cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of paid maternity leave: Evidence from Temporary Disability Insurance

This paper investigates the effects of a large-scale paid maternity leave program on birth outcomes in the United States. In 1978, states with Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) programs were required to start providing wage replacement benefits to pregnant women, substantially increasing access to antenatal and postnatal paid leave for working mothers. Using natality data, I find that TDI paid maternity leave reduces the share of low birth weight births by 3.2 percent, and the estimated treatment-on-the-treated effect is over 10 percent. It also decreases the likelihood of early term birth by 6.6 percent. Paid maternity leave has particularly large impacts on the children of unmarried and black mothers.
The Theoretical Constitutional Shape (and Shaping) of American National Security Law

The theoretical shape of the American national security system derives from the interaction of several constitutive dimensions, the most notable of which is doctrine of the president’s primacy to fashion national security principles. In this way, form and function in the American national security legal system is best understood as flowing from presidential decision and discretion. Three overarching philosophical problems of judicial review of the president’s national security decisionmaking entail the problem of knowledge, the problem of conduct, and the problem of governance. In turn, to flesh out and better understand these problems in concrete cases, the Supreme Court should be cognizant of the various aesthetics of national security law and the multiple potential types of national security arguments. This Article argues that in resolving problems of American national security law, the Court should refrain from citing foreign judicial precedent and should rely exclusively on American law and precedent for four reasons: (1) ethos and American identity, (2) effective dispute resolution, (3) meaningful agenda-setting and constitutional dialogue, and (4) judicial legitimacy. Nevertheless, the Court should be cautiously open to non-precedential learning from transnational ideas regarding national security issues.
Exposing and harvesting metadata using the OAI metadata harvesting protocol: A tutorial

In this article I outline the ideas behind the Open Archives Initiative metadata harvesting protocol (OAIMH), and attempt to clarify some common misconceptions. I then consider how the OAIMH protocol can be used to expose and harvest metadata. Perl code examples are given as practical illustration.
Incorporating contextual knowledge to Dynamic Bayesian Networks for event recognition

This paper proposes a new Probabilistic Graphical Model (PGM) to incorporate the scene, event object interaction and the event temporal contexts into Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) for event recognition in surveillance videos. We first construct the event DBNs for modeling the events from their own appearance and kinematic observations, and then extend the DBN to incorporate the contexts for boosting event recognition performance. Unlike the existing context methods, our model incorporates various contexts into one unified model. Experiments on natural scene surveillance videos show that the contexts can effectively improve the event recognition performance even with great challenges like large intra-class variations and low image resolution.
Laura Dern’s Vomit, or, Kant and Derrida in Oz

This article explores the role of disgust in Kant's aesthetic philosophy, Derrida's deconstruction of Kant's third Critique in his article 'Economimesis,' and the figure of vomit in two films by David Lynch in order to argue for the ethical possibilities of not giving ground relative to one's disgust - what I term an ethics of the worse than the worst.
An analysis of lactose permease "sugar specificity" mutations which also affect the coupling between proton and lactose transport. II. Second site revertants of the thiodigalactoside-dependent proton leak by the Val177/Asn319 permease.

Abstract The double mutant of the lactose permease containing Val177/Asn319 exhibits proton leakiness by two pathways (see Brooker, R. J. (1991) J. Biol Chem. 266, 4131-4138). One type of H+ leakiness involves the uncoupled influx of H+ (leak A pathway) while a second type involves the coupled influx of H+ and galactosides in conjunction with uncoupled galactoside efflux (leak B pathway). In the current study, 14 independent lactose permease mutants were isolated from the Val177/Asn319 parent which were resistant to thiodigalactoside growth inhibition but retained the ability to transport maltose. All of these mutants contained a third mutation (besides Val177/Asn319) at one of two sites. Eight of the mutants had Ile303 changed to Phe, while six of the mutants had Tyr236 changed to Asn or His. Each type of triple mutant was characterized with regard to sugar transport, H+ leakiness, and sugar specificity. Like the parental strain, all three types of triple mutant showed moderate rates of downhill lactose transport and were defective in the uphill accumulation of sugars. However, with regard to proton leakiness, the triple mutants fell into two distinct categories. The mutant containing Phe303 was generally less H+ leaky than the parent either via the leak A or leak B pathway. In contrast, the triple mutants containing position 236 substitutions (Asn or His) were actually more H+ leaky via the leak A pathway and exhibited similar H+ leakiness via the leak B pathway at high thiodigalactoside concentrations. The ability of the position 236 mutants to grow better than the parent in the presence of low concentrations of thiodigalactoside appears to be due to a decrease in affinity for this particular sugar rather than a generalized defect in H+ leakiness. Finally, the triple mutants showed a sugar specificity profile which was different from either the Val177/Asn319 parent, the single Val177 mutant, or the wild-type strain. These results are discussed with regard to the effects of mutations on both the sugar and H+ transport pathways.
A MEMS RF phase and frequency modulator

We present a method to create an RF MEMS oscillator with continuous control of the output phase and frequency. When the weakly nonlinear oscillating system becomes synchronized with an imposed sinusoidal force of close frequency, the resonator frequency can be detuned with a DC bias on a resistive actuator to produce an easily controlled phase differential between the injected signal and the resonator feedback. We demonstrate a 26 MHz MEMS oscillator with frequency tunability of 0.3% and phase tunability of 200/spl deg/. By modulating the Joule heat dissipated in the structure, a 26 MHz carrier frequency was either frequency modulated by a 30 kHz baseband signal with a modulation depth of 15 kHz, or phase modulated by a 20 kHz baseband signal with a modulation depth of 160/spl deg/.
Lipoic Acid Reduces Inflammation in a Mouse Focal Cortical Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model. (P1.221)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of lipoic acid (LA) in a focal cortical experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis (MS). BACKGROUND: It is now recognized that cortical lesions are crucial part of MS pathology. In developing a new MS therapy, it is important to determine the ability of the therapy to alter cortical inflammatory lesions given the differences between white and grey matter lesions in MS. LA reduces inflammation, demyelination and axonal injury in spinal cords and optic nerves of mice with EAE but has not been tested in a focal cortical EAE model. DESIGN/METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice were immunized with MOG35-55 peptide in complete Freund’s adjuvant. Mice received daily subcutaneous injections of LA (100 mg/kg) or vehicle beginning 7 days post-immunization. Mice received intracerebral stereotactic injections of TNF alpha and IFN gamma or PBS 12 days post-immunization. Mice were sacrificed three days later. Brain sections were stained with antibodies against CD4, CD11b and galectin3. Images were acquired from sections that contained the injection site. Immunofluorescence data were analyzed 200 microns from the injection site using quantitative methods. RESULTS: Treatment with LA decreased CD4+ and galectin3+ immune cells in the brain. The % area occupied by CD4+ T cells was 1.02 ± 0.23 in mice receiving vehicle-cytokine and 0.13 ± 0.01 in mice receiving LA-cytokine (p CONCLUSIONS: LA significantly reduces inflammation in a focal cortical model of MS. This study provides a rationale for investigating the ability of LA to reduce development of cortical lesions in MS. Study Supported by: Department of Veterans Affairs Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development, NIH R01 NS057433, NMSS Grant CA1055A, and the Laura Fund for Innovation in MS Research. Disclosure: Dr. Chaudhary has nothing to disclose. Dr. Marracci has received royalty payments. Dr. Galipeau has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pocius has nothing to disclose. Dr. Morris has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bourdette has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Serono Inc., and Teva Neuroscience.
SPICE simulation methodology for system level ESD design

A SPICE simulation methodology to design an isolation impedance network against the residual pulse from IEC 61000–4–2 stress for the system level ESD protection using the TLP data of transient voltage suppressors and IC interface pins is presented. Case studies are used to demonstrate the usage of this methodology.
The Rubber-band Gun

I brought to school a rubber-band gun I bought at the mall. I bought it at that store with the tarot cards and the stink bombs and the beer T-shirts and the posters of women in thongs bending over on beaches with sand stuck to them in all the right places. So I brought the gun to school and showed it off to Stacey Swanson. I was a little in love with her. By that I mean I regularly jerked off into an athletic sock when thinking about her naked. Normally she would not talk to me except to say, "Don't even talk to me? you haven't even gone through puberty yet." But this time, when I held out the rubber-band gun, she said, "Let me see that." She grabbed the gun and weighed it in her hand a moment before lifting her arm and staring down the line of it and shooting me directly in the eyeball. The eyeball did not fare well. The rubber band hit the pupil directly, punc tured it, buried itself like a worm. The doctor removed the eyeball and put it in a bottle of formaldehyde. I keep the bottle on my dresser. I can tell the temperature by the eyeball, its buoyancy. Whether it is up or down makes me throw on shorts or a sweatshirt. Sometimes the eyeball seems to stare at me. And sometimes, when the pressure drops and a thunderstorm rolls through, the eyeball spins in circles like some possessed weathervane. Every night I clean out the socket with a warm washcloth, a squirt of soap. There is a smell otherwise. And the danger of infection. When I blink, the socket appears to be talking to me, telling me what to do, a toothless mouth with rotten breath. Used to be, people would make fun of me, a little rough in the hallways with their shoulders, a shove at the urinals. Now nobody touches me. I am their king and they call me Cyclops and they beg me to lift my eyelid, show them the scooped-out socket. Sometimes I do. I put things in the socket. A penny. A marble. A strawberry. You should have seen the look on Gabby's face when I walked up to her desk and without a word dug into the socket and pulled out the mushed-up strawberry and popped it in my mouth to swallow. Other things, too. Like a tongue. Stacey Swanson's if you can believe it. Ever since she shot me in the eyeball she has been touching me on the shoul 147
Muscular strengthening activity patterns and metabolic health risk among US adults.

Background Many studies have examined the relationship between physical activity and metabolic disorders. However, few have focused on specific associations between these disorders and muscular strengthening activity (MSA) patterns. The aim of the present study was to examine the association(s) for each metabolic syndrome criterion and MSA patterns.
Silicon-chromium thin-film resistor reliability

An unusual low-temperature failure mode was uncovered during reliability testing of 2 kω/sq. SiCr resistors. Resistor arrays were fabricated by integrated circuit production methods. Life-tests were performed at 125°, 25° and −25°C at current densities up to 106 A/cm2. Passivated and unpassivated arrays were assembled in glass-sealed ceramic packages. Typical mean drift at the above temperatures of passivated resistors in hermetic or non-hermetic packages (>10−6 std cm3/s) after 1000 h operation (20 V, 2 × 105 A/cm2) was < 0.6%. Unpassivated resistors had similar stability when operated at 125°C, but had mean times to failure of ∼ 30,000 h when operated at −25°C in hermetic packages and ∼ 350 h in non-hermetic packages. Failures also occurred in air-sealed TO-5 cans, heated at 495°C for 15 mins, and then operated at −25°C. Failures involved anodic resistor corrosion, and in non-hermetic packages, anodic or cathodic aluminum corrosion.
Radiative electron capture by oxygen ions in single-crystal channels: Experiment and theory

The phenomenon of radiative electron capture (REC) has been studied for 17-40-MeV O ions channeled through thin single crystals of Ag and Si. As a consequence of the unique constraints imposed on the interactions of well-channeled ions, it is possible to study the REC phenomenon for fully stripped oxygen ions interacting primarily with the free or weakly bound electrons in single-crystal channels. Radiation is identified which results from electrons captured directly into the lowest-energy state of the moving oxygen ions as well as that arising from a number of bremsstrahlung processes. The measured cross sections and widths of the REC radiation and the bremsstrahlung processes are compared to calculations made specifically for the channeling situation. The calculations incorporate standard radiation theory and a statistical model of the electron states in the single crystal. The space-varying electron density is averaged over impact parameters appropriate for the channeled ions. The measured REC cross sections show a marked deviation from theory which is not understood at this time. The shapes of the REC lines and the x-ray background present in the measured spectra are in reasonable agreement with the calculations, but the widths of the REC lines as a function of ion energy show only fair agreement. Results of these studies are discussed and possible explanations offered for some of the discrepancies.
Rural Policy and Direct Local Participation: Democracy, Inclusiveness, Collective Agency, and Locality‐Based Policy*

During the closing decades of the twentieth century, the federal government has experienced a period of delegitimation and fiscal crisis that has led to decentralization of some federal programs and a fledgling revival of community- and place-based policies. These and other locality-based policies are not new tools. The renewed interest in this type of policy raises questions about their effectiveness. Historic and recent records of locality-based policies suggest that they are not panaceas for achieving programmatic goals. Three cases provide an empirical, comparative basis for assessing the liabilities of locality-based policies: the Third New Deal efforts to institute county land-use planning; Mexico's experiences with community forestry; and emerging grassroots ecosystem management movements in the western United States. Among other factors, the degree of local democracy and inclusiveness and the quality of local social, economic, and physical infrastructures are identified as important in mediating effective policy implementation.
Neural dynamics of attention switching and temporal order information in short term memory

Reeves and Sperling (1986) have developed an experimental paradigm and a model to explain how attention switching influences the storage of temporal-order information in short-term memory (STM), or working memory. The present article suggests that attention switching influences initial storage of items in STM, but that competitive interactions among the STM representations of stored items control the further evolution of temporal-order information as new items are processed. The laws governing these competitive interactions, called the long-term memory (LTM) invariance principle and the STM normalization rule, were originally derived from postulates that ensure that STM is updated in a way that enables temporally stable list learning in LTM to occur. Despite these adaptive constraints, and often because of them, temporal-order information is not always stored veridically. Both feedforward and feedback STM processes, with different invariant properties, are identified in the storage of temporal-order information.
The regulation and activities of the multifunctional serine/threonine kinase Akt/PKB.

The serine/threonine kinase Akt, or protein kinase B (PKB), has recently been a focus of intense research. It appears that Akt/PKB lies in the crossroads of multiple cellular signaling pathways and acts as a transducer of many functions initiated by growth factor receptors that activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase). Akt/PKB is particularly important in mediating several metabolic actions of insulin. Another major activity of Akt/PKB is to mediate cell survival. In addition, the recent discovery of the tumor suppressor PTEN as an antagonist of PI 3-kinase and Akt/PKB kinase activity suggests that Akt/PKB is a critical factor in the genesis of cancer. Thus, elucidation of the mechanisms of Akt/PKB regulation and its physiological functions should be important for the understanding of cellular metabolism, apoptosis, and cancer.
The stereochemistry of alkylation of 7-alkyl-7.12-dihydropleiadene anions

Abstract Attempts to rationalize the stereochemistry resulting from the alkylation of 7-R-12-metallo-7,12-dihydropleiadene from the geometries of the neutral precursors were not successful. A new model is suggested.
An immunohistochemical study of the primitive and maturing elements of human cerebral medulloepitheliomas.

Four examples of human cerebral medulloepithelioma were studied immunohistochemically with a panel of antibodies and antisera to neuronal and glial proteins. The tumors, in addition to primitive medullary epithelium, contained areas of neuroblastic, ganglionic, astrocytic, ependymoblastic and ependymal differentiation, and, in one tumor, areas resembling polar spongioblastoma. Tumor cells throughout the primitive medullary epithelium displayed focal immunocreactivity for vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein and for the neuron-associated class III β-tubulin isotype. Neuroblasts showed immunoreactivity for the class III β-tubulin isotype, microtubule-associated protein 2 and neuron-specific enolase. Immunoreactivity for neurofilament epitopes and synaptophysin was detected in areas of ganglionic differentiation and coincided with the demonstration of neurofibrils in Bielschowsky's silver impregnations. Vimentin was the only marker detected in ependymoblastic and ependymal rosettes or in areas of polar spongioblastoma, as well as in mesenchymal, cells. The results indicate that, even in very primitive neoplastic neuroepithelium, immunocytochemical evidence of early commitment of some of the cells to a neuronal or glial lineage can be demonstrated. The neuron-associated class III β-tubulin isotype appears to be one of the earliest markers indicative of neuronal differentiation in normal and neoplastic primitive neuroepithelium.
Pre-and Postassessment Surveys for the Distance Section of LIBR 1100, Introduction to Library Research

ABSTRACT Articles and other materials reporting the experiences of librarians in assessing what distance students are learning in online information literacy classes are not well represented in the professional literature. Librarians who have experience assessing distance student learning should share what they have learned with colleagues who, in turn, need to know what methods are working, and how the assessment process can be used to improve online teaching and learning. This article reports on the experience gained by librarians at Texas Tech University Libraries while developing and implementing pre- and postassessment surveys that were administered in the distance learning section of a library research course taught in the fall of 2009. The course had not included learning outcomes assessment before 2008. The assessment's findings were used to improve both the content and the teaching of the course's online section.
Direct-to-Indirect Acoustic Radiance Transfer

We present an efficient algorithm for simulating diffuse reflections of sound in a static scene. Our approach is built on recent advances in precomputed light transport techniques for visual rendering and uses them to develop an improved acoustic radiance transfer technique. We precompute a direct-to-indirect acoustic transfer operator for a scene, and use it to map direct sound incident on the surfaces of the scene to multibounce diffuse indirect sound, which is gathered at the listener to compute the final impulse response. Our algorithm decouples the transfer operator from the source position so we can efficiently update the acoustic response at the listener when the source moves. We highlight its performance on various benchmarks and observe significant speedups over prior methods based on acoustic radiance transfer.
Misincorporation during DNA synthesis, analyzed by gel electrophoresis

Abstract A method has been developed for simultaneous comparison of the propensity of a DNA polymerase to misincorporate at different points on a natural template-primer. In this method elongation of a [5'-32P] primer, annealed to a bacteriophage template strand, is carried out in the presence of only three dNTPs (highly purified by HPLC). Under these conditions the rate of primer elongation (monitored by gel electrophoresis/autoradiography) is limited by the rate of misincorporation at template positions complementary to the missing dNTP. Variations in the rate of elongation (revealed by autoradiographic banding patterns) reflect variations in the propensity for misincorporation at different positions along the template. The effect on primer elongation produced by addition of a chemically modified dNTP to 'minus' reactions reveals the mispairing potential of the modified nucleotide during DNA synthesis. By use of this electrophoretic assay of misincorporation we have demonstrated that the fidelity of E. coli DNA polymerase I varies greatly at different positions along a natural template, and that BrdUTP and IodUTP can be incorporated in place of dCTP during chain elongation catalyzed by this enzyme.
Characteristics of practitioners in a private managed behavioral health plan

Background Little is known about the practitioners in managed behavioral healthcare organization (MBHO) networks who are treating mental and substance use disorders among privately insured patients in the United States. It is likely that the role of the private sector in treating behavioral health will increase due to the recent implementation of federal parity legislation and the inclusion of behavioral health as a required service in the insurance exchange plans created under healthcare reform. Further, the healthcare reform legislation has highlighted the need to ensure a qualified workforce in order to improve access to quality healthcare, and provides an additional focus on the behavioral health workforce. To expand understanding of treatment of mental and substance use disorders among privately insured patients, this study examines practitioner types, experience, specialized expertise, and demographics of in-network practitioners providing outpatient care in one large national MBHO.
A home-based adaptive mixed reality rehabilitation system

This paper presents an interactive home-based adaptive mixed reality system (HAMRR) for upper extremity stroke rehabilitation. This home-based system is an extension of a previously designed and currently implemented clinical system. The goal of HAMRR is to restore motor function to chronic stroke survivors by providing an engaging long-term reaching task therapy at home. The HAMMR system tracks movement of the wrist and torso, and provides real-time, post-trial, and post-set multimodal feedback to encourage the stroke survivor to self-assess his or her movement and engage in active learning of new movement strategies. This experiential media system uses a computational adaptation scheme to create a continuously challenging and unique multi-year therapy experience through the use of multiple, integrated audio and visual feedback streams. Novel design features include creating an over-arching story for the participant, the ability of the system to adapt the feedback over multiple time scales, and the ability for this system to integrate into any home.
Clear-Air Mesocyclone during the JAWS Project

Documentation is furnished for the clear air mesocyclone that propagated through the network of the Joint Airport Weather Studies project near Denver, CO, on June 5, 1982. Despite present classification as a mesocyclone, the analyses here reported have revealed two separate features affecting the area: a mesocirculation, defined by the kinematics of the wind field, and a mesolow, determined on the basis of the pressure field. The occurrence of these two conditions in the Denver area, in relation to the synoptic scale environment, raises a question as to whether this phenomenon is an example of cyclogenesis in the lee of a large mountain range.
Fluorinated phenylrhodopsin analogs. Binding selectivity, restricted rotation and 19F-NMR studies

Abstract Results from interactions of the 11-cis and 9-cis isomers of eleven fluorinated phenylretinal analogs, prepared from fluorinated benzaldehydes, with bovine opsin have been examined. Five of these (2′,6′-bis-CF3, 2′,4′,6′-tris-CF3, 2′-CF3-6′-F, 2′-CF3-7-methyl and 2′-CF3,6′-F,8-F) formed pigments in moderate to high yields, thus allowing recording of their 19F-NMR spectra which revealed inhibited conformational equilibration when protein bound. Possible causes for binding selectivity and fluorine chemical shifts are discussed.
When sorry is not enough: Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law's image restoration strategies in the statement on sexual abuse of minors by clergy

Abstract In January 2002, the Boston Globe ran a two-part story on sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the Archdiocese of Boston that sparked the biggest crisis in the history of the American Catholic Church. Two days after the articles appeared, Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law held a press conference to respond to the Globe's charges. This study examines Law's image restoration strategies in his press conference and proposes that even though Law failed to restore his image, he provided a fitting response. The study proposes that one may attribute Law's failure to restore his image to his relational history with his audience and to the perceived offensiveness of his actions.
Earth's dust cloud.

ABOUT 10 yr ago, it was suggested on the basis of theoretical1 and observational2 evidence that there is a high concentration of interplanetary dust near the Earth (generally called the geocentric dust cloud). Although more recent theoretical studies3–7 and zodiacal light observations7,8 indicate that the existence of such a cloud is unlikely, it has been revived9 to explain the observed Doppler shifts in the zodiacal light10.
A Caveman's Nightmare

Earliest true men could draw. Indeed they drew astonishingly well. They were by all standards savages, but they were artistic savages. They drew better than any of their successors down to the beginnings of history... the later Palaeolithic people went on through a long period of time, and present wide fluctuations in artistic merit. In its early stages the drawing is often primitive like the drawing of clever children ... Possibly the first drawings began as children's drawings begin, out of idle scratchings. [Wells, 1949]
Imaging utilization in the management of appendicitis and its impact on hospital charges.

The objective of this study is to assess the trends in imaging utilization in adults with diagnosis of appendicitis and the role that imaging plays in the escalating appendicitis hospital charges. Data on demographics, imaging utilization, and charges of all patients discharged after a diagnosis of appendicitis during 6 years (1999–2004) were obtained from the integrated database of a large hospital. The number of discharges from 1999 to 2004 in the institution steadily decreased. An average of 2.34 imaging studies per patient were obtained, increasing from 1.85 in 1999 to 3.07 in 2004 (p = 0.001). Computed tomography (CT) studies represented 65.9% of the total of studies obtained, while plain films and ultrasound represented 19 and 14%, respectively. The percentage of patients who underwent CT increased from 51.4 to 75.7%, with relative decreases of 12 and 54% for plain abdominal films and ultrasound, respectively. Patients older than 65 years had higher rates of imaging utilization, averaging 4.3 compared with 1.86 studies in their younger counterparts (p = 0.001). Imaging utilization rates did not significantly differ among races (p > 0.5), genders (p > 0.8), discharge services (p > 0.1), or payer groups (p > 0.5). Average hospital charges for appendicitis increased by 16.3%, while imaging charges increased as a fraction of hospital charges from 7.89 to 10.87%. Imaging utilization has increased rapidly, but trends show a slowdown that might correspond with achievement of standardization. This suggests that long-term continuous rising is unlikely. Imaging charges correlate with increased hospital charges but cannot explain or accurately predict them.
Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications

Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications provides a concise summary of the most important psychotropic agents in neuropharmacology, an up-to-date description of neurotransmission, clinical descriptions of the most important psychiatric disorders that are treated with psychotropic drugs, and current concepts in the biological basis of these disorders. The text is graced by an especially abundant amount of imaginative and visually appealing graphics that are most helpful in grasping basic concepts of psychopharmacology at the cellular and molecular level as well as the pathophysiology of disease (see example illustrated).
The splitting index for linear differential systems

Consider the linear differential operator associated with an n-dimensional first order linear system of time varying ordinary differential equations. Conditions are given on the system for time near plus and minus infinity which guarantee that the operator is Fredholm. The splitting index is introduced and it is shown to be the negative of the ordinary index of a Fredholm operator. The splitting index is shown to be invariant under appropriate perturbations and is computable in terms of the asymptotic properties of the coefficient matrix for a wide class of systems. The asymptotic conditions on the system are discussed in various function space topologies and a new concept of admissibility of a pair of Banach spaces is introduced whereby a pair is admissible with respect to all operators whose coefficients lie in a given function space.
Interferometric terahertz imaging for detection of lethal agents using artificial neural network analyses

Interferometric imaging is a non-invasive, non- contact method to detect concealed lethal agents employing spectral imaging in the terahertz (THz) range. Parallel to the experimental testing over short range, extensive modeling simulates reconstructed images of lethal agents at different frequencies applying interferometric techniques. Near-field correction to such imaging has been accounted for and edge probe algorithm and consequent artificial neural network analyses identify the agents under consideration. This work addresses the issues related to THz imaging for rapid and successful recognition of lethal agents in security screening.
Drought in a Bornean everwet rain forest

1 In 1998, the forests of Lambir Hills National Park experienced a severe drought. Between late January and mid-April, less than one-fifth of the normal expected rainfall was received. To investigate the effects of the drought, survival among 6993 trees (≥ 1 cm d.b.h.) in the drought period (1997–98) was compared with survival among 7270 trees in the same area before the drought (1993–97). 2 Mortality rates for the pre-drought and drought periods were calculated using maximum likelihood techniques. Forest wide mortality rates during the drought were 7.63% year−1 as compared to 2.40% year−1 during the pre-drought period. Logistic regression was used to investigate habitat effects. During the pre-drought period, soil type was the most important predictor of tree survival, while during the drought period, slope was the most important. 3 The mortality rate of large (≥ 10 cm d.b.h.) rare trees ( 35 individuals ≥ 1 cm d.b.h. ha−1) increased 6.5 fold in response to the drought suggesting a possible compensatory mechanism maintaining the persistence of rare species. Mortality of large common and rare species however, did not differ significantly during the drought due to small sample sizes. 4 The results of a comparative analysis of the impacts of droughts in four tropical forest sites provide evidence in support of the Intermediate Disturbance hypothesis.
INHIBITORY AND ENHANCING EFFECTS OF IFN-γ AND IL-4 ON SHIVKUREPLICATION IN RHESUS MACAQUE MACROPHAGES: CORRELATION BETWEEN TH2CYTOKINES AND PRODUCTIVE INFECTION IN TISSUE MACROPHAGES DURING LATE-STAGE INFECTION

Abstract HIV-1 is dual-tropic for CD4 + T lymphocytes and macrophages, but virus production in the macrophages becomes manifest only during late-stage infection, after CD4 + T cell functions are lost, and when opportunistic pathogens begin to flourish. In this study, the SHIV/macaque model of HIV pathogenesis was used to assess the role of cytokines in regulating virus replication in the two cell types. We injected complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) intradermally into SHIV KU -infected macaques, and infused Schistosoma mansoni eggs into the liver and lungs of others. Tissues examined from these animals demonstrated that macrophages induced by CFA did not support viral replication while those induced by S. mansoni eggs had evidence of productive infection. RT-PCR analysis showed that both Th 1 (IL-2 and IFN-γ) and Th 2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) were present in the CFA lesions but only the Th 2 cytokines were found in the S. mansoni lesions. Follow-up studies in macaque cell cultures showed that whereas IFN-γ caused enhancement of virus replication in CD4 + T cells, it curtailed viral replication in infected macrophages. In contrast, IL-4 enhanced viral replication in infected macrophages. These studies strongly suggest that cytokines regulate the sequential phases of HIV replication in CD4 T cells and macrophages.
The structures of dimethyl peroxide, CH3OOCH3, and bis-(trifluoromethyl) peroxide (CF3OOCF3)

Determination de la conformation des composes cite par diffraction electronique en phase vapeur
In situ electrochemical monitoring and control of oxygen in liquid phase epitaxial growth of GaAs

Abstract An electrochemical method, employing an yttria stabilized zirconia electrolyte, was used to measure and control the oxygen activity in liquid gallium in a vertical liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) growth system for GaAs. A zirconia tube serves both as the container for the Ga(1) solvent and as the electrolyte in an oxygen concentration cell. The rate and extent of deoxygenation of the liquid gallium solvent are reported for the three methods of deoxygenation: high temperature annealing in flowing purified hydrogen or argon; use of chemical deoxidizers added to the melt; and electrochemical coulometric titration. In addition, GaAs LPE layers were grown at different measured oxygen activities and the resulting carrier type and concentration related to the oxygen concentration in the gallium solvent.
Keratin-8-deficient mice develop chronic spontaneous Th2 colitis amenable to antibiotic treatment

Keratin 8 (K8) is the major intermediate filament protein present in intestinal epithelia. Depending on the mouse genetic background, absence of K8 causes embryonic lethality or colonic hyperplasia and colitis. We studied disease progression, the inflammatory responses, and role of luminal bacteria in K8-null mice in order to characterize the intestinal pathology of K8-associated colitis. Colon lymphocytes were isolated for analysis of their phenotype and cytokine production, and vascular and lymphocyte adhesion molecule expression in K8-/- mice of varying ages. K8-/- mice had a marked increase in TCR(beta)-positive/CD4-positive T cells infiltrating the colon lamina propria, in association with enhanced Th2 cytokine (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) production. K8-/- mice show early signs of inflammation even prior to weaning, that increases with age, and their epithelial cells overexpress MHC class II antigens. The chronic colitis is related to increased CD4-positive infiltrating T cells displaying memory and naive phenotypes, and an altered vascular endothelium with aberrant expression of peripheral node addressin. Analysis of normal gut-specific homing molecules, reveals an increased number of alpha(4)beta(7)-positive cells and vascular mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 in K8-null colons. Antibiotic treatment markedly decreased colon inflammation and ion transporter AE1/2 mistargeting, indicating that luminal bacteria play an important role in the observed phenotype. Therefore, K8-null mice develop chronic spontaneous Th2-type colitis due to a primary epithelial rather than immune cell defect, which is amenable to antibiotic therapy. These mice provide a model to investigate epithelial-leukocyte and epithelial-microbial cross-talk.
Study of conjugate heat transfer in the nozzle grid of a gas-dynamic laser

The characteristics of the flow and heat transfer in the nozzle grid of a gas-dynamic laser in the presence and absence of cooling of the blades are studied numerically in a conjugate formulation.
HARDENED PORTLAND CEMENT PASTES OF LOW POROSITY

Abstract The first part of the paper discusses certain aspects of the earliest stage of the hydration process. Mechanisms are proposed for the actions of calcium hydroxide, potassium carbonate and calcium lignosulfonate. The second part deals with the composition and specific surface area of the calcium silicate hydrate, tobermorite gel, the most important constituent of the cement paste. The method of calculation of these quantities and the assumptions involved in the calculations are presented. The third part gives a summary of the most important results obtained in the investigation of low-porosity cement pastes.
Observation and Analysis of Suzuki String Teaching.

This study is an examination of teacher and student behavior in 48 violin and cello lessons taught by 12 expert Suzuki string teachers. One representative excerpt of work on a repertoire piece that...
EFFECTS OF GROWTH HORMONE INJECTION TO EMBRYOS ON GROWTH AND MYOSIN HEAVY CHAIN ISOFORMS IN GROWING TURKEYS (MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO)

Abstract Effects of embryonic imprinting with growth hormone (GH) on growth and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in pectoralis muscle were determined by injecting turkey embryos with ovine growth hormone (oGH) at a dose of 10 μg three times a day. Injections were made on days 20 and 26 (Treatment 1), days 14 and 20 (Treatment 2) or days 14 and 26 (Treatment 3) of incubation. In Treatement 1 poults, plasma GH concentrations were elevated at 3 days posthatch and in Treatment 3 poults, plasma GH concentrations were elevated at 15 days posthatch, as compared to control poults. At 4 weeks of age, in males, body weights, shank length and weights of pectoralis, gastrocnemius and sartorius muscles were increased in Treatment 3, and in females, body weights, shank length and weights of gastrocnemius muscle of female turkeys were increased in Treatment 1. The growth rate of female turkeys from 4 weeks through 16 weeks was increased by Treatment 1. Treatment 1 resulted in a delay in the transition from the embryonic MyHC isoform to the neonatal MyHC isoform and to the adult MyHC isoform. Treatment 3 induced an earlier appearance of the adult MyHC isoform. No effects on body and muscle growth and MyHC isoforms were observed by Treatment 2.
Spectroscopic identification of water-propane interaction: implications for clathrate nucleation.

Propane is one of several hydrocarbons known to form a clathrate hydrate. To probe interactions leading to clathrate nucleation, the water−propane interaction is investigated in carbon tetrachlorid...
The Racialization of Global Labor

Drawing on both historical and contemporary examples, the authors argue that today's global capitalist system is maintained and structured within a global system of White supremacy. Groups of worke...
Economic analysis of a grid-connected commercial photovoltaic system at Colorado State University-Pueblo

Abstract The paper presents economic analysis of a 1.2 MW capacity grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power plant installed at the Colorado State University-Pueblo, in December 2008. The project was commissioned by a regional utility company as per the renewable energy portfolio standards guidelines of the state. The system is installed on the customer's property funded by a third party investor. The investor will receive tax credits and rebates in addition to monthly revenue from the energy sales. Array efficiency is used to measure the performance of the PV system and predict the amount of energy generation and resulting cash flows. Based on the project investment, costs and revenues, an economic model of the project is proposed. Economic analysis of the PV installation is performed using Microsoft Excel 2007 and validated by the RETScreen software. It is identified that the cost of the PV system, financial assistance program, and energy pricing are crucial for the economic viability of PV project in addition to a favorable climatic condition. IRR of the project is 10.7% for the given tax credits and rebates. At least 4% tax credit is required to have a breakeven of the project. Different economic scenarios were analyzed, and price of the PV generated energy at different levels of tax credits and IRR is presented. This analysis is applicable to large size customers who want to invest in or own a PV plant in the US. The economical model could be applicable to other regions to devise investment option instruments. The current cost scenario presented in the paper provides readers a notion of cost improvement witnessed by PV system in last four years.
Explanations and Issues: A Prospectus for Quantitative Economic History

This paper attempts to illustrate some future areas of quantitative historical research which have not yet received the attention we think they deserve. Our interest is primarily in aggregate economic systems. This emphasis is not motivated by a distaste for the analytical tools of microeconomics. On the contrary, a central premise of this paper is that macroeconomic models are ideally deduced from propositions about the behavior of individual decision-making units, and that they also critically depend on rules for the aggregation of such behavioral relationships. In fact, quantitative economic historians have long recognized the critical role played by aggregation rules in historical analysis. And, in the end, it will be the quantitative economic historian who will best be able to evaluate the efficacy of the employment of such rules in specified historical circumstances.
Nonparametric Bayesian analysis of a proportion for a small area under nonignorable nonresponse

In small area estimation, it is a standard practice to assume that the area effects are exchangeable. This is obtained by assuming that the area effects have a common parametric distribution, and a Bayesian approach is attractive. The Dirichlet process prior (DPP) has been used to provide a nonparametric version of this approach. The DPP is useful because it makes the procedure more robust, and the Bayesian approach helps to reduce the effect of nonidentifiability prominent in nonignorable nonresponse models. Using the DPP, we develop a Bayesian methodology for the analysis of nonignorable nonresponse binary data from many small areas, and for each area, we estimate the proportion of individuals with a particular characteristic. Our DPP model is centered on a baseline model, a standard parametric model. We use Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to fit the DPP model and the baseline model, and our methodology is illustrated using data on victimization in ten domains from the National Crime Survey. Our compar...
An Overview of Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation has evolved into an accepted therapy for those with end-stage liver disease. Since the late 1960s when Dr. Thomas Starzl pioneered the first successful human liver transplantation, it has become a surgical specialty requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Currently, more than 11,000 patients are awaiting liver transplantation. The donor shortage has led to development of techniques for reduction in size of liver grafts, split liver grafts, and living related grafts. Despite these developments, more than 1,000 patients died in 1997 while awaiting transplantation. The increasing demand has led to maximal use of potential organ donors. The complexity of problems and complications that arise during the waiting period and after the transplantation require continued and diligent care. The nurse is an integral part of the transplantation team and can provide ongoing assessment and education throughout the transplantation process to facilitate the patient's return to an independent lifestyle.
The Effect of Macromolecular Crowding, Ionic Strength and Calcium Binding on Calmodulin Dynamics

The flexibility in the structure of calmodulin (CaM) allows its binding to over 300 target proteins in the cell. To investigate the structure-function relationship of CaM, we combined methods of computer simulation and experiments based on circular dichroism (CD) to investigate the structural characteristics of CaM that influence its target recognition in crowded cell-like conditions. We developed a unique multiscale solution of charges computed from quantum chemistry, together with protein reconstruction, coarse-grained molecular simulations, and statistical physics, to represent the charge distribution in the transition from apoCaM to holoCaM upon calcium binding. Computationally, we found that increased levels of macromolecular crowding, in addition to calcium binding and ionic strength typical of that found inside cells, can impact the conformation, helicity and the EF hand orientation of CaM. Because EF hand orientation impacts the affinity of calcium binding and the specificity of CaM's target selection, our results may provide unique insight into understanding the promiscuous behavior of calmodulin in target selection inside cells.
Choice Set Imputation: Two-Step Weighted Stratified and Hazard-Based Approach

The problem of choice set formation for decision makers is an important subject in discrete choice modeling, especially when the choice set contains a large number of elemental alternatives. In general, the choice set of an individual could be a randomly sampled choice set; however, this is claimed to be a behaviorally unacceptable practice because of the fallacious assumption of individuals' full knowledge of potential random choices. This issue brings up the need to devise methods to logically allocate credible choice alternatives for individuals. Although the use of these methods could be dependent on specific applications, this study attempted to identify the distinction between model estimation and prediction steps in the context of residential location choice modeling. From a theoretical point of view, the paper proposes a modified weighted stratified sampling approach that is an improved version of random sampling for model estimation. The approach is believed to be a better replicate of the univer...