cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Mutualization and Collateralization on Credit Default Swaps Premium

This paper examines the effect of collateralization and mutualization (of losses) on credit default swaps (CDS) premium in a context of high counterparty risk operating through an opaque derivatives market. This setup certainly makes clearing practices to affect the size of positions, recovery rate and premium. This model not only has the benefit of being realist to the light of causes and propagation of great recession but also to assessing clearing practices in a partial equilibrium. I closely follow contributions of Koeppl and Monnet, Koeppl, Acharya and Bisin and Stephens and Thompson. I show that premium is high when mutualization takes place as clearing policy; the new allocation is characterized by a high recovery rate and low risk premium as fully-insured contracts spread significantly relative to OTC markets. The risk premium ebbs as different type of default-fund calls flow into the clearinghouse. The aforementioned pushes down the premium, however it does not offset the upward effect stemming from the increasing recovery rate. Additionally, as literature suggests collateralization avoids default, premium is high and the value of the position (or recovery rate) increases. In these contracts the risk premium is low too. This research contributes to compress insurance pricing theory into a material that may be a critical input in large macroeconomic models.
The Taut Wire Harmonograph

George M. Hopkins (1842-1902) wrote a series of articles on demonstrating physical phenomena in the Scientific American during the last years of the 19th century. These were collected in a book, Experimental Science, that was first published in 1890, with revisions in 1892 and 1902. It must have been well received, for the 27th edition came out in 1911. When discussing the taut wire harmonograph in Fig. 1, he writes that “as incidental to scientific work, the effects of beautiful experiments on the latter class may be worth a little consideration, as it not infrequently happens that the mere onlooker is lured into the paths of science by such means.”
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Provides No Additional Benefit to Improvements in Self-Reported Craving Following Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have each demonstrated efficacy in improving outcomes in those with alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, a recent study that combined MBRP with tDCS found tDCS provided no additional benefit to MBRP for AUD. Differences in treatment adherence between active versus sham tDCS groups may have contributed to this result. The current study examined whether treatment adherence interacted with tDCS condition in predicting post-treatment mindfulness and craving. This study was a secondary data analysis from a randomized sham-controlled trial comparing MBRP paired with tDCS. Linear regression analyses were conducted examining the interaction between tDCS condition and two measures of treatment adherence (i.e., number of groups attended, number of tDCS administrations) on post-treatment mindfulness and craving. There was no effect of treatment adherence by tDCS condition in predicting mindfulness; however, the interaction between treatment adherence and tDCS condition significantly predicted post-treatment craving. There was a significant negative association between treatment adherence and post-treatment craving in the sham group, but there was no association in the active tDCS group. MBRP coupled with sham stimulation led to significant reductions in self-reported craving when patients attended more sessions and received a greater number of sham tDCS administrations, while no relationship was observed between treatment adherence and craving among those who received active tDCS. This result provides tentative evidence that, rather than improve the effects of MBRP on craving, this active tDCS protocol provides no additional benefit to MBRP in reducing craving.
Application of a Soot Model to a Turbulent Ethylene Diffusion Flame

Modeling of a highly non-adiabatic turbulent ethylene diffusion flame has been tested with two mixing models in a pdf code. As a result of the radiative heat loss from the soot the relationships between the flow properties such as mixture fraction and enthalpy are much different than the more common adiabatic conditions. A comparison of the predictions with measurements of soot volume fraction that were obtained in a combustion wind tunnel indicate that satisfactory agreement is achieved. The statistics showed that most of the soot was at a temperature of about 1400K. The correlation of mixture fraction and soot volume fraction was small, indicating that state relationships are not appropriate for this particular flame.
Yellowstone River Cultural Inventory — 2006

The Yellowstone River Cultural Inventory — 2006 documents the variety and intensity of different perspectives and values held by people who share the Yellowstone River. Between May and November of 2006, a total of 313 individuals participated in the study. They represented agricultural, civic, recreational, or residential interest groups. Also, individuals from the Crow and the Northern Cheyenne tribes were included.There are three particular goals associated with the investigation. The first goal is to document how the people of the Yellowstone River describe the physical character of the river and how they think the physical processes, such as floods and erosion, should be managed. Within this goal, efforts have been made to document participants’ views regarding the many different bank stabilization techniques employed by landowners. The second goal is to document the degree to which the riparian zone associated with the river is recognized and valued by the participants. The third goal is to document concerns regarding the management of the river’s resources. Special attention is given to the ways in which residents from diverse geographical settings and diverse interest groups view river management and uses. The results illustrate the commonalities of thought and the complexities of concerns expressed by those who share the resources of the Yellowstone River.
Latent Transforming Growth Factor-β Activation in Mammary Gland: Regulation by Ovarian Hormones Affects Ductal and Alveolar Proliferation

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta 1) is a pluripotent cytokine that can inhibit epithelial proliferation and induce apoptosis, but is also widely implicated in breast cancer progression. Understanding its biological action in mammary development is critical for understanding its role in cancer. TGF-beta 1 is produced as a latent complex that requires extracellular activation before receptor binding. To better understand the spatial and temporal regulation of its action during mammary gland development, we examined the pattern of activation in situ using antibodies selected to distinguish between latent and active TGF-beta. Activation was highly restricted. TGF-beta 1 activation was localized primarily to the epithelium, and within the epithelium it was restricted to luminal epithelial cells but absent from either cap or myoepithelial cells. Within the luminal epithelium, we noted a further restriction. During periods of proliferation (ie, puberty, estrus and pregnancy), which are stimulated by ovarian hormones, TGF-beta 1 activation decreased in some cells, consistent with preparation for proliferation. Paradoxically, other cells simultaneously increase TGF-beta 1 immunoreactivity, which suggests that TGF-beta 1 differentially restrains epithelial subpopulations from responding to hormonal signals to proliferate. These data suggest that endogenous TGF-beta 1 activation and thus activity are regulated by ovarian hormones. To determine the specific consequences of TGF-beta 1 activity, we manipulated TGF-beta 1 levels in vivo using Tgfbeta 1 knockout mice and undertook tissue recombination experiments with heterozygous tissue. In Tgfbeta 1 heterozygous mice, which have <10% wild-type levels of TGF-beta1, ductal development during puberty and alveolar development during pregnancy were accelerated, consistent with its role as a growth inhibitor. The proliferative index of Tgfbeta 1+/- epithelium was increased approximately twofold in quiescent tissue and fourfold in proliferating tissue but both ducts and alveoli were grossly and histologically normal. To test whether epithelial TGF-beta1 was critical to the proliferative phenotype, Tgfbeta 1+/+ and +/- epithelium were transplanted into +/+ mammary stroma. The outgrowth of Tgfbeta 1+/- epithelium was accelerated in wild-type hosts, indicating that the phenotype was intrinsic to the epithelium. Moreover, proliferation was 15-fold greater in Tgfbeta 1+/- than wild-type mice after ovariectomy and treatment with estrogen and progesterone, suggesting that TGF-beta 1 acts in an autocrine or juxtacrine manner to regulate epithelial proliferation. Together these data indicate that ovarian hormones regulate TGF-beta 1 activation, which in turn restricts proliferative response to hormone signaling.
The Public Nature of Private Property

American legal academics describe private property as a set of private rights. However, liberal ideas of private control poorly describe legal practices, and thus the bundle of rights is a misleading metaphor for private property. Indeed, social theorists have long understood that property is not the ownership of a thing or a set of individual rights, but a set of social agreements about what ownership entails. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, constituents have expected governments to protect the value in their properties, not just their control over the resources. Property rules involve government intimately not only in creating value but also in determining who deserves which valuable resources. Keywords: property; private property; government; land
Reactive oxygen species in the progression of CCl4-induced liver injury.

Pretreatment of rats with large doses of vitamin A (retinol) dramatically increased the hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Experiments were performed to elucidate the mechanism of this potentiation. Hypervitaminosis A was produced by oral administration of retinol, 250,000 IU/kg for seven days. CCl4 was then administered at a dose of 0.15 ml/kg, ip.
THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE RESPONSE TO IMMOBILITY. TOTAL MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDE CHANGES IN DOG TENDON.

Summary Tendon mucopolysaccharides were extracted from control and immobilized knee joints of dogs over the time intervals of one and one-half to 12 weeks. Molar ratios of hexosamine, uronic acid, sulfate and nitrogen were established for the mucopolysaccharide so extracted. Total acid mucopolysaccharides were found to be reduced in the experimental limbs in the four, six to eight, and nine to twelve week groups. The reduction in mucopolysaccharide was 20 to 40 per cent.
Simulating human behaviors in agent societies

As increasing numbers of processors and agents pervade the human environment, societies comprising both humans and agents will emerge. Presently, it is unknown how a person might fair in such mixed societies. For the societies to operate effectively and efficiently, it is important for the humans and agents to recognize and understand each other's behavior. This paper provides an initial step in that understanding via two contributions: (1) we provide models, within a limited domain, for agents that behave like humans and (2) we present the results of simulated interactions between the human-like agents and a variety of purely rational agents. Our models for the behaviors of people are based on recent sociological research by Simpson and Willer [10] that explores humans' cooperative prosocial behavior, a conceivably non-rational process. Modeling human behaviors presents a means of exploring and understanding motivations, consequences, and resolutions to human-agent interactions. We aspire to exploit measured human behavior in order to observe its ramifications in an agent world, and to motivate development of human-agent societies. Our results show that, although there are pitfalls to which humans are vulnerable, there exist niches for human prosperity in a rational agent world.
To filter blood or universal leukoreduction: what is the answer?

The safety of the blood supply has been a concern over the past 20–30 years because of the transmission of infectious diseases. Blood is still routinely tested for viruses, and leukoreduction is an effective strategy to reduce the transmission of cell-associated viruses. Clinically, the benefits of leukoreduction include decreases in transfusion reactions, HLA alloimmunization, infections, fever episodes, and antibiotic use. Although leukoreduction will add cost to a unit of blood, projections indicate that leukoreduced blood will become the standard of care.
An Audio/Video Reporting Workflow to Supplement Standardized Radiology Reports.

Radiology studies are inherently visual and the information contained within is best conveyed by visual methodology. Advanced reporting software allows the incorporation of annotated key images into text reports, but such features may be less effective compared with in-person consultations. The use of web technology and screen capture software to create retrievable on-demand audio/visual reports has not yet been investigated. This approach may preempt potential curbside consultations while providing referring clinicians with a more engaged imaging service. In this work, we develop and evaluate a video reporting tool that utilizes modern screen capture software and web technology. We hypothesize that referring clinicians would find that recorded on-demand video reports add value to clinical practice, education, and that such technology would be welcome in future practice. A total of 45 case videos were prepared by radiologists for 14 attending and 15 trainee physicians from emergency and internal medicine specialties. Positive survey feedback from referring clinicians about the video reporting system was statistically significant in all areas measured, including video quality, clinical helpfulness, and willingness to use such technology in the future. Trainees unanimously found educational value in video reporting. These results suggest the potential for video technology to re-establish the radiologist’s role as a pivotal member of patient care and integral clinical educator. Future work is needed to streamline these methods in order to minimize work redundancy with traditional text reporting. Additionally, integration with an existing PACS and dictation system will be essential to ensuring ease of use and widespread adoption.
Trip Generation Analysis for Regional Studies

An increasing number of regional transportation studies initiated in recent years encompass large areas that include not only urban communities of different sizes but also a substantial amount of rural area. Recognizing the difference in the scope of planning for these areas as compared with that for typical urban areas, a case study is performed based on the data for the southeastern Wisconsin region to develop guidelines for trip generation analysis of the travel estimation procedure. The analysis covers both automobile and truck movements and a detailed stratification of various types of travel in the region is developed. The implications of different categories of trips and alternative techniques for their forecasts are examined. A statistical comparison of household trip rates for different urban communities and the rural area within the region revealed significant differences between urban and rural trip generation characteristics. The need to preserve the identity and unique characteristics of the urbanized and rural areas within a heterogeneous region must be taken into account in developing the regional data base and analytical framework.
The discovery and characterization of novel soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is an endogenous receptor for nitric oxide (NO). Binding of NO to sGC activates the enzymatic activity, catalyzing the conversion of GTP into cGMP. cGMP acting as a second messenger, evokes a number of physiological responses including the regulation of blood pressure by relaxing vascular smooth muscle cells. Elevated reactive oxygen species can reduce the bioavailability of NO leading to dysregulation of the NOcGMP signaling pathway and this has been associated with multiple diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. Stimulators of sGC synergize with NO to enhance NO signaling and thus represent a new therapeutic mechanism. The sGC stimulator riociguat (Bayer) was recently approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. We have discovered a novel pyrazole-pyrimidine class of sGC stimulators with drug-like properties. These compounds synergize with NO to stimulate sGC in isolated enzyme and whole cell assays, relax pre-constricted aortic smooth muscle preparations ex vivo, and potently reduce blood pressure in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Additionally, sustained and dose-dependent blood pressure lowering effects were observed in the Dahl salt-sensitive rat model of hypertension and heart failure. Furthermore, sGC stimulator treatment resulted in protection from end organ damage and reduction in biomarkers of fibrosis and inflammation in rats. The blood pressure lowering effects observed in the rat with a sGC stimulator can be combined with existing antihypertensive mechanisms underscoring the potential utility of this mechanism for the treatment of resistant hypertension. We observed differences between various sGC stimulators in their pharmacological and pharmacodynamic effects, which may enable the therapeutic use of these molecules in a variety of different indications.
A new proof of a theorem of Graham and Pollak

A simple matrix proof is supplied for the statement that a complete graph on n vertices cannot be partitioned into n - 2 complete bipartite graphs.
Optical testing of hard disks

A device and methodology for surface testing of hard disk blanks are presented. A beam of laser light is scanned in a spiral pattern across the disk, and surface defects are diagnosed from the modulation of the scattered light. Since acceptable polish marks also scattered significant levels of light, it was necessary to make use of the directional characteristics of the scattered light in the disk test device.
Facilitation of rapid-sequence intuhation with large-dose vecuronium with or without priming

Abstract Study Objectives: To determine the effect of priming on the intubation and onset times of vecuronium 0.3 mglkg. Design: Randomized, unblinded study. Setting: Operating rooms and postanesthetic recovery unit of a university-affiliated general hospital. Patients: Thirty female ASA physical status I and II patients scheduled for intraperitoneal surgery divided into two groups of 15 each. Interventions: Anesthesia was induced and maintained with sufentanil, droperidol, thiopental sodium, and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Patients in Group 1 were given vecuronium 0.015 mglkg 4 minutes before induction and vecuronium 0.285 mglkg 1 minute after induction. Patients in Group 2 received a single 0.3 mglkg dose of vecuronium 1 minute after thiopental sodium. The ulnar nerve was stimulated every 10 seconds with train-of-four supramaximal impulses of 0.2 millisecond duration at 2 Hz. The compound electromyogram (EMG) of the adductor pollicis was continuously recorded. The trachea was intubated when the amplitude of the EMG decreased to 15% to 25% of control. At the end of surgery, residual neuromuscular block was reversed with edrophonium 0.75 mg/kg. Measurements and Main Results: All patients in Group 1 could be intubated in 80 seconds or less, and the longest onset time was 120 seconds. In Group 2, the longest intubation time was 140 seconds, and the longest onset time was 200 seconds. Clinical durations in both groups were unpredictable, ranging from 47 to 185 minutes in Group 1 and from 63 to 160 minutes in Group 2. Ten of the 30 patients required an additional 0.5 mglkg of edrophonium for antagonism of the residual neuromuscular block. There were no significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure attributable to vecuronium. Conclusions: Seventy-five percent to 85 % neuromuscular block of the adductor pollicis, required for atraumatic tracheal intubation, developed in 80 seconds or less when vecuronium 0.3 mglkg was administered in divided doses and in 140 seconds or less when it was injected as a single bolus dose. Clinical duration of vecuronium 0.3 mgl kg is long and unpredictable, and reversal of residual neuromuscular block may require larger doses of anticholinesterases. It is recommended that an intubatiog dose of vecuronium 0.3 mg/kg be used only in patients undergoing long surgical procedures that require prolonged postanesthetic mechanical ventilation.
Relativistic nuclear fluid dynamics

By use of finite-difference methods we solve in three spatial dimensions the classical relativistic equations of motion for the collision of two heavy nuclei. These equations express the conservation of nucleon number, momentum, and energy, for a specified nuclear equation of state. For $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$+$^{238}\mathrm{U}$ at laboratory bombarding energies per nucleon of 250 MeV and 2.1 GeV, we calculate the time evolution of the matter distribution for several impact parameters. Nearly central collisions deform and compress the system enormously, whereas in peripheral collisions the projectile is fragmented into a portion that proceeds roughly straight ahead at its original velocity and other portion that deposits its energy in the target. For a given impact parameter we construct from the velocity vectors at some large time the energy and angular distributions for the expanding matter. An integration of these results over impact parameter then gives us the double differential cross section $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\mathrm{Ed}\ensuremath{\Omega}}$. For the 250-MeV case we compare calculated and experimental results in the form of proton energy spectra for four laboratory angles ranging from 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The calculations reproduce correctly the experimental slopes at each angle, as well as the overall decrease in the experimental cross section when going from forward to backward angles. However, at 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} the calculated values are only one-half the experimental ones, whereas at 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} they are twice as large. These comparisons, together with comparisons of calculations done by other workers, suggest that heavy nuclei are partially transparent to each other during collisions at high energy, but that the process is not solely a superposition of individual nucleon-nucleon collisions. Instead, coherent collective-field effects play some role.NUCLEAR REACTIONS High-energy heavy-ion $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$+$^{238}\mathrm{U}$, $\frac{{E}_{\mathrm{bom}}}{20}=250$ MeV, 2.1 GeV. Calculated $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dEd}\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ for outgoing matter and compared with experimental data. Relativistic nuclear fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic model, nuclear equation of state, particle-in-cell finite-difference computing method.
Two-point gradient-based MMA (TGMMA) algorithm for topology optimization

Dual methods based on sequential approximations are usually employed for solving topology optimization problems. Among the approximation methods, the method of moving asymptotes (MMA) is perhaps one of the most popular methods used for solving these problems (Svanberg, 1987) [1]. However, recent investigations have shown poor performance of the MMA algorithm as compared to other approximations (Groenwold and Etman, 2010) [2]. In this paper we propose a two-point gradient based MMA approximation, termed as TGMMA, to improve the performance of the MMA algorithm. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the TGMMA algorithm, which improves the MMA algorithm and also shows better performance over other existing approximations.
Mixing of particles and organic constituents in sediments from the continental shelf and slope off Cape Cod: SEEP—I results

Sediment cores were collected from the continental shelf and slope along the SEEP—I transect (71°W) south of New England. Profiles of 210Pb and of239,240Pu were measured in the cores. Measurable amounts of Pu and of unsupported 210Pb occurred to the same depth in every core where both were measured, indicating that the distributions of tracers added to the slope sediments during the past 100 years are controlled by sediment mixing processes. Mixing coefficients of 0.14–1.0 cm2 y−1 were obtained from the210Pb and Pu distributions in slope sediments. A sediment mixing model that incorporates these mixing rates and a sedimentation rate of about 0.01 g cm−2 y−1 determined from other information predicts the measured distributions of DDT and related compounds in one core from the slope. An upper limit for the deposition of organic carbon in the slope sediments of 2.5 g C m−2 y−1 is obtained, significantly lower than earlier estimates. The measured 14C age of surface sediments is greater than predicted from a model for steady-state accumulation of planktonic detritus, suggesting that some of the carbon deposited on the slope is older reworked material, possibly derived from the continent or eroded from other marine deposits.
Bioengineering technology for the noninvasive evaluation of the effects of clinical materials applied to skin

Abstract Noninvasive evaluation of the effects of clinical materials applied to skin can be achieved with bioengineering techniques. Transepidermal water loss, transepidermal chloride flux, transcutaneous CO 2 transport and stratum corneum water content provide information on the functional characteristics of the skin and on the integrity of skin barrier. The advantages of noninvasive technology are not only lack of destruction, but the possibility of discerning subclinical effects not observed by the eye. A description of these techniques and a review of the literature is provided.
Inhibition of Cell Migration and Cell Division Correlates with Distinct Effects of Microtubule Inhibiting Drugs

Drugs that target microtubules are thought to inhibit cell division and cell migration by suppressing dynamic instability, a "search and capture" behavior that allows microtubules to probe their environment. Here, we report that subtoxic drug concentrations are sufficient to inhibit plus-end microtubule dynamic instability and cell migration without affecting cell division or microtubule assembly. The higher drug concentrations needed to inhibit cell division act through a novel mechanism that generates microtubule fragments by stimulating microtubule minus-end detachment from their organizing centers. The frequency of microtubule detachment in untreated cells increases at prophase suggesting that it is a regulated cellular process important for spindle assembly and function. We conclude that drugs produce differential dose-dependent effects at microtubule plus and minus-ends to inhibit different microtubule-mediated functions.
Effects of cocaine on baroreflex control of heart rate in conscious rats

Cocaine administration elicits a pressor response reportedly dependent upon central and peripheral actions. The present study was designed specifically to determine whether cocaine affects baroreflex sensitivity and whether this is mediated by an action in the CNS. Baroreflex control of heart rate was assessed by noting the change in the duration of the arterial pulse pressure or in the heart rate elicited by administration of pressor and depressor agents. The effects of intracerebroventricular and intravenous cocaine administration were compared. Cocaine (0.1-0.15 mg/kg/min, i.v.) produced a decrease in baroreflex sensitivity that was greater than that produced by an approximately equipressor infusion of phenylephrine (0.5-1.3 micrograms/kg/min, i.v.). Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of cocaine (1.5-150 micrograms) or procaine (100 micrograms) had no effect on arterial pressure, heart rate or baroreflex control of heart rate. Furthermore, central administration of yohimbine (3 and 10 micrograms, i.c.v.) was capable of preventing the suppression of the heart rate responses induced by cocaine administration. Propranolol (15 micrograms, i.c.v.) was not able to attenuate the suppression of baroreflex sensitivity elicited by intravenous cocaine administration but higher doses (50-150 micrograms, i.c.v.) could mimic this effect. These data suggest that cocaine suppresses baroreflex control of heart rate by a central alpha 2-adrenergic mechanism. In contrast, the pressor response to intravenous cocaine is not likely to be dependent upon a forebrain periventricular site.
Self- and Informant-Reported Perspectives on Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Because narcissistic individuals tend to have an inflated view of themselves and their abilities, the reliance on self-reported information in the assessment and diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is problematic. Hence, the use of informants in the assessment of NPD may be necessary. In the current study we examined self- and informant-reported features of NPD using agreement, frequency, and discrepancy analyses. The results indicated that informants tended to report more NPD features than selves, and that there were either low or nonsignificant levels of self-informant agreement among the 9 NPD diagnostic criteria and its categorical diagnosis. Informants were increasingly more likely to report higher raw scores relative to selves, indicating that the discrepancy between self- and informant reports increases with the NPD scale. Informants also reported NPD features that selves often did not, suggesting that current prevalence estimates of NPD, which use only self-reported information, are most likely underestimates. These results highlight the importance of gathering informant-reported data in addition to self-reported data when assessing NPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
Justice and the deconstruction of psychological jurisprudence The case of competency to stand trial

Critical psychological jurisprudence draws attention to the forces of ideology, power and violence embedded in the narratives of law and psychiatry, criminal justice and mental health. Application work in this area identifies how and for whom justice is served (or denied) by prevailing medicolegal decisions and practices. One method of discursive analysis comes from deconstruction. Indeed, as Derrida has proclaimed, ‘deconstruction is justice.’ To further this perspective, the author deconstructs psychological jurisprudence by examining the competency to stand trial (CST) phenomenon in the United States. To facilitate this investigation the precedent case law on the subject is presented and reviewed. In addition, selected principles from Derridean deconstruction are recounted and then applied to the medicolegal narrative of competency to stand trial. Given these observations, the author concludes by tentatively exploring the meaning(s) of deconstruction as justice in the domain of psychological jurisprudence.
EXPERIMENTAL AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF MOISTURE TRANSPORT IN LANDFILLS

Detailed knowledge of moisture transport in landfills is a key factor in the determination of landfill stabilization rates and in the prevention of groundwater contamination. In order to obtain a better understanding of this phenomenon, laboratory scale model landfills were constructed. Experiments examining vertical infiltration and the effects of capillarity were performed. Experimental results show the significance of capillary effects and correlations were made to various capillary rise theories. Results from both types of experiments were also compared with results predicted by program FULFILL, a one dimensional, finite difference computer model developed by the Center for Environmental Management at Tufts University, based on the Richards equation for one-phase unsaturated flow through homogeneous porous media. Comparisons of numerical simulation results with experimental data show that the solution of the Richards equation, with appropriate constitutive laws and certain adjustable parameters, appea...
Improvement following behavioral treatment for insomnia: Clinical significance, long-term maintenance, and predictors of outcome†

Data from seven outcome studies (n=216) of various brief behavioral treatments for chronic insomnia were reanalyzed to determine individual rates of statistically and clinically significant improvement. Results were also assessed for long-term maintenance of treatment gains and for predictors of favorable outcome. Overall, 39% of participants showed statistically significant improvement after 4 weeks of treatment, 47% at short-term follow-up (1 to 3 months posttreatment), and 49% by a year follow-up. Deterioration rates were low: less than 1% at each of the same time periods. About 23% of insomniacs showed clinically significant improvement, that is they became good sleepers by end of treatment, with 33% attaining this status by short-term follow-up, a figure which was maintained at 1 year. Younger individuals with a later original age of onset and longer current duration, who showed less psychopathology and received stimulus control treatment had an initial treatment advantage which disappeared sometime during the short-term follow-up period.
Subchondral bone changes in patients with early degenerative joint disease.

The relationship between early degeneration of articular cartilage and the energyabsorbing abilities of its subchondral bony bed was studied in specimens obtained at autopsy from the knees of 43 male patients. Subchondral bone plugs from patients whose cartilage had only mild mucopolysaccharide loss absorbed relatively less energy on impact than the normals. There was no apparent difference in energy absorption among the bone plugs of the normal, the moderate, and the markedly altered cartilage groups. These changes were not age related.
Dynamic rheology of agar gels: theory and experiments. Part II: gelation behavior of agar sols and fitting of a theoretical rheological model

Abstract A theoretical rheological model for agar gels, based on the bead spring model for linear flexible random coils and the model for crosslinked polymers, is successfully fitted to experimental gelation curves obtained over a wide range of cooling rates (0.5–20 °C min −1 ) and agar concentration (1–3 wt%). The theoretical gelation temperature, T gel model increases with increasing agar concentration and decreasing cooling rate. The intrinsic net association rate increases significantly with increasing cooling rate. This increase is related to the higher probability of association of the non-associated agar molecules at higher cooling rates.
Suppression of ponto-geniculo-occipital waves by neurotoxic lesions of pontine caudo-lateral peribrachial cells

Ponto-geniculo-occipital waves precede rapid eye movement sleep and play an important role in triggering and maintaining rapid eye movement sleep. Ponto-geniculo-occipital waves have been implicated in several important functions such as sensorimotor integration, learning, cognition, development of the visual system, visual hallucination, and startle response. Peribrachial area neurons have long been thought to play a key role in the triggering of ponto-geniculo-occipital wave. However, the exact location within the peribrachial area for triggering pontine ponto-geniculo-occipital wave has not been unequivocally demonstrated. In an attempt to address this issue, kainic acid was microinjected (1.0 micrograms) unilaterally into the caudo-lateral peribrachial area of four cats in order to destroy the cell bodies located in that region and thus to study the effects of their destruction upon waking-sleep states and ponto-geniculo-occipital waves. The kainic acid produced a small spherical area of nerve cell loss and/or gliosis centered on the stereotaxic coordinates of P: 4.0, L: 4.5, and H: -2.5. The maximum diameter of that spherical area of cell loss was 0.9 mm. Unilateral lesioning of the caudo-lateral peribrachial area decreased ponto-geniculo-occipital waves during rapid eye movement sleep by 85% ipsi-laterally and 15% contralaterally in the lateral geniculate body without significantly changing the amounts of time spent in wake, slow-wave sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep. These results suggest that the caudo-lateral peribrachial area cells are critical to the genesis of ponto-geniculo-occipital waves, and provide compelling evidence that the different parts of the peribrachial area have quite different roles in the generation of discrete rapid eye movement sleep signs. We propose that caudo-lateral peribrachial cells exert an excitatory influence on rostral peribrachial cells, which then directly activate the ponto-geniculo-occipital waves that are recorded in the lateral geniculate body. Results of this study are not only important to understand the mechanisms generating ponto-geniculo-occipital waves but also could be used as an experimental tool to study the functions of this wave.
Opiate receptors: some recent developments

Two discoveries made in the first half of the 1970s sparked the enormous research activity that has characterized the opiate field in recent years. The first was the biochemical demonstration in 1973 of the existence of stereospecific opiate binding sites in the central nervous system of ani­ mals and man. These sites have been called opiate receptors and, for convenience, the author will follow this common usage. The reader should, however, be aware that the term receptor usually implies both a bind­ ing site and a transducing element that permits the binding of suitable ligands to trigger events that lead to the physiological response. Little is yet known about this transduction process or about the events set off by opiate binding, though much effort is going into bringing some light into this 'black box'. The excellent correlation between binding affinities of a large number of opioids and their pharmacologi­ cal potencies provides evidence that the stereospecific sites are indeed the recogni­ tion and binding portion of opiate receptors.
SOS Technology For Real-Time Signal Processing

SOS technology has definitely come of age. It offers many advantages, it is easy and economical to use, and it has proven performance in a wide range of real-time signal processing applications. The principal advantages of SOS LSI, as far as the designer of real-time systems is con-cerned, are high speed and low power requirement. Often of equal advantage is high device density. These and other advantages are listed in Table 1 along with characteristics that make them possible. Several comparative disadvantages of using SOS have been cited in the past. Most of these have been alleviated, as indicated by the up-to-date evaluations in Table 2.Table 1. What SOS Offers the System Designer_ Advantage T Contributing Factor Low Dynamic. Power Small geometry devices with minimum device capacitance. High Density Elimination of guard bands Wide Range of Complementary Operating Voltages structure. Radiation Resistance Elimination of latch-up and high peak photocurrent. Simplified Design Exotic clocking systems not needed for high-speed static logic. Easy to Model Device performance can be reliably simulated using known dimensions and standard material constants.Table 2. An Update on Historical Disadvantages of SOS Disadvanges Current Evaluation Lack of Advantage) High Cost of Material Cost reduced to com-petitive level by 3-inch wafers and ribbon sapphire. High Densities in Bipolar circuits, Other Technologies dynamic NMOS-memories, and ILL are more dense -- but the power requirement is 4 to 10 times high than for SOS. Low Power Can be, At a trade-off for Achieved for ILL performance. High Speed Can be True, with the large Achieved with choice of components Other Technologies in bulk MOS and bipolar.The basic technologist can argue many more pros and cons for any technology. The systems designer must be cognizant of these pros and cons, but he has to extend his viewpoint to implementation and economics. He wants to design and partition systems in a cost-effective manner. Beyond the SOS combination of power, speed and density advantage are two major implementation assets -- the ready availability of powerful CMOS/SOS microprocessors and memories, and design methods utilizing an array of computer-aided design tools that quickly make concepts realizable in LSI and VLSI arrays. In the following pages, we briefly review three design methods, starting with handcrafted custom design -- which does incorporate some computer aids -- and proceeding to the highly automated standard cell and universal gate array approaches. Then, we get to the proof of the pudding -- descriptions of a range of applications in which SOS circuits and microproc-essors have been central to innovation and success. We end with an indication of progress in SOS technology that the designer of real-time systems will have at his disposal in the next few years.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reducing branch predictor leakage energy by exploiting loops

With the scaling of technology, leakage energy will become the dominant source of energy consumption. Besides cache memories, branch predictors are among the largest on-chip array structures and consume nontrivial leakage energy. This paper proposes two cost-effective loop-based strategies to reduce the branch predictor leakage without impacting prediction accuracy or performance. The loop-based approaches exploit the fact that loops usually only contain a small number of instructions and, hence, even fewer branch instructions while taking a significant fraction of the execution time. Consequently, all the nonactive entries of branch predictors can be placed into the low leakage mode during the loop execution in order to reduce leakage energy. Compiler and circuit supports are discussed to implement the proposed leakage-reduction strategies. Compared to the recently proposed decay-based approach, our experimental results show that the loop-based approach can extract 16.2p more dead time of the branch predictor, on average, leading to more leakage energy savings without impacting the branch prediction accuracy and performance.
Sum of digits sequences modulo m

Let s"k(n) denote the sum of the digits of the base k representation of n. Define the sequence (or word) t"k","m=s"k(n)(modm)"n">="0, which generalizes the well-known Thue-Morse sequence t"2","2. We give a much shorter proof of the main result in Allouche and Shallit (2000) [1], which says that t"k","m has no overlaps (that is, contains no subword of the form axaxa, where x is any finite word and a is a single symbol), using techniques from Cusick and Stanica (2009) [2]. We also give different proofs of some other results from Allouche and Shallit (2000) [1] and one result from Morton and Mourant (1991) [3], using the same techniques.
On X-ray back-scattering to detect hidden cracks in multi-layer structures.

Abstract A method that uses X-ray scanning to detect subsurface cracks is described. The method deals with samples typical of aircraft structures for which access is limited to one surface and a crack is hidden within the first substrate layer beneath the surface layer. A single-scatter model for the total response due to all X-rays that scatter once in one of the substrate layers and then pass through the top surface of the crack region and escape the target is developed. In this model, the crack is treated as a region of lower average density, and hence interaction coefficient, than the unaffected bulk material. The EGS4 Monte Carlo code also is used to estimate multiple-scattering response assuming the crack region is a thin void. These two models provide consistent results which indicate that properly designed X-ray back-scatter scanners can identify the presence of hidden cracks that extend through the substrate layer and are greater than about 1 cm in length.
Linking manufacturing postponement, centralized distribution and value chain flexibility with performance

In this paper we provide some preliminary insights regarding the relationship between the operational policies of manufacturing postponement, centralized distribution and value chain flexibility. Their impact on performance is examined. We considered asset productivity, delivery competence and responsiveness as three aspects of performance. A conceptual model is developed and empirically tested using the structural equations modeling technique. Our results provide strong evidence of a positive relationship between the operational policies and performance. We observe that value chain flexibility mediates the effect of manufacturing postponement and centralized distribution on the performance measures. The implications of our findings are discussed and directions for future research are provided.
Variability of responding on a concurrent schedule as a function of body weight

Five pigeons pecked for food reinforcers on a concurrent variable-interval one-minute, variable-interval four-minute schedule. Each bird's body weight was varied from 80% of its free-feeding weight to 95% and then by 5% steps to 110% or until weight gains ceased. The coefficient of variation, but not the standard deviation, of the daily rate of responding on each of the component schedules increased with increases in body weight.
WiGipedia: A Tool for Improving Structured Data in Wikipedia

Wikipedia is emerging as the dominant global knowledge repository. Recently, large numbers of users have collaborated to produce more structured information in the so called "info boxes''. However, editing this data requires even more care than editing standard wikitext, as one must follow arcane template syntax. This paper describes WiGipedia, a novel tool which provides an alternative to the traditional approach, by supporting editing of structured wiki data through two intuitive and interactive interfaces, facilitating user input on both tabular and graph-based representations of structured data. The tool allows users to identify and correct inconsistencies that are otherwise hidden across multiple articles. Furthermore, a novel recommendation algorithm is applied to assist users in their contribution to the wiki. The paper discusses design, implementation details, and results of a usability study in which the system compares significantly well against the traditional approach to editing Wikipedia infoboxes.
Metal-adsorbate hybridized electronic states and their impact on surface enhanced Raman scattering

The nature of the background emission in surface enhanced Raman scattering is elucidated. A simple group of benzene ring based thiols is used to demonstrate the introduction of optically active interface states upon adsorption on Ag coated dielectric core nanowires. Excellent agreement is obtained with density of state (DOS) calculations for benzenethiol adsorbed on Ag. We also present evidence for photoluminescence enhanced resonant Raman scattering as an important component of surface enhanced Raman scattering.
Analyzing localized corrosion in lon-implanted metals via XPS/AES

Acombined electrochemical/surface analysis approach coupled with the use of ion-implanted samples has been successfully used to study anodic processes relevant to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). Interpretation of the data and applying it to an understanding of IGSCC varies in complexity and difficulty with the system under study. In some cases, there is a direct correspondence between composition and corrosion rates while, in others, the chemistry is more complex and secondary processes become dominant under some conditions. Nevertheless, the use of this approach has proved valuable, at the very least providing a qualitative understanding of the interplay between oxidation of a metal and the chemistry of segregants at grain boundaries that has forwarded modeling efforts on IGSCC.