cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BUDGET PLANNING: TRANSFER PRICES OR QUOTAS

This chapter discusses the process of budget planning for an organization. The process of constructing the budget requires drawing together a wide range of sources information on technological capabilities, marketing opportunities, and resource availability. The coordination of the activities of the many subunits of the organization is achieved through the budget planning process. The planning process is modelled as an iterative exchange of information between the subunits, possessors of detailed knowledge of potential activities, and an accounting office that is responsible for producing the budgetary allocation of organizational resources. Budget planning processes are studied by a price guided mechanism. In this process, transfer prices, P , are established for the organizational capital. These transfer prices reflect the value of the resources to the organization, not the fair market value or replacement costs. Such accounting prices are used solely to guide the budget process toward the most profitable use of organizational capital and are changed throughout the iterative process as the accounting office builds successively better approximations of the decision elements.
Diversity in Communications

This article focuses on diversity and the effects it may have upon the signal reliability. We begin with a discussion of signal diversity techniques and methods of combining signals from a number of channels. This is followed by a section on diversity through channel coding with interleaving. We then present some examples illustrating the benefits of diversity combining in various communications applications. Keywords: communications; diversity; combining techniques; fading; statistical characterization; channel coding; interleaving; application examples; polarization; fiberoptic communications
Words versus Actions about Organ Donation

Abstract Historically, the proportion of the American public that expresses positive views about organ donation exceeds the proportion that actually signs an organ donor card (ODC). The public seems to say one thing but does another. In July 1994, The Advertising Council, Inc., in conjunction with the Coalition on Donation, launched a major promotional campaign to educate the U.S. public about organ and tissue donation. This article reports on a four-year study tracking attitude toward organ donation and transplantation and its relationship with direct experience (knowing an organ recipient) and intermediate behaviors. The intermediate behaviors investigated are donating blood and signing an ODC. No significant changes were noted in attitude toward donation, but the proportion of individuals who had signed an ODC increased significantly.
Community Discovery in Social Networks: Applications, Methods and Emerging Trends

Data sets originating from many different real world domains can be represented in the form of interaction networks in a very natural, concise and meaningful fashion. This is particularly true in the social context, especially given recent advances in Internet technologies and Web 2.0 applications leading to a diverse range of evolving social networks. Analysis of such networks can result in the discovery of important patterns and potentially shed light on important properties governing the growth of such networks.
Miniaturized Optimized Smart Sensor (MOSS) for Space Plasma Diagnostics

We have designed, constructed, and tested a prototype Miniaturized Optimized Smart Sensor (MOSS) for diagnostic measurements of space plasmas. MOSS incorporates a miniaturizing (magnification < 1) optical system, novel electronics and sensor packaging concepts, a monolithic Microchannel Plate (MCP) holder, and light weight, low power high voltage supplies. The prototype weighs 410 grams and uses 220 mW of power. It covers an energy range of 1.6 to 25048 eV with a resolution (FWHM) of 0.13. The energy x geometry x efficiency factor is 1.8 × 10 -3 cm 2 str eV/eV cts/ion over a field of view of 7.3 ° × 360°.
Coherent Behavior in Josephson Junction Arrays

Experiments on arrays of Josephson junctions seem to indicate coherent behavior.1 In the present work we describe experiments on an array made by compressing small particles, which apparently shows cooperative behavior. Perhaps the most surprising observation is that of a steady zero-bias dc voltage across the sample when rf power is incident on it. Because this voltage can have either sign and only appears below the T c , of the array, we do not think it can be explained by rectification in the junctions. This phenomenon has been observed in a single junction,2 but the zero-bias voltage was found to switch between different quantum states. This seems analogous to the case of a single spin which would have no preferred direction, whereas an assembly of spins would make a transition to a state of fixed magnetization.
Duloxetine use in employees with low back pain: treatment patterns and direct and indirect costs.

Objective The study aims to examine real-world effects of duloxetine treatment for low back pain (LBP). Methods The study identified employees with ≥1 LBP diagnosis and ≥1 duloxetine prescription within a year after LBP diagnosis from a privately insured claims database (2004–2007). Duloxetine-treated employees were propensity score matched to employees initiating another pharmacological/noninvasive treatment in the same month from LBP diagnosis. Treatment patterns and costs were compared over the 6 months following treatment initiation. Results Relative to controls, duloxetine-treated employees (N = 753) had significantly lower rates of other pharmacological/noninvasive therapies and a similar LBP surgery rate (1.7% vs 2.8%, P = 0.1573). Duloxetine-treated employees, despite higher pharmacy costs, had similar direct (health care) costs ($4,935 vs $5,649, P = 0.2662), and significantly lower indirect (workloss) costs ($1,723 vs $2,198, P = 0.0036). Conclusions Duloxetine treatment in LBP employees was associated with reduced rates of many nonsurgical therapies and lower indirect costs. The findings are limited by the observational study design and unmeasured potential confounders.
Keep Your "N" in Check: African American Women and the Interactive Effects of Etiquette and Emotional Labor

Black professional women report that they must transform themselves to be welcomed and accepted, especially in the workplace. They speak of performance weariness in verbal and nonverbal communicati...
Cultural conflict and the impact on non-adults at Puruchuco-Huaquerones in Peru: The case for refinement of the methods used to analyze violence against children in the archeological record

The cemetery of Puruchuco-Huaquerones in Lima, Peru, has yielded human remains dating from the Late Horizon until after Spanish conquest (circa AD 1470-1540). The analysis of 242 non-adult skeletons has documented trauma, including both common childhood injuries and injuries suggestive of the violent consequences of Spanish conquest. Additionally, an increase in perimortem trauma in the Early Post-Contact Period has been documented (Gaither and Murphy, 2012). Previous research, however, does not adequately address the question of physical child abuse, and whether or not that played a role in the changes seen after the arrival of the Spanish. This paper will address the controversial question of physical child abuse and propose new categories of violence for use in analyzing non-adults in the archeological record; categories that will hopefully give researchers more flexibility in analyzing non-adults remains. It will then test the hypothesis of what role, if any, what is referred to in this paper as 'Likely Caregiver-Induced Violence' played in the Late Horizon and Early Post-Contact Period populations at Puruchcuo-Huaqerones. Finally, this paper discusses the theoretical models that address cultural changes seen in populations under stress that result in an increase and change in the nature of the violence perpetrated against non-adults.
On the Kinematics of the Closed Epicyclic Differential Gears

The epicyclic differential gear has been known in modern times since 1575 when it appeared as a mechanism in a clock. Artifacts from an ancient shipwreck prove that it was known to the ancient Greeks at least 100 hundred years before Christ. The methods of kinematic analysis by either the relative angular velocity method or the instant center and linear velocity method, as given in the literature, are oriented toward specific solutions rather than general ones; they do not readily allow for parametric trend studies and they require a degree of imagination and intuition which may well be beyond the capabilities of those who are not practitioners of the art. The discussed methodology defines simple and compound epicyclic gears in terms of the overall ratio of a geometrically similar planetary gear. The kinematic analysis is derived in general terms for both the simple and compound epicyclic gear. It is shown that location of the point of zero tangential velocity of the velocity triangle relative to the system datum governs the characteristics of the gearset and whether it will perform as a differential gearset, or as a solar, star, or planetary gear. Simple mathematical relationships are given which define the proportions of the component gears, their speeds (rpm) and directions of rotations, and the resulting power splits. The formulas may be incorporated into simple computer programs oriented toward specific design requirements.
Comparison of histologic and flow cytometric evaluation of cyclophosphamide-induced testicular damage

This study evaluates the ability of DNA histograms obtained by flow cytometry to detect and quantify reversible alterations in spermatogenesis induced by cyclophosphamide, a known inhibitor of spermatogenesis. Evaluation of per cent of cells in each of the haploid (lc), diploid (2c), and tetraploid peaks (4c) as determined by flow cytometry in treated and control Balb/C mice over a six-week period, and comparison with routine histologic evaluation have led us to conclude that DNA histogram evaluation is a rapid and accurate means of identifying testicular damage and recovery. This technique may be useful in sequential monitoring of the effects of malignancy and/or treatments applied on spermatogenesis in young men.
Estimation of iceberg motion for mapping by AUVs

Iceberg-relative navigation for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) will enable a new mode of data collection for studies of free-floating icebergs. Compared to current data collection methods, AUVs offer substantially expanded coverage area and continuous sampling. However, because icebergs translate and rotate through inertial space, standard vehicle navigation methods which rely on inertial sensors are unable to provide iceberg-relative position estimates. One means of obtaining iceberg-relative position estimates is to correlate incoming sonar measurements of range to the iceberg surface with an a-priori three-dimensional iceberg map. This requires the generation of a map. The key challenge in creating such an a-priori map is accounting for the translation and rotation of the iceberg over the duration of map data collection. Previous iceberg mapping work by the authors accounts for iceberg motion by assuming a constant velocity model. It uses loop closure (small overlapping areas of sonar data at the beginning and end of a circumnavigation) in post-processing to identify the value of the iceberg velocity. The result is a self-consistent iceberg map suitable for iceberg-relative vehicle navigation. However, the map can be somewhat warped relative to the true shape of the iceberg due to any innacuracies in the constant velocity assumption. This paper presents an extended iceberg mapping method which uses a more complex motion model, capable of more accurately representing the motion of the iceberg and therefore of providing a more accurate iceberg map. To identify the parameters in this model, the extended method incorporates Doppler sonar measurements which give information about the velocity of the iceberg throughout the circumnavigation. Because the Doppler velocity measurements depend on the trajectory of the iceberg and also on their locations on the iceberg surface, the extended method estimates simultaneously the parameters in the iceberg motion model and the locations of the recorded sonar soundings in an iceberg-fixed reference frame. The paper details the multi-objective least-squares estimation computation used in the iceberg motion and shape estimation. Included is a basis spline implementation for modeling and parameterizing the potentially complex iceberg trajectory. The paper presents results from simulated data to support the explanation of the method and demonstrate that the iceberg shape it recovers is less warped (relative to truth) than that generated under the assumptions used in previous work.
Employing Subgroup Evolution for Irregular-Shape Nesting

This paper introduces a new method to solve the irregular-shape, full-rotation nesting problem by a genetic algorithm. Layout patterns are evolved in hierarchical subgroups to facilitate the search for an optimal solution in such a complex solution space. The genotype used in the genetic algorithm contains both the sequence and rotation for each shape, requiring new genetic operators to manipulate a multi-type genetic representation. A lower-left placement heuristic coupled with matrix encoding of the shapes and plate prevents overlap and constrains the solution space to valid solutions. This new method is able to efficiently search the solution space for large problems involving complex shapes with 360 degrees of freedom. The algorithm generates better solutions than previously published evolutionary methods.
Use of a watershed model to characterize the fate and transport of fluometuron, a soil-applied cotton herbicide, in surface water

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to characterize the fate and transport of fluometuron (a herbicide used on cotton) in the Bogue Phalia Basin in northwestern Mississippi, USA. SWAT is a basin-scale watershed model, able to simulate hydrological, chemical, and sediment transport processes. After adjustments to a few parameters (specifically the SURLAG variable, the runoff curve number, Manning's N for overland flow, soil available water capacity, and the base-flow alpha factor) the SWAT model fit the observed streamflow well (the Coefficient of Efficiency and R 2 were greater than 60). The results from comparing observed fluometuron concentrations with simulated concentrations were reasonable. The simulated concentrations (which were daily averages) followed the pattern of observed concentrations (instantaneous values) closely, but could be off in magnitude at times. Further calibration might have improved the fit, but given the uncertainties in the input data, it was not clear that any i...
Extent and Timing of the Last Glacial Maximum in Southwestern Alaska

A glacier complex composed of confluent alpine glaciers, island ice caps, and piedmont lobes covered much of the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Because this glacier complex formed the southeastern border of Beringia, its dynamics may have been important in the timing and feasibility of the northwest coast route for human migration into lower-latitude North America. Radiocarbon dates from stratigraphic sections on Kodiak Island and in the Bristol Bay lowlands bracket the LGM in southwestern Alaska between 23,000 and 14,700 yr B.P. Reconstruction of ice thickness based on glacier trimlines, moraines, and calculations of basal-shear stress depict the Alaska Peninsula Glacier Complex flowing to the outer edge of the continental shelf in the Gulf of Alaska. Equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) were 300 to 700 m lower than today and approached sea level on the southwestern Alaska Peninsula. In northeastern areas where ELAs were higher, bedrock topography largely controlled ice flow except where ice saddles bridged straits and inlets.
Human Müllerian inhibiting substance: Enhanced purification imparts biochemical stability and restores antiproliferative effects

Separation of copurifying protease activity from recombinant human Mullerian inhibiting substance (rhMIS) bound to a monoclonal antibody immunoaffinity column by a high-salt wash results in cleaner preparations of rhMIS resistant to cleavage upon storage. In addition, an inhibitor of rhMIS antiproliferative activity is removed. Proteolytic cleavages produced by either a copurifying protease or exogenous plasmin occur at residues 229 and 427 but do not abolish rhMIS biological activity. This report details the modified immunoaffinity column isolation protocol suitable for proteins such as rhMIS and describes the biochemical and antiproliferative properties of this protein.
Molecular evolution in Hawaiian drosophilids

The evolutionary relationships of the Hawaiian drosophilids have been studied by several molecular techniques. Immunological measurements have determined some of the distances between the major groups. More detailed studies have used protein polymorphism, DNA hybridization, DNA restriction enzyme analysis and DNA sequence studies of both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. These studies indicate both the strengths and the weaknesses of the various methods and suggest new ways to examine phylogenetic relationships and question some of the accepted ph ylogenies.
HIGH-LEVEL AB INITIO AND DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY STUDY OF MOLECULAR COMPLEXES BETWEEN ALUMINUM CATION AND MOLECULAR NITROGEN

Abstract High-level ab initio (G1, G2, G2MP2, and CBSQ) as well as hybrid, gradient-corrected and local density functional theory computational studies of Al–N 2 and Al–N 2 + complexes are presented with the aim of correctly evaluating their Al–N bond dissociation energies, ionization energies and vibrational spectra. It is demonstrated that good agreement between computed and experimental data are obtained with CBSQ ab initio methodology. While B3LYP/6-311G(d) generates excellent results for the Al–N 2 + van der Waals complex, there is considerable difficulty for this and all other DFT methods to correctly evaluate the geometry and energies of neutral Al–N 2 van der Waals complexes.
Distribution of mycolaminarans and cell wall β-glucans in the life cycle ofPhytophthora

Abstract Mycolaminarans, soluble β-1,3-glucans, are the storage polysaccharides in mycelium, sporangia, zoospores, cysts, and chlamydospores of diverse species of Phytophthora . Glycogen is absent. Two types of mycolaminaran have been recognized: neutral mycolaminaran and mycolaminaran phosphate. In the mycelium of all six species studied, neutral mycolaminaran is the sole reserve polysaccharide. Mycolaminaran phosphate accompanied by a smaller proportion of neutral mycolaminaran constitutes the reserve polysaccharides of sporangia, zoospores, and cysts. In chlamydospores, the reserve polysaccharide is neutral mycolaminaran with smaller amounts of mycolaminaran phosphate. In contrast to other life-cycle stages, oospores store very little, if any, mycolaminaran; only minute amounts of neutral mycolaminaran and no mycolaminaran phosphate were found in mature sexual structures (oogonium-oospore-antheridium complex). Large quantities of β-glucans are produced and metabolized during morphogenesis in Phytophthora . During the development of vegetative mycelium there is abundant synthesis and storage of mycolaminarans which are subsequently utilized for the formation of asexual and sexual sporulating structures (sporangia, chlamydospores, oospores) whose thick walls are made principally of insoluble β-glucans.
Synthesis of Water-Soluble, Aliphatic Phosphines and Their Application to Well-Defined Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts

Water-soluble aliphatic phosphines Cy_2P(CH_2)_2N(CH_3)_3^+Cl^- (14), Cy_2P[4-(N,N-dimethylpiperidinium)]^+Cl^- (15), Cy_2P(CH_2)_2SO_3^-Na^+ (16), and CyP[(CH_2)_2N(CH_3)_3^+Cl^-]_2 (17) (Cy = cyclohexyl) were prepared from air-stable, borane-protected precursors. Spectroscopic investigations of corresponding Pd(PR_3)_2Cl_2 complexes were used to estimate the steric parameters of these new phosphines. Spectroscopic investigation of Ni(CO)_3PR_3 complexes of the new phosphines indicated that phosphines bearing quaternary amine functionalities were less electron donating than tricyclohexylphosphine, while the presence of a sulfonate group increased phosphine electron donation. Cationic phosphines 14 and 15 were used to synthesize water-soluble ruthenium carbene complexes of the type (Cy_2PR)_2Cl_2RuCHPh. These complexes initiate the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of functionalized 7-oxanorbornenes in water, methanol, and aqueous emulsions.
The C1 Connecting Lemma

Given a smooth flow and two orbits such that theω-limit set of the first meets theα-limit set of the second, can the flow be C1-perturbed to make the orbits coincide? The answer is shown to be “not always.”
Inhibited coarsening of solid-liquid microstructures in spray casting at high volume fractions of solid

Abstract Experimental studies on coarsening in fine grained solid-liquid microstructures at high volume fractions of solid ( f s ) have been carried out to determine if inhibited coarsening under these circumstances could account for the anomalous fine cell sizes observed in spray castings. The materials investigated included a chill-cast dendritic binary alloy of Al-Cu, two spray cast alloys—AA2014 and Cu-Ti, whose grain size was the segregate spacing, and a d.c.-cast alloy Al-4.5 wt% Cu-1.5 wt% Mg in both coarse-grain and grain-refined conditions. The observed segregate spacings after coarsening were smaller than that predicted by empirical correlations of dendrite arm spacing and freezing time. In all cases, the coarsening was found to become slower as the temperature was reduced and f s increased. Conventional coarsening theories and experiments predict the opposite, i.e. faster coarsening at higher volume fractions of solid. Two additional coarsening models were developed for the grain growth at high volume fractions of solid by processes whose rates are limited by migration of liquid at grain boundaries as liquid films on 2-grain surfaces or liquid rods on 3-grain triple points. In both models, the conventional diffusion-limited t 13 coarsening law was reproduced, but the rate constant K contained the term 11−f s and so also predicted accelerated coarsening as f s → 1 . Three possible explanations for the observed lower K values at increasing f s are proposed. The first is the effect of the increasing difference between the solute contents of solid and liquid as the temperature is reduced. This produces a1/X 1 dependence of the coarsening rate constant K . The second inhibiting effect, specific to dendritic structures, is in-grain coalescence of dendrite arms at high f s which produces isolated liquid particles within the grains. The final possibility is particle-inhibition of grain boundary migration by minority (impurity) particles at the grain boundaries. Such particles were seen, however, for only two of the alloys, viz. the grain defined d.c. cast Al-4.5 wt% Cu-1.5 wt% Mg and the spray case AA2014, but they or gas-filled pores are proposed as strong possibilities to account for the fine grain sizes observed in all spray cast microstructures.
Arginine Vasopressin Receptor Internalization and Recycling in Rat Renal Collecting Tubules

AbstractArginine vasopressin (AVP) binds to two distinct receptors to initiate vasopressor (VI receptor) and hydroosmotic actions (V2 receptor). Internalization and recycling of the VI receptor in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and hepatocytes have recently been demonstrated. However, the receptor cycle of the AVP V2 receptor in the renal collecting tubules has not yet been well defined. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the AVP V2 receptor cycle, including AVP binding to the surface receptor, internalization and potential recycling in isolated outer medullary collecting tubules. The maximal AVP surface binding was reached in 10 min, and 25, μg/ml trypsin completely in hibited the surface binding. A Scatchard plot of 125-AVP surface binding indicated a single population of V2 receptors with a Kd of 1.92×10−9 M and a Bmax of 1.77×10−11 M or 590 fmoles/mg protein. 81.7% (72-85%) of specific bound receptor was internalized (specific surface binding: 742.8±111.1 vs internalized...
Otolith biochronologies as multidecadal indicators of body size anomalies in yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera)

Dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) techniques have been increasingly applied to generate biochronologies from the otolith growth-increment widths of marine and freshwater fish species. These time series strongly relate to instrumental climate records and are presumed to reflect interannual variability in mean fish condition or size. However, the relationship of these otolith chronologies to fish somatic growth has not been well described. Here, this issue was addressed using yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera) in the eastern Bering Sea, for which a 43-yr otolith chronology was developed from 47 otoliths and compared with body size for 6943 individuals collected in 1987, 1994, and 1999 through 2006. Among several metrics of size normalized for age and sex, average body mass index (defined as weight/length) had the strongest relationship to the otolith chronology, especially when the chronology was averaged over the 5 yr preceding fish capture date (R2 = 0.88; P < 0.001). Overall, sample-wide anomalies in otolith growth reflected sample-wide anomalies in body size. These findings suggest that otolith chronologies could be used as proxies of body size in data-poor regions or to hind-cast somatic growth patterns prior to the start of fisheries sampling programs.
Assessing the Integrity of Designed Homomeric Parallel Three-Stranded Coiled Coils in the Presence of Metal Ions

De novo design of α-helical peptides that self-assemble to form helical coiled coils is a powerful tool for studying molecular recognition between peptides/proteins and determining the fundamental ...
Observing Nuclear Receptor / Coactivator Interactions in Live Cells by Hetero-Species Partition Analysis

Measuring the binding curve and stoichiometry of protein complexes in living cells is a prerequisite for quantitative modeling of cellular processes. Dual-color fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy provides a general framework for detecting protein interactions. However, quantitative characterization of protein hetero-interactions remains a difficult task. To address this challenge we introduce hetero-species partition (HSP) analysis for measuring protein hetero-interactions of the type D + nA -> DAn. HSP directly identifies the hetero-interacting species from the sample mixture and determines the binding curve and stoichiometry in the cellular environment. The method is applied to measure the ligand-dependent binding curve of the nuclear receptor retinoic X receptor to the coactivator transcription intermediate factor 2. The binding stoichiometry of this protein system has not been directly measured yet. A previous study using protein fragments observed a higher binding stoichiometry than biologically expected. We address this difference in stoichiometry by measuring the binding curves of the full-length proteins in living cells. This study provides proof-of-principle experiments that illustrate the potential of HSP as a general and robust analysis tool for the quantitative characterization of protein hetero-interactions in living cells.
Contextualizing Toulmin's Model in the Writing Classroom: A Case Study

Although Toulmin models of argumentation are pervasive in composition textbooks, research on the model's use in writing classrooms has been scarce'typically limited to evaluating how students' essays align with the model's elements (claim, data, warrant, qualifier, rebuttal, backing) construed as objective standards. That approach discounts Toulmin's emphasis on context. In contrast, this study of a major university's summer composition program for high school students employs Wenger's notion of communities of practice and Bakhtin's notion of response to trace how classroom contexts mediate students' and teachers' understandings of a Toulmin model. The article presents a case study of a controversy that emerged when participants attempted to identify the main claim in one student's essay. The controversy arose, the analysis suggests, as participants positioned competing tacit and explicit representations of claims with/against other rhetorical terms (for example, thesis), variously interpreted the assigne...
Factor Structure on the Semantic Differential as a Function of Method of Analysis

Researchers and critics of the semantic differential technique have recently cautioned about the problem of concept-scale interaction. The present study compared the factor structures obtained when the same data were factor analyzed in several ways: (a) for the total sample and by sex for collapsed concepts and (b) by individual concept for the total sample, by sex, and for internal and external locus of control groups. Three concepts (HURRICANE, MY CITY, and MYSELF) were analyzed which yielded 18 factor matrices. The semantic differential instrument was composed of 19 scales purporting to measure the dimensions of Evaluation, Potency, and Activity. In 16 of the 18 factor matrices, four of the five scales (fair-unfair, friendly-unfriendly, good-bad, and pleasant-unpleasant) expected to measure Evaluation had loadings of 1.301 or higher on Factor I. There was moderate consistency in scales which comprised the Potency dimension for several of the 18 analyses. There was little, if any, consistency in scale c...
Photo-ionization of superlattices on dielectric surface by IR radiation

In this paper we analyze the photo-excitation of electron sub-system of a periodic nano-structure by IR laser radiation. The nano-structure is a 1D super-lattice on surface of dielectric or semiconductor material transparent for the incident radiation. Theoretical description of the photo-excitation is based on the recent modification of the Keldysh theory adapted to the 1D case. We show that two specific regimes of the photo-excitation are possible in the super-lattices: photo-excitation suppression corresponding to decrease of the photo-excitation rate with increasing of laser intensity, and singularity regime corresponding to abrupt increase of the photo-ionization rate. Threshold of the singularity regime is calculated as function of laser wavelength and super-lattice period. The obtained results allow to propose a promising application of the super-lattices as intensity limiters for IR optical systems. In particular, we can calculate the period of the super-lattice to provide limiting of input laser intensity at required level due to multi-photon absorption by electrons of the lattice. Temperature of laser-induced heating resulted from total absorption of an incident laser pulse and diffraction distortions induced by the super-lattice are estimated to confirm possibility of utilizing the super-lattices as the intensity limiters.
Cyber security: a national effort to improve

New and advanced combinations of cyber security threats are being introduced into the online world. Malware authors are forced to create more efficient software with the advancement of network security systems. Recent governmental legislation offers support to companies that operate through the use of sensitive consumer information. Governmental agencies also promote consumer education about law enforcement actions under way. The reporting mechanism for information security incidents needs to be centralized to eliminate confusion amount agencies.
Overview of inertial fusion research in the United States

The inertial confinement fusion (ICF) programme, the high-average-power lasers (HAPL) programme, and the heavy ion fusion (HIF) programme are making long-term investments to establish the scientific and technical basis for an economically and environmentally attractive fusion power source. In the near term, the National Ignition Campaign is expected to establish the scientific and technical basis for ignition and gain on the National Ignition Facility. The results of these experiments and the implications for target design will be incorporated into the long-term efforts to develop a viable power-plant concept including target production, chamber dynamics and driver.
Clearing up glycoprotein hormones.

Among the multitude of carbohydrate structures found in nature, the ones that seem most likely to bear specific information are the complex oligosaccharides attached to extracellular proteins and to proteins and lipids at the surface of eukaryotic cells. Although our understanding of the roleof the saccharide portionsof such glycoconjugates is still incomplete, results presented in this issue of Cell provide important insight into their functions. To appreciate the significance of these findings, it is useful to reflect on the unique properties of complex oligosaccharides that may make them especially suited for conveying information in particular situations. Multiple Roles ot Giycosyiation The idea that cell surface sugars form an important part of the identity of cells has been given a substantial boost by the recent demonstration that oligosaccharide recognition by the sefectins is an important first step in adhesion of leukocytes to selected portions of the endothelium (Stoolman, 1989). The cell surface oligosaccharides present a high concentration of target ligands, which facilitates the initial interaction between stationary and rapidly moving cells. High affinity of individual saccharide-receptor interactions is not so important as high valency. The initial sugar-mediated binding need only be sufficiently tight to allow time for more specific protein-protein adhesion systems to consolidate the interaction. Although the generality of this type of function for cell surface sugars remains to be demonstrated, we at least have a provocative paradigm. In contrast to the plasma membrane, each serum glycoprotein carries one or at most a few oligosaccharides. The sugar units on these glycoproteins must, therefore, function in a more individualistic manner. One possibility is that the conjugation of saccharides to proteins allows proteins to achieve unique conformations that facilitate their intrinsic activities, such as catalysis, ligand binding, or receptor binding. Indeed, the ability of specific saccharide structures to modify the intrinsic activity of individual serum proteins has now been well established (Parekh, 1991). However, given the subtle variety of function that can be achieved with polypeptidesalone, it is hard to imagine how sugars could add sufficiently to the repertoire to be worth all the trouble it takes to put them on. The vast array of intracellular protein functions achieved without attachment of N-linked oligosaccharides bears this out. While recognizing that attachment of sugars to proteins affects their intrinsic activities, one cannot help but feel that the sugars must be put there to serve some general purpose. The tangential effects on enzymatic or other activities have been exploited to various degrees in specific instances, but what is the general purpose? Recent results Minireview
The in vivo cytotoxic activity of procarbazine and procarbazine metabolites against L1210 ascites leukemia cells in CDF1 mice and the effects of pretreatment with procarbazine, phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin, and methylprednisolone upon in vivo procarbazine activity.

An in vivo assay of the activity of procarbazine, N-isopropyl-∞-(2-methylhydrazino)-p-toluamide hydrochloride, and several metabolic intermediates against IP-implanted L1210 leukemia cells in CDF1 male mice is described. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with procarbazine at doses of 300–500 mg/kg IP increased the mean lifespan of treated mice by 29%–32% relative to that of untreated animals. Procarbazine treatment with doses of 200–400 mg/kg/day given IP for 3 consecutive days increased mean lifespan by 39%–46%. The major circulating metabolite, azoprocarbazine (N-isopropyl-∞-(2-methylazo)-p-toluamide), was as active as procarbazine when administered at equivalent doses for 3 consecutive days. A 2:1 mixture of azoxyprocarbazines (N-isopropyl-∞-(2-methyl-ONN-azoxy)-: and N-isopropyl-∞-(2-methyl-NNO-azoxy)-p-toluamide) was more active than procarbazine, increasing mean lifespan by 76% using the 3-consecutive-day dose schedule.
Synthesis of pluraflavin A "aglycone".

The “aglycone” of pluraflavin A (2) has been synthesized. The key features of this synthesis include a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between a nitrile oxide (cf. 14) and an olefin (22) to yield an isoxazoline followed by subsequent conversion into the γ-pyrone of pluraflavin A. The epoxide moiety linked to the pyrone is installed prior to Diels−Alder installation of the D ring, which allows access to a number of potentially active cytotoxic intermediates en route to the final compound. The preliminary in vitro results of two such compounds are also included with the racemic title compound exhibiting cytotoxicity in the nanomolar range.
Back to the future Reconsidering the hemodynamics of cerebral ischemia

Before the advent of modern noninvasive imaging modalities such as CT and MRI, neurologists often performed and meticulously scrutinized the subtle details of cerebral angiography to diagnose a broad range of disorders. Understanding the vascular effects and perfusion patterns of an intracranial lesion complemented the detailed history and examination available at bedside. Multimodal CT and MRI subsequently provided a noninvasive means to visualize the brain parenchyma, vasculature, and hemodynamics, and thus largely relegated catheter angiography solely for cases of endovascular therapy. However, the ability to directly illustrate infarct growth in stroke with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) shifted much of the focus of acute stroke research toward the elusive goal of neuroprotection, often ignoring the hemodynamics of ischemia.1 Even the penumbra concept became distorted, as if this shadow around the ischemic core emanated from the brain itself rather than from the vasculature. During the past decade, the use of perfusion imaging techniques with CT and MRI has …
The First Sixty-Six Years of the Putnam Competition

(2004). The First Sixty-Six Years of the Putnam Competition. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 111, No. 8, pp. 691-699.
Nebuchadnezzar and Jerusalem

A CUNEIFORM text in the British Museum (B.M. 21901), published in 1923 by C. J. Gadd and commonly known as the Babylonian Chronicle, records events in years ten to seventeen of the reign of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon. The information it gives includes the date of the fall of Nineveh in the fourteenth year of Nabopolassar, 612 B.C. In 1956 D. J. Wiseman published several more tablets of the same type.' One of these (B.M. 21946) covers events from the twenty-first year of Nabopolassar to the eleventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, his successor. These years are equivalent to 605 to 594 B.C., and the record includes the battle of Carchemish and the first capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The new material is obviously important in relation to biblical records of the same events and, in addition to the publication by Wiseman, several discussions have already appeared. A great deal has been clarified, but a completely consistent reconstruction of the history in terms of its biblical-Babylonian synchronisms does not appear to have been achieved yet. Edwin R. Thiele2 applies both Tishri-to-Tishri and Nisan-to-Nisan year reckonings, alters some assumptions in his well-known book,3 but reaches inconclusive results. Hayim Tadmor4 modifies Thiele's scheme in a new tabulation of great value, but finds Jeremiah 52:28-29 still enigmatic. A. Malamat" finds it impossible to incorporate in his reconstruction the synchronism in Jeremiah 46:2. J. Philip Hyatt6 judges it necessary to employ both nonaccession-year and accession-year systems of calculation in order to reconcile the apparently disparate evidence. The present article will be a further attempt to understand the synchronisms and establish a consistent reconstruction of the history. The Babylonian system of dating in use at the time with which we are concerned is now well known. The year began in the spring and had twelve months. The order of these months and their names in both Babylonian and Hebrew are shown in the following table:
Improving antidepressant adherence and depression outcomes in primary care: the treatment initiation and participation (TIP) program.

Objective: To test the impact of a novel psychosocial intervention to improve antidepressant adherence and depression outcomes among older adults prescribed pharmacotherapy by their primary care physician (PCP). Design: A randomized controlled pilot study was conducted to examine the usefulness of the Treatment Initiation and Participation (TIP) program as an intervention to improve antidepressant adherence and depression outcomes. Setting: The study was conducted at two primary care clinics in New York city: one clinic served geriatric adults and the second clinic served a diverse group of mixed aged adults. Participants: The sample consisted of adults aged 60 years and older with major depression who were recommended antidepressant therapy by their PCPs. Intervention: All participants were prescribed antidepressant therapy and randomly assigned to either the intervention (TIP) or the treatment as usual (TAU) group. The TIP intervention identifies and targets psychological barriers to depression care, especially stigma, as well as fears and misconceptions of depression and its treatment. TIP participants are encouraged to develop a treatment goal and create an adherence strategy. Measurement: Study participants were assessed at entry, 6, 12, and 24 weeks later. Adherence was measured based on self-report with chart verification. Depression severity was measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results: Participants in TIP were significantly more adherent to their antidepressant pharmacotherapy at all assessment time points and had a significantly greater decrease in depressive symptoms than older adults who received TAU. Conclusion: The results provide support for the usefulness of TIP as a brief intervention to improve adherence to depression medication treatment provided in primary care settings.
The Invention of the Slide Rule

DR. ALEXANDER RUSSELL'S remarks on the invention of the slide rule (NATURE, January 13, p. 307) are of great interest, particularly his reference to Seth Partridge. There can be no doubt that Partridge deserves much credit for improving the rectilinear slide rule, but I see no escape from the conclusion that the real inventor of the rectilinear slide rule is the one who first made two Gunter's scales to slide together, for purposes of computation. The man who did this is Oughtred. In Mr. Sidney Lee's “Dic. of Nat. Biog.,” article “Partridge, Seth,” and in other publications, the incorrect statement is made that Partridge's book, “Description, &c., of the Double Scale of Proportion,” first appeared in print in 1671 or 1672. I have a copy of the book bearing the date 1662. The manuscript was finished “Saturday night, August first 1657”. In 1662 Partridge's rules were manufactured, not by Walter Hayes, but by “Anthony Thompson, living in Hosier-Lane near West Smithfield, in London.”
Design of rate-compatible efficiently-encodable generalized LDPC codes

We study rate-compatible (RC) puncturing algorithms for efficiently-encodable (EE) generalized LDPC (GLDPC) codes of short-to-moderate blocklength. EE-GLDPC codes are systematic codes and well-suited for puncturing, thus they are able to address a rate constraint issue, which is an obvious disadvantage of traditional GLDPC codes. In this work, we propose systematic puncturing algorithms for EE-GLDPC codes. Simulation results show that the systematic puncturing has considerable performance improvement over random puncturing. In addition, the punctured codes, like their mother codes, have the advantage of good error floor performance, which can be a very important feature in practical applications. Finally, it is also demonstrated that, compared with LDPC codes, GLDPC codes have a better error floor performance, but suffer from a decoding threshold loss at high puncturing rates; nonetheless the tradeoff between error floor and decoding threshold loss can be conveniently implemented via the method of doping.
Corrected transposition of the great arteries masquerading as coronary artery disease

Abstract A man with corrected transposition of the great arteries and associated “mitral” and aortic insufficiency survived for 50 years. The patient had angina pectoris and abnormal cardiac contour on chest roentgenogram, and for many years coronary artery disease with ventricular aneurysm was suspected. The correct diagnosis was made by cardiac catheterization and coronary arteriography.
Two populations of rod photoreceptors in the retina of Xenopus laevis identified with 3H-fucose autoradiography.

The retina of Xenopus laevis contains two populations of rod photoreceptors that differ in their utilization ofl-fucose. Following intraperitoneal injections with3H-fucose, all rod and cone photo-receptors incorporate the label. One day after labeling, much of the radioactivity is associated with the photoreceptor outer segments. In rods, a band of radioactivity is initially located at the base of the outer segment. As the time interval between injection and recovery is extended, the band of radioactivity is progressively displaced toward the outer segment tip. When the autoradiography exposure times are reduced so that cone and most rod outer segments no longer appear labeled, a minor population of rod photoreceptors can be distinguished which remains heavily labeled. The outer segment of the principal rod is 29.8 ± 0.6μm long and 6.4 ± 0.6μm in diameter, whereas the outer segment of the minor rod is 19.7 ± 3.4 μm long and 4.5 ± 0.6pm in diameter, the latter accounting for approximately 2–3% of the total rod photoreceptor p opulation. The rate of3H-band displacement is 2-fold greater in the minor rod outer segment than the renewal rate of the outer segment in the principal rod. The similarity in relative cell density and size of the minor rod suggests that this photoreceptor corresponds to the blue-sensitive rod of Xenopus recently described by Witkovsky et al. (1981a,b), Vision Res.21, 863–867, 875–883).
Inter- and Intramolecular π-Stacking Interactions in cis-Bis{1-(9-anthracene)}phosphirane Complexes of Platinum(II)

The bis{1-(9-anthracene)phosphirane}dithiolatoplatinum(II) complexes, Pt{1-(9-anthracene)phosphirane}2(dithiolate), where dithiolate = 1,1-dimethoxycarbonyl-ethylene-2,2-dithiolate (dmdt) (2), 1,1-diethoxycarbonyl-ethylene-2,2-dithiolate (dedt) (3), 1-ethoxycarbonyl-1-cyano-ethylene-2, 2-dithiolate (ecdt) (4), and 1,1-dicyano-ethylene-2,2-dithiolate (dcdt) (5), were prepared from cis-dichlorobis{1-(9-anthracene)phosphirane}platinum(II) (1). Complexes 3 and 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and were found to have vastly different crystal and molecular structures. The crystal and molecular structure of 3 is dominated by intramolecular π-stacking between the anthracene rings of the cis-bis(anthracene)phosphiranes with a ring···ring separation of 3.48(6) A. The molecular structure of 5 does not exhibit an intramolecular interaction between the anthracene rings. Instead, the crystal structure of 5 shows significant intermolecular π-stacking between the anthracene rings of the phosphirane ligands of...
Automatic bandwidth selection of fuzzy membership functions

Abstract Image thresholds can be chosen by minimizing the measures of fuzziness. However, there are no existing algorithms selecting the bandwidth of fuzzy membership functions automatically. In this paper, a new method for automatic bandwidth selection of fuzzy membership functions is presented. First, the peak locations are chosen from the histogram using the peak selection criterion. The suitable bandwidth is found iteratively between two peaks. Multilevel thresholding problem is employed to demonstrate the proposed approach. The experimental results show that the proper bandwidths are determined automatically and the images are well segmented by the selected thresholds.