cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 1988 U.N. Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances --A Ten Year Perspective: Is International Cooperation Merely Illusory?

On the ten-year anniversary of the adoption of the 1988 U.N. Drug Convention, this Article analyzes whether signatoryparties have complied with the duties and obligations imposed thereunder, and, in particular, whether the Convention has enhanced international cooperation in narcotics enforcement. Part I of this Article examines the legal obligations and duties imposed under the 1988 U.N. Drug Convention, with special emphasis on the provisions aimed at criminalizing money laundering and at forfeiture of illicit drug proceeds and instrumentalities of narcotics trafficking. Additionally, Part I examines the requirement that parties afford one another the “widest measure of mutual legal assistance in [narcotics] investigations, prosecutions, and judicial proceedings,” and whether signatories to the Convention are in compliance with this obligation. Part II analyzes whether foreign countries are in compliance with the obligations imposed by the 1988 U.N. Drug Convention to enact domestic anti-money laundering legislation and to assist one another in drug forfeiture proceedings. Part III scrutinizes U.S. compliance under the Convention, focusing on domestic legislation criminalizing international money laundering and authorizing forfeiture of foreign drug proceeds found in the United States, as well as forfeiture of property located abroad. Part III then examines whether these domestic criminal provisions have been aggressively implemented. Finally, Part IV examines whether enforcement of the 1988 U.N. Drug Convention should be pursued through the International Court of Justice and whether compliance should be encouraged through international asset sharing. THE 1988 U.N. CONVENTION AGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN NARCOTIC DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES-A TEN YEAR PERSPECTIVE: IS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION MERELY ILLUSORY?
Asymmetric Incidence of Sales Taxes

This paper investigates the shifting of sales taxes to consumers through retail prices. Retail data on gasoline prices are used at the station level within the U.S., including observations from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. A difference-in-difference approach is employed to identify the effects of the changes in state taxes as of January 1st, 2015, when five states have increased their gasoline sales taxes, while five other states have decreased theirs. States experiencing such changes in sales taxes (between December 31st, 2014 and January 1st, 2015) are analyzed as the treatment group of a natural policy experiment, where the control group consists of states with no changes in their sales taxes. The results show that increased sales taxes are shifted forward to consumers, while reduced sales taxes are shifted backward. The pass-through measures differ significantly across states, showing the importance of having a nationwide analysis. When we search for a systematical explanation for the heterogeneity of tax shifting across retailers, it is shown through a threshold analysis that the initial retail price is an important determinant: while pass-through of an increase in sales taxes goes down with initial prices, pass-through of a reduction in sales taxes goes up with initial prices, showing evidence for an asymmetric incidence of sales taxes interacting with initial retail prices. The results are robust to the consideration of retailer characteristics, wholesale prices, retail brand effects and hourly price changes within each day.
Promoting Archives and Research: A Study in International Cooperation

The establishment of the International Council on Archives (ICA) in 1950 made it possible for Unesco to undertake, on a global scale, a number of activities to promote greater accessibility and more effective use of archives and development of the archival infrastructure of its member states, particularly in the developing countries. Close cooperation with ICA also enabled Unesco to initiate in 1979 a comprehensive long-term Records and Archives Management Program (RAMP), which further broadened this program to include development of the archival profession itself. This article details the results of Unesco-ICA cooperation, largely through publications, in two significant areas of the overall program, research in archives and archival research.
Treatment Selection for T3/T4a Laryngeal Cancer: Chemoradiation Versus Primary Surgery

Objective:We report the treatment outcomes, including organ preservation, for patients with locally advanced (T3/T4a) laryngeal cancer receiving both surgical and nonsurgical approaches. We hypothe...
A fault-tolerant bit-serial array structure for digital filters

The authors propose a bit-serial structure using systolic arrays in the implementation of a finite-impulse-response (FIR) algorithm for large sizes of data and higher-order filters. The bit cells are arranged in a 2-D array which enhances the extensibility and provides efficiency for high-precision data. Barrel shifters are used on the cell level which increases the throughput of the proposed pipelined structure. Moreover, the proposed architecture has distributed error-control features. The necessity of such distributed fault-tolerance in DSP (digital signal processing) architectures is due to its susceptibility to permanent and intermittent errors caused by the high complexity of these circuit structures. >
Angiotensinogen Genotype and Blood Pressure Responses to Reduced Dietary NaCl and to Weight Loss

With the human genome project nearing completion and with the increasing availability of genotyping technology, there is considerable interest in identifying genes that contribute to hypertension and to physiological determinants of hypertension. In a number of relatively rare hypertensive disorders, specific genetic polymorphisms resulting in elevated arterial pressure have recently been described, eg, glucocorticoid-remediable primary aldosteronism, Liddle’s syndrome, and the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess.1 In several but not all of these disorders, hypertension is the consequence of alterations of either adrenal steroid metabolism or direct renal tubular function resulting in antinatriuresis. Conversely, specific polymorphisms have been identified that result in alterations of renal tubular function that promote natriuresis and consequently relatively low blood pressure levels. What relevance, if any, these or similar polymorphisms may have to blood pressure regulation or hypertension in the general population remains to be determined. Despite evidence for heritability, essential hypertension is a complex trait that does not exhibit classic mendelian modes of inheritance attributable to a single gene locus.2 Multiple genetic loci may be involved in blood pressure regulation, and hypertension may be related to the interaction of susceptible genes with environmental stressors, such as dietary sodium chloride (NaCl) consumption. Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) is a …
The Science of CPR: Just Scratching the Surface

CPR involving external chest compression and positive-pressure ventilation was first described over 50 years ago in a landmark publication that launched the fundamental approach to present-day CPR 1 . Since this initial description, modern-day CPR has given rise to initiatives related to CPR research, education and training, advocacy, and industry.
Access to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services among Women Receiving Welfare in Detroit

Provision of social services that can help welfare recipients overcome barriers to employment has become an important challenge for welfare-to-work programs, yet there is relatively little understa...
Closed Form Estimators of Latent Cell Frequencies

One-stage and two-stage closed form estimators of latent cell frequencies in multidimensional contingency tables are derived from the weighted least squares criterion. The first stage estimator is asymptotically equivalent to the conditional maximum likelihood estimator and does not necessarily have minimum asymptotic variance. The second stage estimator does have minimum asymptotic variance relative to any other existing estimator. The closed form estimators are defined for any number of latent cells in contingency tables of any order under exact general linear constraints on the logarithms of the nonlatent and latent cell frequencies.
Bayard Rustin and the civil rights movement

Best known as the man who organized the Great March on Washington in 1963, Bayard Rustin was a vital force in the civil rights movement from the 1940s through the 1980s. Rustins's activism embraced the wide range of crucial issues of his time: communism, international pacifism, and race relations. Rustin's long activist career began with his association with A. Phillip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Then, as a member of A. J. Muste's Fellowship of Reconciliation, he participated in the "Journey of Reconciliation" (an early version of the "Freedom Rides" of 1961). He was a close associate of Martin Luther King in Montgomery and Atlanta and rose to prominence as organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin played a key role in applying nonviolent direct action to American race relations while rejecting the separatism of movements like Black Power in the 1960s, even at the risk of his being marginalized by the younger generation of civil rights activists. In his later years he tried to hold the civil rights coalition together and to fight for the economic changes he thought were necessary to decrease racism. Daniel Levine has written the first scholarly biography that examines Rustin's public as well as private persona in light of his struggles as a gay black man and as an activist who followed his own principles and convictions. The result is a rich portrait of a complex, indomitable advocate for justice in American society."
EARTHQUAKE RETROFIT OF HIGHWAY/RAILWAY EMBANKMENTS BY SHEET-PILE WALLS

A series of highly instrumented dynamic centrifuge model tests were performed to investigate the potential of using sheet-pile walls for mitigating the adverse effects of foundation liquefaction on overlying highway embankments. The response of a prototype 4.5 m high cohesive highway embankment supported on a 6 m thick loose saturated sand layer was analyzed under dynamic base excitation conditions. In a series of four separate model tests, this embankment-foundation system was studied first without, and then with the following three different liquefaction countermeasure techniques, all involving sheet-piles: (a) sheet-pile extending to the foundation surface, (b) sheet-pile with toe area gravel surcharge berm, and (c) sheet-pile with toe area gravel surcharge berm extending into the foundation. Model response was monitored by numerous accelerometers, pore pressure transducers, and displacement gages. The underlying mechanism and effectiveness of each countermeasure is discussed based on the recorded dynamic response. All of the implemented countermeasures were found to significantly reduce embankment deformations. Particularly in the case of the sheet-pile with toe area gravel berm, cracking and lateral spreading of the embankment were practically eliminated.
Rainfall runoff and erosion in Napa valley vineyards: effects of slope, cover and surface roughness.

The effects of slope, cover and surface roughness on rainfall runoff, infiltration and erosion were determined at two sites on a hillside vineyard in Napa County, California, using a portable rainfall simulator. Rainfall simulation experiments were carried out at two sites, with five replications of three slope treatments (5%, 10% and 15%) in a randomized block design at each site (0%bsol;64 m2 plots). Prior to initiation of the rainfall simulations, detailed assessments, not considered in previous vineyard studies, of soil slope, cover and surface roughness were conducted. Significant correlations (at the 95% confidence level) between the physical characteristics of slope, cover and surface roughness, with total infiltration, runoff, sediment discharge and average sediment concentration were obtained. The extent of soil cracking, a physical characteristic not directly measured, also affected analysis of the rainfall–runoff–erosion process. Average cumulative runoff and cumulative sediment discharge from site A was 87% and 242% greater, respectively, than at site B. This difference was linked to the greater cover, extent of soil cracking and bulk density at site B than at site A. The extent of soil cover was the dominant factor limiting soil loss when soil cracking was not present. Field slopes within the range of 4–16%, although a statistically significant factor affecting soil losses, had only a minor impact on the amount of soil loss. The Horton infiltration equation fit field data better than the modified Philip's equation. Owing to the variability in the ‘treatment’ parameters affecting the rainfall–runoff–erosion process, use of ANOVA methods were found to be inappropriate; multiple-factor regression analysis was more useful for identifying significant parameters. Overall, we obtained similar values for soil erosion parameters as those obtained from vineyard erosion studies in Europe. In addition, it appears that results from the small plot studies may be adequately scaled up one to two orders of magnitude in terms of land areas considered. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DNA cross-linking and monoadduct repair in nitrosourea-treated human tumour cells

The 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosoureas are potent anti-cancer drugs which produce DNA inter-strand cross-links in a two-step reaction sequence. The first step was proposed to be an addition of a chloroethyl group to a guanine-O6 position of DNA; the second step, which occurs over a period of several hours in the absence of free drug, could then form an interstrand cross-link by the slow reaction of the bound chloroethyl group with a nucleophilic site on the opposite DNA strand. The delay between the formation of chloroethyl monoadducts and the formation of inter-strand cross-links allows time for a DNA repair mechanism, capable of removing the monoadducts, to prevent the cross-linking. We recently proposed this mechanism to account for a difference in inter-strand cross-linking between a normal and a transformed human cell strain. Day and his coworkers (see refs 7, 8 and previous paper) found that some human tumour cell strains (designated Mer- phenotype) are deficient in the ability to repair O6-methylguanine lesions in DNA. We therefore hypothesized that the repair function that removes O6-methylguanine residues from DNA would also remove chloroethyl monoadducts and hence prevent chloroethylnitrosourea-induced inter-strand cross-linking. We now present evidence that supports this hypothesis and indicates also that the O6-methylguanine repair confers resistance to cell killing by chloroethylnitrosourea.
Shipboard Mission Readiness Assessment

Gas turbines are widely used, highly critical, components for generating electrical power and propulsion on modern US Navy ships. Increasing numbers of sensors and sophisticated health management systems are being integrated into shipboard systems to enhance monitoring, performance, diagnostic, and maintenance planning capabilities. Development of a decision support tool to fuse multiple independent system health indicators provides the US military with a readily deployable technology for enabling comprehensive assessment of overall system platform health and mission readiness. This technology leverages existing open source data systems and on-board diagnostic and prognostic modules to efficiently and seamlessly employ advanced reasoning and self-learning techniques to predict high level system health and readiness from component level inputs. This paper summarizes the work associated with development of a software application to provide real-time mission readiness assessment for US Navy ships. The application incorporates several novel approaches including use of a uniform gray-scale method for identifying system health and readiness; fusion of multiple independent low-level indicators to predict overall system health and readiness; methodologies to account for the interactive effects of interconnected subsystems on overall system health and readiness; and use of self learning techniques to provide continuous refinement to future system health and readiness predictions.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Effects of light on the performance of electricity-producing bacteria in a miniaturized microbial fuel cell array

Due to an increased concern about the global energy crisis and environmental pollution, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been a major focus for renewable energy production. To date, however, a surprisingly small number of bacterial strains and their optimal growth conditions have been investigated for use in MFCs, revealing a crucial lack of fundamental knowledge as to which bacteria species or consortia may be best suited for generating power in MFCs. This lack of knowledge is due to the fact that current screening methods are depending on larger scale two-bottle MFCs that require long start-up times, as well as the inability of conventional MFC arrays to generate electricity in a reliable, robust, and reproducible manner. In particular, the influence of light on the bacterial growth conditions and their power generation has not been fully reported because conventional MFC's opaque device/anode configuration leads to inefficient light penetration. This paper presents a miniaturized high-throughput parallel analyses platform not only for the screening/characterization of the electrochemical activities of electrogenic bacteria but also for investigation of the effect of light on bioelectricity generated from eight different microbial consortia in anode or cathode compartment; wild-type Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, wild-type Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and isogenic nirS, lasl, bdlA, and rpoS mutants, respectively. The array consists of nine MFC units with (i) transparent thin gold anode on PMMA layers for efficient light penetration and (ii) independent microfluidic accesses allowing for long term analysis ability without contamination from chamber to chamber during operation. Each MFC unit contains vertically stacked 57 μl anode/cathode chambers separated by a proton exchange membrane. S. oneidensis displayed the highest current generation among all the consortia, 4-fold higher than that of wild-type P. aeruginosa PAO1. However, all the other mutants produced significantly low current outputs. Current production by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 demonstrated a positive response upon illumination and a subsequent decrease of output in the dark while other MFC units showed negligible light responses.
Surface studies of potentially oxidation protective Si-B-N-C films for carbon fibers

The paper reports a study of CVD deposited thin films (1−5 μm) of an Si−B−N−C ceramic polymer coating onto a tow of carbon fibers. The coating process was developed with the goal of good adhesion a...
Dynamic Reliability Sensitivity Analysis of Mechanical Components

The traditional reliability model of components cannot well reflect the effect of loads of stochastic-changed amplitude and strength degradation on reliability due to neglecting changes of reliability and failure rate with using time.The variation rules of strength,load and reliability of mechanical components are studied with the change of time.Considering loads of stochastic-changed amplitude and strength degradation,a functional equation model for dynamic reliability of mechanical components is established on the basis of random process and order statistics theory,and then dynamic reliability index and reliability of components are obtained by using order-second moment method and perturbation method.Using the mathematical model of dynamic reliability established,and combining the reliability design theory with sensitivity analysis method,a numerical method for dynamic reliability sensitivity design is proposed,and the design of dynamic reliability sensitivity is extensively discussed.A torsion-bar is taken as an example,the variation rules of dynamic reliability sensitivity of parameters are given and the effects of design parameters on the reliability of torsion-bar are analyzed.The method presented provides the theoretical basis for reliability design of mechanical components.
The Hidden Benefits of Pollinator Diversity for the Rangelands of the Great Plains: Western Prairie Fringed Orchids as a Case Study

The Hidden Benefits of Pollinator Diversity for the Rangelands of the Great Plains: Western Prairie Fringed Orchids as a Case Study DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v33i3_travers
New features of laser-induced gas breakdown in the ultraviolet

Abstract A study of gas breakdown induced by the ultraviolet second harmonic of ruby laser radiation has revealed an anomalously high threshold intensity for hydrogen. In addition, it has been demonstrated for the first time that the focal volume dependence of the breakdown threshold, of a number of molecular and noble gases, is influenced by the frequency of the incident radiation.
Plants metabolise ethylene to ethylene glycol

Ethylene is a natural plant growth regulator often produced in sufficient quantities to alter cellular and developmental processes in a characteristic hormonal manner1. Almost all phases of plant development are affected, including germination, growth, flowering, dormancy, abscission, senescence and sex expression. The earlier view that ethylene is metabolically inert2–4 has been shown to be untenable5–7; low but readily detectable rates of ethylene metabolism have been observed in several plant tissues. These and other studies8–10 indicate that this metabolism does not represent a system for the removal of the ethylene but instead represents the initial biochemical events in the action of ethylene in the plant. Here we report that one of the stable end-products of this ethylene metabolism is ethylene glycol, while for the ethylene mimic propylene, it is 1,2-propanediol.
Discovery of high-ionization far-ultraviolet line emission from the interstellar medium

Diffuse, highly ionized line emission from the 1550 lines of C IV and the 1663 lines of O II was discovered on Space Shuttle mission 61-C. The emission-lines ratios are consistent with a single temperature in most directions, although there is some evidence that the emission results from gas with a nonequilibrium ionization balance and a distribution of temperatures. It is concluded that the observation of UV emission is consistent only with a galactic fountain model with a fountain having a mass flux of 6-25 solar mass/yr and a luminosity of (2.5-13) X 10 to the 40th ergs/s.
Microinjection of muscimol into the dorsomedial hypothalamus suppresses MDMA-evoked sympathetic and behavioral responses

Abstract When given systemically to rats and humans, the drug of abuse 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy, MDMA) elicits hyperthermia, hyperactivity, tachycardia, and hypertension. Chemically stimulating the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), a brain region known to be involved in thermoregulation and in stress responses, causes similar effects. We therefore tested the hypothesis that neuronal activity in the DMH plays a role in MDMA-evoked sympathetic and behavioral responses by microinjecting artificial CSF or muscimol, a neuronal inhibitor, into the DMH prior to intravenous infusion of saline or MDMA in conscious rats. Core temperature, heart rate, mean arterial pressure and locomotor activity were recorded by telemetry every minute for 120 min. In rats previously microinjected with CSF, MDMA elicited significant increases from baseline in core temperature (+ 1.3 ± 0.3 °C), locomotion (+ 50 ± 6 counts/min), heart rate (+ 142 ± 16 beats/min), and mean arterial pressure (+ 26 ± 3 mmHg). Microinjecting muscimol into the DMH prior to MDMA prevented increases in core temperature and locomotion and attenuated increases in heart rate and mean arterial pressure. These results indicate that neuronal activity in the DMH is necessary for the sympathetic and behavioral responses evoked by MDMA.
Josephson-like properties of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ thin film weak links

Thin-film YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ microbridges have been fabricated by photo- and e-beam lithography in polycrystalline thin films grown on MgO substrates and containing a controlled density of large-angle tilt boundaries, thereby isolating individual tilt-boundary weak links. Depending on the growth parameters of the film, such weak links have critical current densities J/sub c/ ranging from 10/sup 6/ A mod cm/sup 2/. The higher J/sub c/ microbridges exhibit behavior indicative of one-dimensional flux flow and flux creep in the weak links, while the lower J/sub c/ microbridges have RSJ-like properties. Detailed comparisons have been made between the predictions of the resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model including the calculated effects of thermal noise rounding and the measured DC and microwave response of these weak links. Measurements have also been made of magnetic field effects on the critical current density. An unexpected scaling behavior has been observed in the I-V characteristics of certain types of these microbridges containing 45 degrees tilt boundaries that indicates that in those cases I/sub C/R/sub N//sup 2/ is a constant for the tilt-boundary weak link. The implications of these results for developing a successful description of the superconductive properties of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ grain boundary weak links, which electron microscopy reveals to be clean, stoichiometric, and abrupt, are discussed.
Life Constraints and Psychological Well-Being of Domestic Violence Shelter Graduates

Psychosocial adjustment and life constraints of 81 domestic violence shelter graduates were examined via field interviews in the community, assessing women’s current life status, satisfaction with core life domains, and violence experience, pre- and post-shelter. Psychometric scales for depression and trauma symptoms were also administered. Participants had received extensive services in either an emergency or a transitional living shelter. Although fairly satisfied across life domains, many had serious post-shelter financial hardships. Most importantly, they reported remarkably little post-shelter violence exposure, either within or outside of romantic relationships. Despite now living independently, 43% and 75% reported clinical levels of depression and trauma symptoms, respectively. In hierarchical stepwise regressions, depression was related to women’s childhood sexual abuse, dissatisfaction with housing and their own parenting, and experience of financial difficulties conjoined with public assistance. Trauma symptoms were associated with childhood sexual abuse and post-shelter financial difficulties. The impaired psychosocial functioning and life difficulties of these predominantly successful domestic violence survivors highlights the need for specialized shelter intervention and continuity of care in the community.
Neural encoding of movement sequences in the human brain

Humans learn and remember thousands of motor skills, but how these skills are represented in the brain is not well understood. A recent study by Wiestler and Diedrichsen demonstrates for the first time that individual motor sequences can be identified based on the pattern of neural activity in a distributed network of motor cortical regions.
The Implications of Disability Protests for Social Work Practice

This article examines the demands which have been made in the over 800 US protests this author has analyzed. Some demands are cross-disability, meaning they could apply to people with all types of impairments; these include demands for rights and accessibility in all domains. Other demands are disability-specific: they apply to people with specific types of impairments, ranging from mobility impairments to developmental disabilities. Many demands have been related to services, which can be either cross-disability or disability-specific. The paper examines the implications of these demands for social work practice. These include that disability be de-stigmatized by practitioners, that people with disabilities have choices, that they have control over their services, and that all aspects of social work practice be accessible to people with any type of disability.
Treatment of erectile dysfunction with sildenafil citrate (Viagra) after radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives. To determine the response to sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in patients with erectile dysfunction after radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Methods. Baseline and follow-up data from 21 patients presenting with erectile dysfunction after radiation treatment for clinical T1-2 prostate cancer were obtained. Two patients had undergone iodine-125 seed implantation and the remaining 19 conformal external beam irradiation. All 21 patients were considered to have erectile dysfunction as assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and were prescribed sildenafil at a dosage of 50 mg, with a titration to 100 mg if needed. The mean time between the completion of radiation therapy and initiation of sildenafil was 24.6 ± 5.8 months. The quality of the erectile function was assessed after a minimum of four doses by using the Cleveland Clinic Erectile Function (CCEF) questionnaire and the IIEF questionnaire. A positive response to sildenafil on the CCEF questionnaire was defined as an erection sufficient for vaginal penetration. The responses on the IIEF questionnaire were rated on a scale of 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always), with 0 being no sexual activity. Results. On the CCEF questionnaire, 71% (15 of 21) of patients had a positive response, with a mean duration of 12.7 ± 2.5 minutes of intercourse, and a corresponding spousal satisfaction rate of 71%. Twelve (80%) of the 15 responders required titration to the 100-mg dosage for maximal effect. The most common side effects seen were transient flushing (19%), abnormal color vision (14%), and headaches (10%). No patient discontinued the drug because of side effects. On the IIEF questionnaire, the responses to questions 3 (frequency of penetration), 4 (maintenance of erection), 7 (satisfactory intercourse), and 15 (erection confidence) increased from mean baseline scores of 1.3, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.8 to final mean scores of 4.0, 3.9, 3.2, and 3.4, respectively (P Conclusions. Sildenafil citrate can improve the ability to achieve and maintain an erection in most patients with erectile dysfunction after radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
Mixed conductivity in SrCe0.95Yb0.05O3 protonic conductors

Abstract The results of electrical conductivity measurements on SrCe 0.95 Yb 0.05 O 3 under controlled oxygen partial pressure and temperature are presented. A defect model consistent with experimental results is proposed which provides for P O 2 − 1 4 dependent n -type, P o 2 -independent oxygen ion and P O 2 + 1 4 dependent p -type conductivity components. The band gap, reduction, oxidation and ion-migration energies are determined from an analysis of the data in terms of the proposed defect model. These results suggest that some earlier data interpreted in terms of protonic conduction may require re-evaluation.
Vascularized fibular graft for infected loss of the ulna: Case report

A free vascularized fibular graft was used to achieve union at a chronically infected 8 cm defect in the proximal ulna. The vascularized graft permitted simple fracture healing at the ulnafibular junctions. The insulating muscle sheath around the fibular segment was preserved and there was no need for large amounts of cancellous graft. Synostosis was, therefore, avoided, and a full range of motion of the elbow and forearm were maintained. Antibiotics continued to reach the bone, and the infection was eradicated.
Multiquark baryons and the MIT bag model

The calculation of masses of ${q}^{4}\overline{q}$ and ${q}^{5}{\overline{q}}^{2}$ baryons is carried out within the framework of Jaffe's approximation to the MIT bag model. A general method for calculating the necessary SU(6) \ensuremath{\supset} SU(3) \ensuremath{\bigotimes} SU(2) coupling coefficients is outlined and tables of the coefficients necessary for ${q}^{4}\overline{q}$ and ${q}^{5}{\overline{q}}^{2}$ calculations are given. An expression giving the decay amplitude of an arbitrary multiquark state to arbitrary two-body final states is given in terms of SU(3) Racah and $9\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\mu}$ recoupling coefficients. The decay probabilities for low-lying $\frac{1}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ ${q}^{4}\overline{q}$ baryons are given and compared with experiment. All low-lying $\frac{1}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ baryons are found to belong to the same SU(6) representation and all known $\frac{1}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ resonances below 1900 MeV may be accounted for without the necessity of introducing $P$-wave states. The masses of many exotic states are predicted including a $\frac{1}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ ${Z}_{0}^{*}$ at 1650 MeV and $\frac{1}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ hypercharge -2 and +3 states at 2.25 and 2.80 GeV, respectively. The agreement with experiment for the $\frac{3}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and $\frac{5}{{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ baryons is less good. The lowest ${q}^{5}{\overline{q}}^{2}$ state is predicted to be a $\frac{1}{{2}^{+}}$ ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{*}$ at 1900 MeV.
Highly degenerate quadratic forms over F2

Let K be a finite extension of F"2. We consider quadratic forms written as the trace of xR(x), where R(x) is a linearized polynomial. We determine the K and R(x) where the form has a radical of codimension 2. This is applied to constructing maximal Artin-Schreier curves.
Coping with anger-provoking situations: Young adolescents' theories of strategy use and effectiveness.

The present study investigated young adolescents' beliefs about the use and effectiveness of their strategies for coping with anger. Our goal was to examine how variations in the event provoking anger (being hit vs. having rumors told about oneself), the level of anger reported in response to the event, and the gender of the subject were related to choices and effectiveness ratings of three types of coping strategies: expressive (hitting, yelling, displacing), avoidant (getting away, doing something fun, doing work), and approach (talking to the offender, talking to someone else, thinking about the problem). Gender, the provoking situation, and the level of reported anger were all found to be related to ratings of both the use and effectiveness of these three types of strategies, and the relationships included interactions among these factors. In the rumor situation, girls endorsed approach strategies more often than boys and expressive strategies less often than boys. In contrast, in the hit situation girls rated the expressive strategies more highly than did boys. Adolescents in the hit situation with high ratings of anger were more likely to endorse expressive strategies than were those who reported minimal anger in this situation, the latter favoring avoidant and approach strategies. These anger level effects were not apparent in the rumor situation. Overall, adolescents reported using the strategies rated effective and not using those they saw as less useful. In addition, when given the option of multiple responses, adolescents favored a sequence in which expressive strategies were selected first, followed later by approach strategies. However, this sequence, like the overall ratings of strategy use and effectiveness, varied with gender, the provoking situation, and the level of reported anger. Our findings highlight the complex nature of anger and anger control in early adolescence and point to the importance of context, both individual and situational, in understanding coping responses.
Single domain antibodies for the detection of ricin using silicon photonic microring resonator arrays

Ricin is a lethal protein toxin derived from the castor bean plant. Given its notorious history as a biowarfare agent and homicidal weapon, ricin has been classified as a category B bioterrorism agent. Current ricin detection methods based on immunoassays lack the required sensitivity and specificity for many homeland security surveillance applications. Importantly, many conventional antibody-based methodologies are unable to distinguish ricin from RCA 120, a nontoxic protein also found in the castor bean plant. Single domain antibodies (sdAbs), which are recombinantly derived from immunized llamas, are known to have high affinities for ricin A or B chains and low cross-reactivity with RCA 120. Herein, we demonstrate the use of silicon photonic microring resonators for antibody affinity profiling and one-step ricin detection at concentrations down to 300 pM using a 15 min, label-free assay format. These sdAbs were also simultaneously compared with a commercial anti-RCA IgG antibody in a multicapture agent...
Resonant cancellation of off-resonant effects in a multilevel qubit

Off-resonant effects are a significant source of error in quantum computation. This paper presents a group-theoretic proof that off-resonant transitions to the higher levels of a multilevel qubit can be completely prevented in principle. This result can be generalized to prevent unwanted transitions due to qubit-qubit interactions. A simple scheme exploiting dynamic pulse control techniques is presented that can cancel transitions to higher states to arbitrary accuracy.
Constant pH Simulations with the Double Reservoir pH Replica Exchange

We present the double reservoir pH replica exchange (DR-pH-Rex) method, which can improve convergence of constant pH simulations in situations where proper sampling is difficult. This method separates the sampling of protonation states from much of the sampling of protein conformations. The DR-pH-Rex method was inspired by the single reservoir temperature replica exchange method. The DR-pH-Rex method relies on pre-generation of two Boltzmann-weighted structural reservoirs of conformations that correspond to two end states at pH values where titratable groups are fully protonated and fully deprotonated. The end state conformations are coupled to simulations at intermediate pH values through the pH replica exchange (pH-Rex) methodology. We tested this method on three different systems: amino acid model compounds Lys and Glu, a small peptide, and a challenging case of V66K variant of Staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) which exhibits two distinctly different conformations of Lys-66 with slow transitions between the two conformations. We benchmarked the performance of the method through comparison with results of the pH-Rex method, which already provides better sampling than regular constant pH simulations. For the model compounds pH-Rex and DR-pH-Rex methods yield identical results. For the peptide, the pKa values are comparable between the two methods, but the DR-pH-Rex method exhibits faster convergence and less noise. For the V66K variant the pH-Rex method fails to properly sample conformational transitions of Lys-66 and results in two different pKa values when different conformations are used as starting structure. The DR-pH-Rex method, however, results in convergence of pKa values. Additionally we construct a four state model with two protonation states and only two conformations of Lys-66 and show that the pKa values calculated from DR-pH-Rex simulations are in excellent agreement with the pKa values determined from the four state model.
Effects of luciferin concentration of the quantitative assay of ATP using crude luciferase preparations

The reaction kinetics of crude firefly lantern extracts with and without added synthetic luciferin were examined. The addition of exogenous luciferin to the reaction mixture resulted in an apparent increase in net light emission per unit of ATP in solution. This additional reactivity (up to 1000-fold) enables the detection of subpicogram levels of ATP. The effects of enzyme preparation, dilution, and aging procedures on the increased sensitivity of the ATP assay, as well as the assay limitations of the crude firefly lantern extracts, are also discussed.
Steroid production by Xenopus ovarian follicles at different developmental stages

Xenopus ovarian follicles at different developmental stages were compared with respect to their capacity to produce and secrete steroids and to respond to gonadotropic hormones with changes in steroid production. Individual follicles were obtained by treating ovaries with collagenase and were incubated for 10 hr in incubation medium alone or in medium containing a Xenopus pituitary homogenate (FPH, 0.04 pituitary/ml). At 10 hr oocytes were scored for meiotic maturation and ovulation and incubation media and follicles were collected separately and frozen. Both tissue and media were measured for progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol by radioimmunoassay. The smallest follicles (Dumont Stages I and II) secreted very low or nondetectable levels of these three steroids in both the presence and absence of FPH. Medium-sized follicles (Stages III and IV) were active in secreting estradiol and FPH stimulated a twofold increase in the accumulation of estradiol in the incubation medium. In follicles larger than Stage IV, estradiol secretion decreased as follicular size increased. In contrast, large follicles (Stages V and VI) secreted much more testosterone and progesterone than medium-sized follicles and FPH significantly increased the accumulation of these two steroids. Overall, follicular secretion of testosterone was much greater than secretion of progesterone or estradiol. The concentration of the three steroids in the ovarian follicles at 10 hr of incubation followed patterns that were similar in general to the patterns of accumulation of steroids in the incubation medium. Ovine LH, but not FSH, was effective in stimulating secretion of the three steroids and in triggering meiotic maturation of oocytes in Stage VI follicles. Although many of the morphological and biochemical events of oogenesis and folliculogenesis in Xenopus have been described, this is the first report of the developmental pattern of steroid production. The data indicate that growth and development of Xenopus follicles are accompanied by shifts in steroidogenic abilities, with estradiol produced by medium-sized follicles and androgen and progesterone secreted by large follicles.
Beyond Effective Practices to Schools as Host Environments: Building and Sustaining a School‐wide Intervention Model in Beginning Reading for All Children

Our knowledge of effective practices for improving the academic achievement of students in the primary and elementary years has increased dramatically in the last decade (Simmons & Kameenui, in press; Stringfield, in press). However, implementing an effective practice in one classroom or in a research context is very different from implementing and. sustaining effective practice at the school‐building level. There is a great deal of collective wailing in the field these days about the feeble attempts to translate research into effective practice (Malouf & Schiller, 1995) that improves reading achievement in students who are at serious academic risk.
Quality of textbooks: an empirical study

Textbooks are the educational input most consistently associated with gains in student learning. Particularly in developing countries, textbooks are the primary conduits for delivering content knowledge to the students and the teachers base their lesson plans on the material given in textbooks. Abstracting from the education literature, we propose that well-written textbooks exhibit the following properties:FOCUS. Each section explains very few concepts.UNITY. For each concept, there is a unique section that best explains the concept.SEQUENTIALITY. Concepts are discussed in a sequential fashion: a concept is explained prior to occurrences of this concept or any related concept. Further, the tie for precedence in presentation between two mutually related concepts is broken in favor of the more significant of the two.
Raloxifene and Tamoxifen Had Similar Efficacy for Preventing Invasive Breast Cancer in Women at Increased Risk

Source Citation Vogel VG, Costantino JP, Wickerham DL, et al. Effects of tamoxifen vs raloxifene on the risk of developing invasive breast cancer and other disease outcomes: the NSABP Study of Tamo...
An assessment of the free and secure trade (FAST) program along the Canada–US border

Abstract Several new programs were introduced under the Smart Border Action Plan of 2001 to ensure both secure and efficient trade across the Canada–US border. This article evaluates just how well one of the programs, Free and Secure Trade (FAST), has succeeded in expediting shipments and reducing delays at the border. The results of this study indicate that the FAST program has reduced the average border wait time at four of the five busiest crossing ports. However, the benefits associated with the FAST program are unevenly distributed among the ports, determined by the ability to accommodate infrastructure improvements, and firms, with larger trucking companies and exporters reaping the benefits and small and medium-sized trucking firms and exporters burdened by costs and often unable to capitalize on the program’s benefits. Recommendations for program improvement include: greater regulatory cooperation between Canada and the US to reduce costly duplication and paperwork, and providing tax incentives or subsidies to small and medium-size firms as a means to increase the participation rate in the program.
Neural net nonlinear prediction for speech data

A new, nonlinear, neural network based, predictor has been devised for the encoding of speech data. It may be used in the design of a differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) coder for speech. A hybrid neural network architecture has been employed which combines the perceptron and backpropagation paradigms, thus called the PB-hybrid (PBH). Only two neurons are needed in the backpropagation section, keeping the required overhead modest. This predictor is designed by supervised training, based on a typical sequence of digitised values of samples in a speech frame. Simulation experiments have been carried out using 15 ms frames of 16 kHz speech data. The results obtained for the prediction gain show a 3dB advantage of the PBH network over the linear predictor.
A dialogical approach to skill development: The case of safety skills

Drawing on contemporary theories of learning, we discuss the theoretical role of dialogue in the development of skilled activity. More specifically, we argue for why intrapersonal and interpersonal dialogue and the action-focused reflection it can engender would be expected to (a) enhance knowledge and skill development, (b) force individuals to infer causal and conditional relations between events and actions that can alter workers' ways of thinking and acting in novel, ambiguous situations, and (c) initiate and promote self-regulatory motivational processes such as their focus on prevention versus promotion and confidence for handling unforeseen events. Specific activities for incorporating structured dialogue into worker safety training are presented. Moreover, research aimed at (a) evaluating the efficacy of these interventions for enhancing worker knowledge acquisition, motivation, and safety and health performance, and (b) studying hypothesized individual level, organizational level, and national cultural level moderators of safety training-outcome relationships is discussed. We conclude by noting that to the extent that research can advance our understanding of the role and relevance of dialogical activities in safety skill development, the practice of workplace safety and health will likely improve.