reassessed on these same variables. Results indicated that restrained eating scores showed a high degree of consistency over a 2-1/2-year period (intraclass correlation = .74). Over time, males gained more weight than females and normal-weight subjects gained more weight over time than overweight subjects. No relationship was found between dietary restraint and weight gain over time. The potential interactions between energy balance and body weight are discussed.
Spectrum of the stochastically forced Duffing-Holmes oscillator

Abstract The Brundsen-Holmes method of power spectrum estimation for the Duffing-Holmes oscillator is applied to the case of weak quasiperiodic excitation and then extended to weak colored noise excitation with any specified spectral density. A novel model of near-Gaussian noise is introduced to achieve this extension. The results obtained by this approach coincide with and extend those obtained by Stone and Holmes' application of the Fokker-Planck equation. In particular, our results confirm Stone's conjecture that the expression for the mean time between successive maxima in the case of colored noise is similar to that for white noise.
Characterization of Work per Volume Density of VO2-Based MEMS Actuators

Vanadium dioxide (VO2)-coated silicon microcantilevers have gained attention due to the large stress produced during VO2’s thermally induced metal-to-insulator phase transition, which produces a curvature change of over ∼2,000 m−1. Work per volume density is an important figure of merit used to compare the performance of smart materials in micro-actuation. In this paper, the work per volume density of five fully actuated VO2-coated microcantilevers was calculated based on experimentally measured force vs. displacement curves obtained from an AFM operated in contact mode. The work per volume density for the five microactuators was found to be similar, which is around ∼1.5×104 J/m3. The work per volume density of a single microactuator was also obtained under different temperatures across the material’s transition, which exhibits the hysteretic behavior during the heating-cooling cycle.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Pb2+ activates potassium currents in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells

Abstract Inorganic lead (Pb2+) is a potent environmental toxin which adversely affects several aspects of neuronal and secretory cell function. In this report, we provide evidence that at subnanomolar concentrations, Pb2+ activates the outward K+ currents in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Whole-cell patch clamp combined with intracellular perfusion was employed to monitor outward K+ currents in bovine chromaffin cells before and after intracellular application of EGTA-Pb buffers. Intracellular Pb2+ ≥ 10−10 M enhanced the K+-currents in a concentration dependent manner, with apparent K 0.5 ≊ 5 × 10 −10 M . Extracellular application of 40 nM Charybdotoxin (ChTX) blocked the Pb2+-dependent component of outward currents, suggesting that Pb2+ activates the large conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels.
Combining multiple scoring systems for target tracking using rank-score characteristics

Video target tracking is the process of estimating the current state, and predicting the future state of a target from a sequence of video sensor measurements. Multitarget video tracking is complicated by the fact that targets can occlude one another, affecting video feature measurements in a highly non-linear and difficult to model fashion. In this paper, we apply a multisensory fusion approach to the problem of multitarget video tracking with occlusion. The approach is based on a data-driven method (CFA) to selecting the features and fusion operations that improve a performance criterion. Each sensory cue is treated as a scoring system. Scoring behavior is characterized by a rank-score function. A diversity measure, based on the variation in rank-score functions, is used to dynamically select the scoring systems and fusion operations that produce the best tracking performance. The relationship between the diversity measure and the tracking accuracy of two fusion operations, a linear score combination and an average rank combination, is evaluated on a set of 12 video sequences. These results demonstrate that using the rank-score characteristic as a diversity measure is an effective method to dynamically select scoring systems and fusion operations that improve the performance of multitarget video tracking with occlusions.
Landscape Politics: The Serpent Ditch and the Rainbow in West Africa

Anthropologists and archaeologists have long been interested in the intersection of social, political, and religious insti- tutions and landscape features. Recent efforts have been aimed at elucidating the tensions between the perception and description of such features among Western and non-Western groups. This article seeks to contribute to this project through an analysis of a series of massive ditches (c. 17th-19th centuries A.D.) in southern Benin, West Africa. In their accounts of the region, European travelers de- scribed these features through tropes and terminology that ascribe Western military designs and exploits. With insights drawn from archaeological and anthropological data, we argue a different perspective: that groups from the West African kingdoms of Hueda and Dahomey used the built landscape to reference cosmological factors, in attempts to negotiate and shape the political landscape of the region. (Keywords: West African Archaeology, landscape politics, Vodun, Dangbe, earthenworks)
Two paradoxes of rational acceptance

Any adequate account of epistemically rational acceptance must avoid two well-known paradoxes: the lottery paradox and the paradox of the preface. Although epistemologists have proposed various solutions to these para? doxes, it is arguable that the most natural solution has been overlooked. In what follows, we shall outline the paradoxes in question, and provide a surprisingly natural solution to them. In doing so, we shall take some steps toward solving the difficult problem of relating epistemic justification to probability.
Analysis of human β-endorphin 28-31 (melanotropin potentiating factor) and analogues by high-performance liquid chromatography of their 9-fluorenylmethoxy-carbonyl derivatives

Abstract A method is described for the determination of sub-picomole amounts of Lys-Lys-Gly-Glu [the C-terminal tetrapeptide sequence of human β-endorphin, refered to as melanotropin potentiating factor (MPF)], a putative neurotrophic agent. Attempts to raise antibodies to the peptide were not successful and we have therefore developed a method based on the fluorescence of its 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) derivative which provides a sensitivity comparable to that of radioimmunoassay. Standard solutions, cerebrospinal fluid or central nervous tissue extracts are first treated with FMOC-Cl. The resulting mixture of FMOC-peptides is then subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and quantified using a fluorescence monitor. By this procedure, MPF and related peptides can be analysed from one sample in a single HPLC run. The method was also applied to determine the rate of release into a phosphate-buffered saline medium of a metabolically stable analogue of MPF from a slow-release formulation of the compound.
The impact of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle interaction with energy storage and solar panels on the grid for a zero energy house

Renewable energy sources and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are becoming very popular in research areas, as well as in the market. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how a solar powered building interacts with energy storage and how it can be used to power a PHEV and to support the grid with peak shaving, load shifting, and reducing annual energy usage. A net zero energy house (ZEH5) is selected as the base house for this experiment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is developing simulation models and energy management scenarios using the actual solar production and residential energy usage data, and a PHEV. The system interaction with the grid is evaluated after getting all the data from PHEV charging, photovoltaic (PV) power production, and residential load.
Framing product design: using design communication to facilitate user learning

Industrial design has become a key source of competitive advantage and strategic focus to companies in the 1990s. The rapid emergence of the information age, the proletarianization of computer technology, and the need for continual improvements in worker productivity have driven companies to seek ways to enhance worker productivity. The limiting factor, however, is not technology, but workers′ ability to use it effectively. Focusses on design communication, and specifically product framing, and its role in facilitating the interface between worker and technology in business and industrial markets. Product framing encourages users to compare new products with, or “think of” the new product in terms of, a frame of reference with which they already might be familiar. Product framing thus accelerates learning and adoption. Defines, illustrates and categorizes product framing and reports the results of a pilot test.
Force and timing components of the motor program.

Three experiments were undertaken to assess the effects of variations of force and time on both simple and choice reaction time. The first two experiments demonstrated that although latency did not vary as a function of force, timing variations, such as requiring that a response be maintained, led to consistent changes in reaction time. These results led to the development of a model of motor programming in which force and timing are dissociated as separate components. However, the data also indicated that the force component may be further analyzed into two subcomponents—force activation and force deactivation. The model predicts that the latter subcomponent may be programmed on-line provided that sufficient time elapses between the implementation of the two subcomponents. A different pair of movements was used in Experiment 3 to further demonstrate that force activation and deactivation may be preprogrammed into a single component. These results support the aspect of the proposed model that makes a dist...
Free proline production by strains of propionibacteria

Abstract Differences in the rate of proline production in sodium lactate broth by different species and strains of propionibacteria were great after 15 days, but after 35 days proline production showed little variation. Propionibacteria produced proline at 3 and 21C, but strain differences were substantial. These variations were related to rates of growth and autolysis. The rate of proline production by propionibacteria was retarded at pH's and concentrations of sodium chloride in Swiss cheese, but eventually the amount produced reached that of control media. Cupric ion retarded growth and proline production in sodium lactate broth. In fortified milk, cupric ion did not affect growth but decreased proline production.
Estimation and prediction of shear rate distribution as a model mixer

Abstract The shear rate distribution in the model mixer, the Brabender Farinograph, is non-homogenous and varies with the relative positions of the sigma blades, which rotate at differential speeds. The non-invasive technique of Laser-Doppler Anemometry (LDA) was used to determine velocity and shear rate distributions in the mixer. A two-dimensional argon-ion Laser-Doppler Anemometer was used to obtain three-dimensional velocity measurements in the model mixer with optically clear model fluids (Corn syrup, CMC, and Carbopol-940 seeded with polystyrene DVB microspheres). Local velocity gradient data obtained using infinitesimal movements of the traverse were used to calculate the shear rate distribution in the model mixer. The shear rate was found to be a function of blade geometry, blade position, and location. Shear rate values ranged from 0 to 400 s −1 . Based on these data, a predictive equation for shear rate in the model mixer was developed.
Infra-Humanization of Ethnic Minorities: The Moderating Role of Ideology

Building on research indicating that the denial of uniquely human emotions is tantamount to infra-humanization, a study assessed whether liberal and conservative Caucasian participants would attribute uniquely human emotions differently to a Hispanic versus Caucasian target after a hurricane. Results showed that whereas participants who self-identified as liberal did not attribute uniquely human emotions differently to the two targets, those self-identifying as conservatives assigned significantly less uniquely human emotions, but an equal number of nonuniquely human emotions, to the Hispanic target. This infra-humanization was also associated with attitudes about what type of aid should be provided to the family members, although the evidence in this regard is not conclusive.
Haloperidol and spiperone potentiate murine splenic B cell proliferation.

Abstract The neuroleptics haloperidol and spiperone potentiated anti-μ induced murine B-lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and lowered the threshold of anti-μ antibody needed to trigger proliferation. Because haloperidol and spiperone are best known for actions at D2, 5HT2, α1 and sigma (σ) receptors, a series of agonists and antagonists of these receptors were tested. Dopamine and norepinephrine inhibited, and serotonin (5HT) enhanced B-cell proliferation. Spiperone opposed the suppression of proliferation by dopamine and norepinephrine. However, antagonists of D1, D2, D3, D5, 5HT2, 5HT1A, and α1 receptors did not mimic the effect of haloperidol and spiperone. Furthermore, a series of α agonists failed to affect B-cell proliferation. Therefore it is likely that the effects of haloperidol and spiperone are not due to actions at known dopamine, 5HT, α1, or σ receptors. These findings indicate neuroleptics act not only in the CNS, but also directly on B-lymphocytes of the immune system. The pharmacological site of this action is not clear at this time.
Research Note on Perceptual Features and Auditory Representations

Summary.-It has been argued that bark-scale transformed formant frequency values more accurately reflect auditory representations of vowels in the perceptual system than do the absolute physical values (in Hertz). In the present study the perceptual features of 15 monophthongal and diphthongal vowels (obtained using multidimensional scaling) were compared with both absolute and bark-scale transformed acoustic vowel measures. Analyses suggest that bark-transformation of the scoustic data does not necessarily produce better predictions of the vowels' perceptual space. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) experiments have often been used to determine the salient perceptual features or dimensions used in the perception of vowels (2, 3, 4). The obtained perceptual dimensions (indicating the perceptual space of the vowels) are assumed to reflect the parameters critical to vowel identification. It is most common for a researcher to define each obtained perceptual dimension in terms of the acoustic characteristics of the vowels themselves by correlating the dimensional coordinates of each vowel with a set of relevant acoustic measures (e.g., fundamental frequency, formant frequencies, and duration). However, in the last decade, several studies have suggested that absolute formant frequencies (in Hz) do not accurately reflect the auditory representation of a vowel in the perceptual system and actually exacerbate problems such as speakers' normalization (I, 5). Syrdal and Gopal (5), in particular, state that a more optimal model of vowel recognition should be based on auditory representations. They argue for a model in which the physical frequency measures (in Hz) are transformed into a more appropriate auditory scale-the bark scale, corresponding to the critical bands of the auditory system (6). The present scudy evaluated whether or not such transformed acoustic data bener account for the percep~ud features of vowels as obtained in a multidimensional scaling experiment. The basic data were obtained from a study by the first author (2). This was a multidimensional scaling scudy of 15 monophthongal and diphthongal vowels which found that a four-dimensional solution best accounted for the obtained perceptual distance data (accounting for 65% of the variance). The data described in this study include the vowel coordinates for each of the four dimensions in the obtained perceptual space (corresponding to front/back, vowel height. low-back onset, and fundamental frequency, respectively) and the acoustic charzaeristics of the 15 vowels (including F1, F2, and F3 frequencies at four different locations in each vovrel, FO, and duration). In the present study these acoustic measures were transformed into the bark scale using according to the formula - - b = 13 arctan (0.76fl + 3.5 arctan (f/7.5)=
Effect of ball-milling duration and dehydrogenation on the morphology, microstructure and catalyst dispersion in Ni-catalyzed MgH 2 hydrogen storage materials

Abstract The effects of high-energy ball-milling on catalyst morphology and dispersion as a function of milling duration and on hydrogen desorption were investigated. Samples of MgH2 doped with 0.05 Ni catalyst were examined after 1, 5 and 10 h of milling. Longer milling durations produced finer catalyst particle sizes and more uniform dispersions, but yielded higher hydrogen desorption temperatures. This behavior is attributed to the formation of Mg2NiH4 with increased milling times. Electron tomography was used to show that the Ni particles reside both inside and outside the MgH2 particles. On dehydrogenation there was a redistribution of catalyst and continued formation of Mg2Ni. The formation of this phase is proposed to explain the reported degradation of hydrogen capacity and the change in kinetics of this system with cycling.
Aging and Savings in Korea: A Time-Series Approach

Thanks to numerous empirical research studies, a general consensus has been reached on the effects of an aging population on the economy, particularly in terms of economic growth and savings. However, most of the previous research examines the effects of the aging on economically advanced countries. Furthermore, rarely have those studies used the time-series properties of the data. By applying two popular time-series statistical tools (multivariate cointegration analysis and vector error correction model) to Korean data, this paper finds: (1) There is a long-run equilibrium linkage among the aging, medical expenditure and savings; however (2) there is no Granger-causality present between aging and national savings in the short run in Korea.
Model-based estimation of T2 maps with dual-echo steady-state MR imaging

Fast and accurate quantification of spin-spin relaxation parameter T 2 is of importance for clinical MRI applications. Classical spin echo (SE) sequences yield straightforward T 2 estimates, but require undesirably long scans. By contrast, steady-state sequences such as the Dual-Echo Steady-State (DESS) sequence are considerably faster, but produce signals that depend on more complex functions of both desired and nuisance parameters. Conventional method-of-moments estimators exhibit systematic error because of the approximations used to bypass nuisance parameter estimation. To improve T 2 mapping accuracy, we propose a novel, model-based approach to this nonlinear estimation problem. We use a fast scan to estimate nuisance parameters M 0 ∗ and T 1 , and then use the exact DESS signal model for regularized T 2 estimation from DESS data, with minimal approximations. MR brain simulation results show that the proposed approach substantially improves T 2 estimation accuracy and precision, compared to conventional method-of-moments estimators.
A Model for Analyzing Delay in Mesh-Based P2P Streaming Networks

Though some algorithms about the minimum delay have been designed, there is no actual algorithm which could be used in a Mesh-based P2P streaming system without a set of specified neighbors as we know. The characters of delay in Mesh-based P2P streaming network need to be understood more thoroughly. Using capabilities model to reflect the relationship between nodes and chunks, we model the delay character in P2P streaming system to explain the tradeoff between delay and playback quality. Finally, we use a holes and repair approach to give a serial of principles about how to make the delay to be low enough with a high quality as a direction for future design of algorithm.
Do the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF measure the same constructs? Evidence from the taiwan population

Background: The SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF are available for international use, but it is not clear if they measure the same constructs. We compared the psychometric properties and factor structures of these two instruments. Methods: Data were collected from a national representative sample (n=11,440) in the 2001 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey, which included Taiwan versions of the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF. We used Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to estimate scale reliability. We conducted exploratory factor analysis to determine factor structure of the scales, and applied multitrait analysis to evaluate convergent and discriminant validity. We used standardized effect size to compare known-groups validity for health-related variables (including chronic conditions and health care utilization) and self-reported overall quality of life. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze relationships among the two SF-36 component scales (PCS and MCS) and the four WHOQOL subscales (physical, psychological, social relations, and environmental). Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were acceptable (⩾0.7) for all subscales of both instruments. The factor analysis yielded two unique factors: one for the 8 SF-36 subscales and a second for the 4 WHOQOL subscales. Pearson correlations were weak (<0.3) among subscales of both instruments. Correlations for subscales hypothesized to measure similar constructs differed little from those measuring heterogeneous subscales. Effect sizes suggested greater discrimination by the SF-36 for health status and services utilization known groups, but greater discrimination by the WHOQOL for QOL-defined groups. Structural equation modeling suggested that the SF-36 PCS and MCS were weakly associated with WHOQOL. Conclusions: In this Taiwan population sample, the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF appear to measure different constructs: the SF-36 measures health-related QOL, while the WHOQOL-BREF measures global QOL. Clinicians and researchers should carefully define their research questions related to patient-reported outcomes before selecting which instrument to use.
Enhancement of Benzalkonium Chloride and Chlorhexidine Acetate Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Aromatic Alcohols

The actions of benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine acetate in combination with benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, or 3-phenylpropanol were evaluated at subinhibitory concentrations by measuring the growth rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 6750. When tested separately, all three alcohols had an effect on both benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine acetate that was more than additive. Phenylpropanol showed the greatest enhancement and benzyl alcohol showed the least enhancement.
High Sensitivity Photothermal Lens Detection of Metallic Nanoparticles: Applications for Detection of Protein Biomarkers

We report on a photothermal lens detection of metallic nanoparticles in water and serum samples. We demonstrate detection limits of 0.5 ppb. We discuss the use of metallic nanoparticles for detection of protein biomarkers.
Approximation by mutually completely dependent processes

Abstract Any stochastic process indexed on the integers can be approximated arbitrarily well in the L∞ sense by a stochastic process in which each value is (essentially) a 1-1 image of any other value. If the original process has continuous one dimensional marginal distributions, then these can be replicated in the approximating process.
Chemically induced cyclometalation of 2-(arylazo)phenols. Synthesis, characterization, and redox properties of a family of organoosmium complexes.

Reaction of 2-(arylazo)phenols (H2ap-R; R = OCH3, CH3, H, Cl, and NO2) with [Os(PPh3)2(CO)2(HCOO)2] affords a family of organometallic complexes of osmium(II) of type [Os(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-R)] where the 2-(arylazo)phenolate ligand is coordinated to the metal center as a tridentate C,N,O-donor. Structure of the [Os(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-H)] complex has been determined by X-ray crystallography. All the [Os(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-R)] complexes are diamagnetic and show characteristic 1H NMR signals and intense MLCT transitions in the visible region. They also show emission in the visible region at ambient temperature. Cyclic voltammetry on the [Os(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-R)] complexes shows a reversible Os(II)−Os(III) oxidation within 0.39−0.73 V vs SCE, followed by a reversible Os(III)−Os(IV) oxidation within 1.06−1.61 V vs SCE. Coulometric oxidation of the [Os(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-R)] complexes generates the [OsIII(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-R)]+ complexes, which have been isolated as the hexafluorophosphate salts. The [OsIII(PPh3)2(CO)(ap-R)]PF6 complexes ...
Scaling of surface roughness in a heterogeneous film growth system: GexSi1-x on Si.

We examine how the roughness of compositionally graded, relaxed GeSi/Si(001) films can be understood in terms of theoretical ideas based on continuum descriptions of surface growth. The roughness of all samples shows a universal behavior; it increases linearly with length at small length scales and becomes constant at large length scales. Remarkably, all data can be collapsed onto one universal curve. These results can be described by a linear model composed of Laplacian and surface diffusion terms. We also examine the nonuniversal amplitudes and the up-down symmetry to investigate rigorously the linearity of the model.
A Simple Methodology for Studying Program Time Complexity

Computer programming students need to develop an early awareness of execution time considerations. All decisions related to selection of data structures and construction of code should account for timing, yet students have few intellectual tools adequate for the task. This paper provides a simple methodology that enables college freshmen to model programs and derive bounds for their execution times. The methodology begins with a study of the program of interest and the construction of a model of its control structure. Then the syntactic parse of the model, using seven rules given in the paper, generates as a side effect the bounding time formula for the original program. Several examples are included to demonstrate the method.
Active uptake of sodium by the freshwater notostracan riops longicaudatus

Abstract 1. 1. The American tadpole shrimp, Triops longicaudatus , has been shown to possess an active sodium uptake system. The sodium uptake system becomes more active in low environmental concentrations of sodium when animals have been acclimated to similar conditions. 2. 2. Although uptake rates are greatest in sodium chloride, animals take up sodium from both the chloride and sulfate salts. 3. 3. Rapid depletion of hemolymp sodium and chloride does not elicit an increase in ion influx. 4. 4. Since excised gill tissue takes up sodium more rapidly than the whole animal, it is suggested that gill tissue is one of the primary sites of active sodium influx.
Developmental mechanisms that regulate retinal ganglion cell dendritic morphology

One of the fundamental features of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is that dendrites of individual RGCs are confined to one or a few narrow strata within the inner plexiform layer (IPL), and each RGC synapses only with a small group of presynaptic bipolar and amacrine cells with axons/dendrites ramified in the same strata to process distinct visual features. The underlying mechanisms which control the development of this laminar-restricted distribution pattern of RGC dendrites have been extensively studied, and it is still an open question whether the dendritic pattern of RGCs is determined by molecular cues or by activity-dependent refinement. Accumulating evidence suggests that both molecular cues and activity-dependent refinement might regulate RGC dendrites in a cell subtype-specific manner. However, identification of morphological subtypes of RGCs before they have achieved their mature dendritic pattern is a major challenge in the study of RGC dendritic development. This problem is now being circumvented through the use of molecular markers in genetically engineered mouse lines to identify RGC subsets early during development. Another unanswered fundamental question in the study of activity-dependent refinement of RGC dendrites is how changes in synaptic activity lead to the changes in dendritic morphology. Recent studies have started to shed light on the molecular basis of activity-dependent dendritic refinement of RGCs by showing that some molecular cascades control the cytoskeleton reorganization of RGCs.
The effects of psychotherapy: A reevaluation based on dosage

In 1952, Hans Eysenck published “The Effects of Psychotherapy: An Evaluation” in which he concluded that the effect of psychotherapy is no greater than that of spontaneous remission. In the present paper, we tested this conclusion using Eysenck's original panel of “untreated” patients. A probit analysis of rates of improvement by time of assessed improvement was conducted on these data, and results were compared to a probit analysis conducted on a panel of patients who had received psychotherapy. Treatment was associated with significantly higher rates of improvement when compared to the effects of spontaneous remission. In fact, 50% of psychotherapy patients were estimated to improve after 8 weeks, whereas only 2% of untreated patient were estimated to improve in this time. Probit analysis showed that the 50% improvement rate for Eysenck's spontaneous remission group occurred at a much later time than the 50% improvement rate for psychotherapy. According to his % improvement estimates, psychotherapy acco...
A digital pulse-width modulator for phase-shift operation of full-bridge isolated DC-DC converters

This paper presents the concept, implementation and testing of a digital pulse-width modulator for phase-shift driving of full-bridge isolated DC-DC converters. The proposed phase-shift digital modulator employs a hybrid counter/delay line structure in order to achieve a 1.25 ns phase-shift resolution with a switching frequency of about 400 kHz on the secondary side, using a clock frequency of 25 MHz. Provisions for programmable dead times for switching of the bridge legs are included. The modulator is tested as a part of a digital controller for a full-bridge DC-DC isolated converter supplied from a 320 V DC bus with a 20 V–180 V, 2 A programmable output.
Implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive, school-wide bullying prevention program in an urban/suburban middle school.

BACKGROUND: This intervention study examined the prevalence of bullying in an urban/suburban middle school and the impact of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). METHODS: A quasi-experimental design consisting of a time-lagged contrast between age-equivalent groups was utilized. Baseline data collected for 158 students prior to implementation of the OBPP were compared to 112 students who received the OBPP intervention for 1 year. Multiple perspectives on bullying were collected using the Revised-Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Similarly, a teacher questionnaire collected data for 17 teachers on prevalence of bullying and capacity to intervene pre- and post- OBPP intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were generated to analyze findings. RESULTS: Statistically significant findings were found for 7th grade female students who received 1 year of the OBPP on reports of prevalence of bullying (p = .022) and exclusion by peers (p = .009). In contrast, variability in statistical findings was obtained for 8th grade females and no statistical findings were found for males. Following 1 year of the OBPP, teachers reported statistically significant improvements in their capacity to identify bullying (p = .016), talk to students who bully (p = .024), and talk with students who are bullied (p = .051). Other substantial percentile changes were also noted. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest a significant positive impact of the OBPP on 7th grade females and teachers. Other grade and gender findings were inconsistent with previous literature. Recommendations for further research are provided along with implications for school health prevention programming.
University expansion and the knowledge society

For centuries, the processes of social differentiation associated with Modernity have often been thought to intensify the need for site-specific forms of role training and knowledge production, threatening the university’s survival either through fragmentation or through failure to adapt. Other lines of argument emphasize the extent to which the Modern system creates and relies on an integrated knowledge system, but most of the literature stresses functional differentiation and putative threats to the university. And yet over this period the university has flourished. In our view, this seeming paradox is explained by the fact that modern society rests as much on universalistic cosmological bases as it does on differentiation. The university expands over recent centuries because – as it has from its religious origins – it casts cultural and human materials in universalistic terms. Our view helps explain empirical phenomena that confound standard accounts: the university’s extraordinary expansion and global diffusion, its curricular and structural isomorphism, and its relatively unified structure. All of this holds increasingly true after World War II, as national state societies made up of citizens are increasingly embedded in a world society constituted of empowered individuals. The redefinition of society in global and individual terms reduces nationally bounded models of nature and culture, extends the pool of university beneficiaries and investigators, and empowers the human persons who are understood to root it all. The changes intensify universalization and the university’s rate of worldwide growth. For the university’s knowledge and “knowers,” and for the pedagogy that joins them together, the implications are many. The emerging societal context intensifies longstanding processes of cultural rationalization and ontological elaboration, yielding great expansions in what can and should be known, and in who can and should know. These changes in turn alter the menu of approved techniques for joining knowledge and knower as one. The “knowledge society” that results is distinguished by the extraordinary degree to which the university is linked to society. But it is also distinguished by the degree to which society is organized around the university’s abstracted and universalized understandings of the world and its degree-certified graduates.
The Biodisposition of 1-alpha-Acetylmethadol and Its Principal Metabolites: Some Fatal and Nonfatal Cases

a-Acatylmethedol (LAAM) Is a relatively new drug designed for therapeutic use In the treatment of heroin de- pendence. Currently, It Is undergoing Phase III clinical trials In the United States and Is, therefore, available for human use only on a limited, controlled basis. Recently, a new quanti- tative gas chromatography-chemical Ionization mass spec- trometry method for the determination of LAAM and Its prlnclpol metabolltes In blood, urine, and tissues has been developed and reported (1). This procedure has been applied to some cases of �9 Intoxication and also to determination of the blodlsposltlon of LAAM and Its metabolltes In post- mortem specimens following deaths that occurred from causes not directly related to the drug. However, most of the patients were on LAAM therapy for heroin dependence. Data from ten postmortem and four cllnlcol, nonfatal cases are the subject of this report. The case histories and analytical toxi- cology are presented and discussed within the context of the known pharmacologic-toxicologic properties of LAAM and the other drugs Involved.
Medical Clearance Risk Rating as a Predictor of Perioperative Complications After Total Hip Arthroplasty

Hip arthroplasty has become the standard treatment of end-stage osteoarthritis. However, postoperative complications are the risks associated with joint arthroplasty, which most significantly impact patient results and the total cost of care. Currently, no predictive system has been developed for categorizing levels of risk for the development of postoperative complications in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. We examined the association between the medical clearance risk rating by the physician performing the preoperative clearance examination and postoperative complications after total hip arthroplasty. We have demonstrated a significant association between the medical clearance risk rating and postoperative urinary track infection, and the American Society of Anesthesiologist score but no significant association to other complications. This study presents a predictive patient characteristic that may help us identify among our patients the ones that may benefit from a personally tailored preoperative planning and evaluation but demonstrates further work is necessary to better predict the risk of complications after total hip arthroplasty.
Parent-child connections: the essential component for positive youth development and mental health, safe communities, and academic achievement.

A continuing parent-youth bond throughout adolescence and young adulthood is the foundation for genuine emotional health, academic achievement, and healthy developmental trajectories and the antidote to youth violence. Language: en
Review: Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Address Mental Health in Minority Populations

In this review, a synthesis of studies employing community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address mental health problems of minorities, strengths and challenges of the CBPR approach with minority populations are highlighted. Despite the fact that minority community members voiced a need for innovative approaches to address culturally unique issues, findings revealed that most researchers continued to use the traditional methods in which they were trained. Moreover, researchers continued to view mental health treatment from a health service perspective.
Knowing the “Right Stuff”: Attrition, Gender, and Scientific Literacy

The study of college retention and attrition in science and mathematics has focused predominantly on the indexing of students' attributes. Little research has attended to disciplinary environments of teaching and learning or students' understandings of attrition. This article uses quantitative and qualitative data to locate patterns of attrition behaviors and the sense undergraduate women and men make of the event. The conclusion provides a critical analysis of gender orientations to attrition and scientific literacy.
Integrated Systems Dynamics Model for TMDL Policy Assessment: A Lake Allegan Case Study

With growing population and extensive land use change, lake and reservoir eutrophication is a prevalent concern jeopardizing not only environmental integrity but also socioeconomic development of communities. While eutrophication is the result of dynamic interactions among multiple subsystems, analysts have often attempted to study this problem in isolation from its dynamic context. In this study, a systematic approach to simulating the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Lake Allegan, Michigan, is adopted to analyze the lake’s recovery from its hypereutrophic state in the early 1970s. Although occasional monitoring programs conducted in the late 1980’s and 1990’s reveal that the lake’s trophic state has improved somewhat, its nutrient content remains extremely high. The paper illustrates the development of a System Dynamics model of the underlying structure and mutual causality between population dynamics, land use change, and hydrologic processes as main drivers of the problem. Different policies to reduce phosphorus inputs, the main cause of the eutrophication, are simulated to provide insights into water quality management policy selection for the lake.