cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comment: Selective Disservice: The Indefensible Discrimination of Draft Registration

Introduction 704 I. Foundations of Current Draft Registration 708 A. The Draft and the Courts 710 B. The Rostker v. Goldberg Standards 714 1. The origins of Rostker v. Goldberg 714 2. The Court’s analysis in Rostker 715 3. The deference granted to Congress by the Rostker Court 720 II. The Transformation of the Modern U.S. Military 722 A. Technology, Strategy, and Modern Warfare 723 B. The All-Volunteer Force 730 C. Women in the All-Volunteer Force 735 III. Registration Serves No Legitimate Defense Interest 737 A. The Armed Forces’ Low Regard for Draft Registration ...739 B. The Ineffectiveness of Registration 741 1. Selective service does not fulfill its mandate 741 2. Effective prior registration does not enhance military preparedness 743 a. A draft cannot contribute to rapid military mobilization 743
The effects of changes in distance to nearest health facility on under-5 mortality and health care utilization in rural Malawi, 1980–1998

Despite important progress, the burden of under-5 mortality remains unacceptably high, with an estimated 5.3 million deaths in 2018. Lack of access to health care is a major risk factor for under-5 mortality, and distance to health care facilities has been shown to be associated with less access to care in multiple contexts, but few such studies have used a counterfactual approach to produce causal estimates. We combined retrospective reports on 18,714 births between 1980 and 1998 from the 2000 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey with a 1998 health facility census that includes the date of construction for each facility, including 335 maternity or maternity/dispensary facilities built in rural areas between 1980 and 1998. We estimated associations between distance to nearest health facility and (i) under-5 mortality, using Cox proportional hazards models, and (ii) maternal health care utilization (antenatal visits prior to delivery, place of delivery, receiving skilled assistance during delivery, and receiving a check-up following delivery), using linear probability models. We also estimated the causal effect of reducing the distance to nearest facility on those outcomes, using a two-way fixed effects approach. We found that greater distance was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio 1.007 for one additional kilometer [95%CI 1.001 to 1.014]) and lower health care utilization (for one additional kilometer: 1.2 percentage point (pp) increase in homebirth [95%CI 0.8 to 1.5]; 0.8 pp. decrease in at least three antenatal visits [95% CI − 1.4 to − 0.2]; 1.2 pp. decrease in skilled assistance during delivery [95%CI − 1.6 to − 0.8]). However, we found no effects of a decrease in distance to the nearest health facility on the hazard of death before age 5 years, nor on antenatal visits prior to delivery, place of delivery, or receiving skilled assistance during delivery. We also found that reductions in distance decrease the probability that a woman receives a check-up following delivery (2.4 pp. decrease for a 1 km decrease [95%CI 0.004 to 0.044]). Reducing under-5 mortality and increasing utilization of care in rural Malawi and similar settings may require more than the construction of new health infrastructure. Importantly, the effects estimated here likely depend on the quality of health care, the availability of transportation, the demand for health services, and the underlying causes of mortality, among other factors.
Efficiency of saprolite for removing E. coli from simulated wastewater.

Saprolite, weathered bedrock, is being used to dispose of domestic sewage through septic system drainfields, but its ability to remove coliforms is unknown. This study determined if Escherichia coli could be removed by a sandy loam saprolite material. Triplicate columns containing saprolite were prepared with lengths of 30, 45, and 60 cm. A 215-mL solution containing 1 × 105 CFU/100 mL of non-toxic E. coli was applied to the top of each column for 5 days/week for 13 weeks, and selected outflow samples were analyzed for E. coli. Control columns had only tap water applied to them at the same time. Significantly higher (p ≤ 0.10 compared to controls) E. coli concentrations were only detected in samples collected at the end of week 3 for the 30-cm columns and week 4 for the 45-cm columns. E. coli concentrations were small and ranged from approximately 2 to 3 MPN/100 mL. No E. coli were detected in any outflow from the 60-cm columns. From weeks 5 to 13, E. coli concentrations from all columns were either undetectable or not significantly different from the control. The results showed that 60 cm of sandy loam saprolite was sufficient for the removal of E. coli from simulated wastewater.
Reducing the Complexity of Model-Based MRI Reconstructions via Sparsification

Model-based reconstruction methods have emerged as a powerful alternative to classical Fourier-based MRI techniques, largely because of their ability to explicitly model (and therefore, potentially overcome) moderate field inhomogeneities, streamline reconstruction from non-Cartesian sampling, and even allow for the use of custom designed non-Fourier encoding methods. Their application in such scenarios, however, often comes with a substantial increase in computational cost, owing to the fact that the corresponding forward model in such settings no longer possesses a direct Fourier Transform based implementation. This paper introduces an algorithmic framework designed to reduce the computational burden associated with model-based MRI reconstruction tasks. The key innovation is the strategic sparsification of the corresponding forward operators for these models, giving rise to approximations of the forward models (and their adjoints) that admit low computational complexity application. This enables overall a reduced computational complexity application of popular iterative first-order reconstruction methods for these reconstruction tasks. Computational results obtained on both synthetic and experimental data illustrate the viability and efficiency of the approach.
Line width roughness (LWR) improvement and queue time elimination by a chlorine-based process in pitch doubling for improving throughput

Both line width roughness (LWR) and queue time (Q-time) have attracted attention in the high-volume manufacturing (HVM). In this paper, we will present the results for the effect of HBr cure process on LWR in pitch doubling process with fluorine-based and chlorine-based chemistries using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optimization of HBr cure process with Cl-based chemistry has significantly improved LWR by 60% and space imbalance by 60%. Converting from the fluorine-based etch chemistry to Cl-based chemistry leads to elimination of Q-time from resist etch to atomic layer deposition (ALD) steps, which significantly maximizes HVM production throughput by 11% and improves product quality.
Women and Science: Outlook from an Italian School Competition

This chapter presents the results from a high-school competition fostering students’ critical reflections on women’s roles in science. The competition was organized in the framework of the GENERA European project and the first “Gender in Physics” day of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN). One hundred twenty Italian high schools and more than 830 students produced tales, reports and videos about gender equality in scientific careers and women’s roles in the physics disciplines. An ex-post questionnaire explored how participating students perceive the “women-science” association. This chapter presents students’ views on gender equality in science along with an analytical tool developed to explore learner-generated contents. It proposes a tool for analyzing students’ products, in collaboration with school teachers, to raise awareness and sensitize students regarding Responsible Research and Innovation topics.
Use of Selective Arterial Calcium Stimulation Testing in Identification of Insulinoma in a Patient After Bariatric Surgery

Objective Insulinomas are rare in the post-bariatric surgery setting. The differential diagnosis for hypoglycemia is broad, requiring laboratory testing to verify endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Selective arterial calcium stimulation testing (SACST) can help localize abnormal insulin production. We describe a patient with histologically confirmed insulinoma after bariatric surgery diagnosed with the aid of SACST. Methods We present a 67 year old woman with a history of Roux-en-Y bypass surgery who presented with endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Initially, no pancreatic lesion was identified radiologically. We pursued SACST to localize the source of insulin production. Results The SACST successfully localized the source of hyperfunctioning islet cells to the pancreatic tail with absolute insulin values in a range consistent with insulinoma. Additional radiologic studies showed a small tumor in the pancreatic tail. Pathology showed a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, compatible with insulinoma. Conclusion This case study illustrates the usefulness of SACST for the diagnosis and localization of insulinoma.
Models for Factors with Quantitative Levels

Just as in analysis of variance, if the levels of some factors are associated with quantitative values, these values can be used in the analysis. For example, in a two-factor ANOVA where factors are two kinds of fertilizer and levels are different quantitative amounts of fertilizers, an ANOVA would often examine linear and higher order contrasts in the main effects and polynomial contrasts in the interaction (e.g., the linear-by-linear contrast).
Control-display alignment determines the prevalent compatibility effect in two-dimensional stimulus-response tasks

Responses are faster and more accurate when they are spatially compatible with a stimulus than when they are incompatible (the stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effect). In studies using two-dimensional (2-D) stimulus and response sets in which stimuli and responses have both vertical (top-bottom) and horizontal (right-left) spatial relations, SRC effects are generally larger along the horizontal dimension, an effect called right-left prevalence. Several accounts have been posited to explain this asymmetry, including frames of reference to the body and spatio-anatomical constraints. We propose a new account of the right-left prevalence effect in which prevalence effects are largely determined by the spatial alignment between elements on the stimulus display and response locations on the control panel—the control-display alignment (CDA). For example, when responses are aligned below a display, 2-D stimulus and response sets share a common vertical midline that emphasizes a right-left distinction. When responses are to the right or left of the display, the shared midline is horizontal, emphasizing the top-bottom distinction and should instead lead to top-bottom prevalence effects. Participants completed two-choice, 2-D SRC tasks in four control-display configurations with a response panel centered above, below, left, and right of a projected display. As hypothesized, right-left prevalence was elicited using vertical CDA and top-bottom prevalence was elicited using horizontal CDA. The findings demonstrate that CDA largely determines prevalence effects and should be taken into account when using multidimensional stimulus and response sets.
Herpes Simplex Virus DNA Replication and Genome Maturation

This chapter gives an overview on the replication and maturation of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome, drawing parallels with phage systems. It provides an overview of what is known about HSV DNA replication and recombination under the sections Formation of circular DNA Intermediates, Formation of greater-than-unit-length replication intermediates, Resolution of branched recombination intermediates, and Cleavage of concatemers into unit-length virion DNA and packaging of unit-length virion DNA into capsids. The chapter concentrates on the helicase-primase (UL5, UL8, and UL52) and the origin-binding protein (UL9). The study of transdominant mutations has proven to be a powerful tool for characterizing specific regions of multifunctional proteins. Several lines of evidence indicate that overexpression of the wild-type UL9 protein can be inhibitory to viral replication. First, in trans-dominance assays, plasmids that express wild-type UL9 are somewhat inhibitory to plaque formation by wild-type virus. Second, complementing cell lines that contain high copy numbers of a UL9 expression plasmid do not efficiently support wild-type HSV-1 infection are reported. The third line of evidence comes from experiments in which the HSV replication proteins are expressed in insect cells from recombinant baculoviruses. Several lines of evidence suggest that viral genome maturation involves site-specific cleavage of viral DNA concatemers. Genetic analysis has provided important insights not only into the identification of viral proteins required in DNA replication and genome maturation but also into their roles in these complex processes.
Life Spillovers: The Spillover of Fear of Home Foreclosure to the Workplace

Work�life research has focused on the spillover of family experiences to the workplace but has neglected other life experiences that may also be brought to work. Addressing this shortcoming, we present a conceptual framework for the study of life spillovers. We offer the idea that life experiences can include shocks and that the fear associated with nonwork shocks can spill over to the workplace. The national shock of the collapse of the U.S. financial and housing markets in 2008 offered an opportunity to test these ideas and build an empirical foundation for the study of life spillovers. Using a sample of 2,135 organizationally employed homeowners, we examined the spillover of fear of home foreclosure to the workplace. In support of our moderated mediation model, employees with greater fear of losing their homes to foreclosure reported more physical stress-related symptoms at work, and their acknowledgment of home-to-work spillover fully mediated this relationship. Fear of foreclosure also directly predicted job search behaviors and negatively affected employees� organizational commitment and turnover intentions through multiple mediators involving home-to-work spillover and stress. Resources and demands from the home and, to a lesser extent, work domains amplified the spillover of fear of foreclosure to the workplace. Taken together, these findings support widening the work�life lens to include a broader array of nonwork experiences. Practical implications are presented as well as new directions for future research using the life spillover framework.
Policing the Network: Using DPI for Copyright Enforcement

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and other network surveillance techniques have become important factors in the policy debate over online copyright infringement. These new technical capabilities reopened an old debate about the responsibility of internet service providers (ISPs) for policing the internet. This paper attempts to understand the extent to which new technological capabilities have the power to alter regulatory principles. It examines political conflict and negotiation over proposals to use DPI for online copyright enforcement in the EU and the USA, using a hybrid of actor-network theory from science, technology and society studies and actor-centered institutionalism in political science. It shows that while the technology disrupted a policy equilibrium, neither the EU nor the US applied DPI to copyright policing in a way that realized its radical potential. The key factor preventing such an integrated response was the disjunction between the interests of network operators and the interests of copyright holders.
Mutually repressing repressor functions and multi-layered cellular heterogeneity regulate the bistable Salmonella fliC census

Summary Bistable flagellar and virulence gene expression generates specialized Salmonella subpopulations with distinct functions. Repressing flagellar genes allows Salmonella to evade caspase-1 mediated host defenses and enhances systemic colonization. By definition, bistability arises when intermediate states of gene expression are rendered unstable by the underlying genetic circuitry. We demonstrate sustained bistable fliC expression in virulent Salmonella 14028 and document dynamic control of the distribution, or single-cell census, of flagellar gene expression by the mutually repressing repressors YdiV and FliZ. YdiV partitions cells into the fliC-OFF subpopulation, while FliZ partitions cells into the fliC-HIGH subpopulation at late time points during growth. Bistability of ΔfliZ populations and ydiV-independent FliZ control of flagellar gene expression provide evidence that the YdiV-FliZ mutually repressing repressor circuit is not required for bistability. Repression and activation by YdiV and FliZ (respectively) can shape the census of fliC expression independently, and bistability collapses into a predominantly intermediate population in the absence of both regulators. Metered expression of YdiV and FliZ reveals variable sensitivity to these regulators and defines conditions where expression of FliZ enhances fliC expression and where FliZ does not alter the fliC census. Thus, this evolved genetic circuitry coordinates multiple layers of regulatory heterogeneity into a binary response.
An Update on X-Ray Emission from Stars

With the closing of the Einstein and EXOSAT eras, the characteristics of stellar x-ray emission are now fairly well understood. In this very brief review, I will focus on two specific topics central to the physics underlying stellar activity: the rotation-activity connection and the “decay” of activity at the low mass end of the main sequence.
The Effect of the MassHealth Hospital Pay‐for‐Performance Program on Quality

Pay-for-performance (P4P) in health care has been widely advanced as a means to improve the value of care. The majority of commercial HMOs now use P4P (Rosenthal et al. 2006), most state Medicaid programs use P4P (Kuhmerker and Hartman 2007), and Medicare has launched a number of P4P demonstrations (IOM 2006). Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA 2010), hospital P4P is scheduled for nationwide implementation in 2013 as part of Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Program. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of hospital-based P4P. As described in a recent systematic review (Mehrotra et al. 2009), only three hospital-based P4P programs have been evaluated. Much of the published research draws on experience of the Premier Quality Incentive Demonstration (PHQID), a nationwide P4P demonstration implemented jointly by Medicare and Premier Inc. in 2003. While early studies found evidence that the PHQID was effective (Grossbart 2006; Lindenauer et al. 2007;), subsequent analysis has found limited evidence of an effect of the PQHID on process quality (Glickman et al. 2007) and casts doubt on the effect of the PHQID on quality and cost outcomes (Glickman et al. 2007; Bhattacharya et al. 2009; Ryan 2009a;). This study tests the early impact of the hospital P4P program recently implemented by the Massachusetts Medicaid program (also known as MassHealth).
Diapause Induction in Larvae of Aedes triseriatus

A facultative diapause was induced in the larvae of a southern strain of Aedes triseriatus (Say) by photoperiodic treatment. Larvae, from ova kept on a 10-hour period of light per day during embryogenesis, were allowed to develop in the same 10-hour photoperiod. Diapause was expressed as arrested development of fourthstage larvae. Photoperiods and temperatures experienced by the adult mosquitoes exhibited no influence on diapause in their progeny.
Teratocarcinoma: Basic research and its clinical relevance

Both the mouse and the human teratocarcinoma model systems have contributed to knowledge of differentiation and oncodevelopmental markers. Of particular interest are antigens detected on human teratocarcinomas with alloantisera and biochemical analyses of human germ cells in various stage of maturation. Both methods offer promise of new tumor markers for testicular germ-cell cancer and perhaps of targets for contraceptive vaccines.
Analysis of high-voltage switching transistors by a two-dimensional mathematical model

A two-dimensional mathematical model which includes the avalanche multiplication and internal self-heating effects has been used to predict the internal behavior of a typical high-voltage power transistor design. Collector n--n+interface is the region of high electrical and thermal stresses which cause second breakdown failure at high-current and high-voltage operating conditions.
Localization of lactate dehydrogenase activity in the cells of the fish (Xiphophorus helleri) eye

The swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) eye contains the A4 and B4 isozymes of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as do all vertebrates and in addition contains a distinctive lactate dehydrogenase, the E4 isozyme, found only in fish. LDH in the fish eye is located predominantly in the neural retina, especially in the inner segments of the photoreceptor cells. This neural retinal LDH activity consists mainly of the B4 and E4 isozymes which are more resistant than the A4 isozyme to inhibition by 1.8 M urea. The sclera, cornea, and lens possess mainly the urea-sensitive A4 isozyme. The specific cellular location of the E4 isozyme suggests that it plays a role in the biochemistry of vision.
Timing of nicotine effects on learning in zebrafish.

Nicotine has been shown in many, but not all, studies to improve cognitive function in a number of species including rats, mice, monkeys, and humans. Recently, we have found that nicotine also improves memory in zebrafish. Nicotinic agonists are being developed as novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive impairments. In screening the therapeutic potential of novel nicotinic agonists, it is important to have a rapid assay of cognitive improvement. Zebrafish can help with this effort. We have developed a method of rapidly assessing spatial position discrimination learning in zebrafish in one session of seven trials. We used this method to determine the cognitive effects of nicotine. Nicotine (100 mg/l administered during 3 min of immersion) caused a significant improvement in percent correct performance. This dose was within the effective range we found to improve the choice accuracy performance of zebrafish using the more time-intensive delayed spatial alternation procedure. Interestingly, the positive effect of nicotine was seen at 20–40 min postadministration, but not earlier, and declined at 80 and 160 min posttreatment. At the 40-min postdosing interval, 200 mg/l nicotine was also found to significantly improve choice accuracy. Nicotine-induced accuracy improvement was reversed by the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine given shortly before testing but not when given concurrently with nicotine. This position discrimination procedure in zebrafish effectively demonstrated the cognitive-enhancing effects of nicotine. This model may be useful in the early screening of novel nicotinic compounds for treatment of cognitive dysfunction.
Spot symmetry predicts body condition in spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum

Reports of global amphibian declines necessitate a focus on measures of population health. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is a potential measure of the developmental stress experienced by individuals in different environments, but few studies have linked FA with measures of individual quality in amphibians, which is an important assumption of FA. The spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, has two rows of yellow spots on its dorsal surface which might represent useful characters in FA analyses and population monitoring, provided they truly reflect the quality of individuals. In this paper we compared left-right asymmetry in spot features (spot number, size and shape) and leg lengths of this species with traditional measures of body size and body condition among museum specimens to address this question. Of all three spot symmetry variables, the simplest (the difference in left-right spot numbers) was the most important. Individuals with asymmetrical spot numbers were also more asymmetrical in hind leg length, evidence that spots are supposed to be symmetrical in this species. Moreover, salamanders with symmetrical numbers of left-right dorsal spots had higher body condition scores than those with asymmetrical spot numbers. Combined, our results indicate that spot number symmetry provides a good index of individual quality. Further, as many proximate factors can influence body condition (such as recent foraging history), FA in characters such as spots or limbs may provide a more stable metric for assessing the developmental health or quality of individuals, which would prove valuable in amphibian conservation programs.
Malic Enzyme Activity in the Fat Bodies of the Cockroach, Leucophaea maderae (F.)

MALATE is reversibly converted to pyruvate through the agency of the malic enzyme. This reaction, which is effected in the presence of NADP+ and Mg++ ions, constitutes the only known means whereby the synthesis of dicarboxylic acids is obtained from pyruvate and carbon dioxide. Simultaneous oxidation and decarboxylation are accomplished by the same enzyme, and although free oxalacetate does not appear in the reaction, this acid is decarboxylated. During equilibrium, there is a tendency for malate to become oxidized, and if NADP+ is removed by coupling action, the process is reversed with the resulting fixation of carbon dioxide.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia in an era of delayed repair after medical and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation stabilization: a prognostic and management classification.

Abstract In November 1987 we began to practice delayed repair of acutely symptomatic congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) following medical and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) stabilization. We reviewed 23 consecutive patients with CDH symptomatic at birth treated over the ensuing 212 years. The mean age at admission, age at repair, and interval from admission to repair were 4.9, 37.0, and 32.6 hours, respectively. Overall survival was 52% (1223). ECMO was used in 14 patients with 7 survivors (50%); 4 of these patients underwent repair prior to ECMO and 10 while on ECMO. The patients were retrospectively grouped into three classes based on postductal arterial blood gas (ABG) response to conventional medical management: class A (n = 8), able to achieve and sustain adequate oxygenation (PO 2 > 60 mm Hg) and hyperventilation (PCO 2 2 2 2 2 > 40 mm Hg). The interval from admission to repair was 13.6, 53.5, and 25.4 hours for classes A, B, and C, respectively. Two class A (25%), nine class B (90%), and three class C patients (60%) were placed on ECMO. Survival rates were 88%, 50%, and 0% for classes A, B, and C, respectively. We propose the following management protocol. Class A patients are stable and can be repaired at any convenient point after admission without prerepair ECMO; few will need it afterward. Patients in class B are fairly stable, and a period of time can be spent trying to improve their oxygenation with maximal conventional medical management; without improvement, ECMO is instituted, and they undergo repair on bypass. Class C patients are unstable and should be placed on ECMO as soon as possible with later repair, understanding that their prognosis is poor.
On-Package Continuous-Time Linear Equalizer using Embedded Passive Components

Multi-gigabit input/output (I/O) links on printed circuit boards (PCBs) suffer from high-frequency signal attenuation, necessitating equalization to restore the transmitted waveforms. Whereas active transmitter or receiver equalization circuits consume significant power, equalizers composed exclusively of passive devices can achieve good signal integrity with no active power dissipation. Recent advances in packaging technology allow passive devices to be integrated directly into the substrate, thereby freeing area in the die or on the motherboard that would otherwise have been needed for the equalizer. In this paper, we are reporting the first, experimental demonstration of continuous-time linear equalizers (CTLEs) using embedded passive components up to 10 gigabit per second (Gbps). We have designed, optimized and fabricated three different equalizers using embedded passives technology. These devices were employed to a equalize board-level interconnect suffering from frequency-dependent loss. We have then validated the performance of the CTLEs in the frequency and time domains.
A social learning theory comparison of the sexual victimization of adolescent sexual offenders and nonsexual offending male delinquents

Abstract Objective: This paper tests hypotheses based on Garland and Dougher’s (1990) formulation of the “victim to victimizer” relationship which is a social learning theory etiological approach to adolescent sexual offending. Method: Two hundred sixteen adolescent sexually victimized sexual offenders and 93 adolescent sexually victimized nonsexual offending delinquents from three Michigan sexual offender treatment facilities participated in an anonymous cross-sectional survey regarding their sexual victimization and offending as well as a social desirability measure. Results: When comparing the two groups, nonsexually offending delinquents and sexually offending delinquents, the latter were found to have: closer relationships with their perpetrators; a higher chance of having a male perpetrator(s); a longer duration of sexual victimization; more forceful sexual victimization; and the experience of penetration as part of their sexual victimization. Logistic regression showed that the gender of the perpetrators being both male and female and the forcefulness of the perpetrators were the best predictors of being in the sexual offender group. Conclusions: The social learning theory hypotheses were generally supported. Further multivariate research on this theory is warranted.
A construction of cyclic Steiner triple systems of order p n

On presente des constructions de systemes cycliques de triplets de Steiner d'ordre p n , pour p premier ≡1(mod 6)
Accidental torsion in yielding symmetric structures

Abstract Building codes recognize a variety of sources of accidental eccentricity in buildings subjected to seismic excitation. This study examines the adequacy of code provisions for accidental eccentricity to account for torsion induced in nominally symmetric structures due to variation in the strength of elasto-plastic lateral load resisting elements or by unbalanced degradation in stiffness. The behaviour of an idealized single-storey structure subjected to different earthquake ground motions is examined, as well as the influence of torsional to translational frequency ratio Ω 0 and lateral period of vibration T o .
Effect of Land Markets on Land Ownership in Peri-Urban Nigeria

The study examined the growth in land markets in peri-urban Nigeria with a view to determine its effects on land ownership in Nigeria and factors discriminating between land ownership and tenancy. Data were collected from 63 respondents and examined using descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis. The results showed that land prices in the past seven years have been growing at a compound growth rate of 44.4%. Also, there are significant differences between landowners and landless respondents especially with respect to age, household size, income, and marital status. Landowners tend to be older, married and having higher income. The paper concludes with a suggestion that land policy that will safeguard the environment should be vigorously pursued. Key words: discriminant, land owner, migration, peri-urban Eastern African Journal of Rural Development Vol.20(1) 2004: 136-141
Influence of exogenous estrogens, proliferative breast disease, and other variables on breast cancer risk

The authors reevaluated 10,366 consecutive breast biopsy specimens of benign lesions performed between 1950 and 1968. Follow-up information was obtained on 3303 women with a median duration of follow-up of 17 years. This sample contained 84% of the patients originally selected for follow-up. The relative risk (RR) of developing breast cancer was 0.98 for women who took exogenous estrogens as compared to 1.8 for women who did not. Exogenous estrogens lowered the observed breast cancer risk in women with atypical hyperplasia (RR = 3.0 versus 4.5), proliferative disease without atypia (RR = 0.92 versus 1.9), and in women without proliferative disease (RR = 0.69 versus 0.91). Women who took estrogens before 1956 were at 2.3 times the risk of other estrogen users, presumably due to a dose effect. There was no significant association between breast cancer risk and birth control pills, cigarette smoking, or alcohol consumption. Exogenous estrogens are not associated with increased breast cancer risk in women with benign breast disease. A previous history of benign breast disease does not contraindicate replacement estrogen therapy.
Flexor tendon pulley reconstruction

Abstract The flexor tendon pulley mechanism causes the tendons to work with maximum efficiency. Without its competency,flexor tendons will bowstring causing significant losses of digital motion and strength. Without an intact pulley system, increased flexor tendon excursion is required to affect joint motion and flexion contractures may develop over time. Recent investigators have described the properties of the intact flexor pulley system as well as those of flexor pulley reconstructive techniques. Reconstruction of the flexor pulley system should take into account both strength and length of the construct and in most cases a loop of either flexor tendon graft or wrist extensor retinaculum is used. Other methods are available including the use of the palmar plate as well as the superficialis tendon.
Repetitive Control for Asymptotic Tracking of Periodic Signals With an Unknown Period

Repetitive control schemes for asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection of periodic signals with an unknown period are presented. A sampled data recursive scheme for identifying the period of a periodic signal with a resolution finer than the sampling interval is presented. Discrete-time self-tuning repetitive controllers, which adapt both the periodic signal period and sampling interval, are proposed based on the period identification scheme. The fine adaptation of the controller sampling interval makes the identified signal period an exact integer multiples of the controller sampling interval and renders a superior tracking performance than that of the conventional fixed sampling interval repetitive controllers. Experimental results on a linear motion system are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.
Lagrange-Galerkin Methods on Spherical Geodesic Grids

The weak Lagrange?Galerkin finite element method for the 2D shallow water equations on the sphere is presented. This method offers stable and accurate solutions because the equations are integrated along the characteristics. The equations are written in 3D Cartesian conservation form and the domains are discretized using linear triangular elements. The use of linear triangular elements permits the construction of accurate (by virtue of the second-order spatial and temporal accuracies of the scheme) and efficient (by virtue of the less stringent CFL condition of Lagrangian methods) schemes on unstructured domains. Using linear triangles in 3D Cartesian space allows for the explicit construction of area coordinate basis functions thereby simplifying the calculation of the finite element integrals. The triangular grids are constructed by a generalization of the icosahedral grids that have been typically used in recent papers. An efficient searching strategy for the departure points is also presented for these generalized icosahedral grids which involves very few floating point operations. In addition a high-order scheme for computing the characteristic curves in 3D Cartesian space is presented: a general family of Runge?Kutta schemes. Results for six test cases are reported in order to confirm the accuracy of the scheme.
Direct Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometric Imaging of Cellulose and Hemicellulose in Populus Tissue

Imaging applied toward lignocellulosic materials requires high molecular specificity to map specific compounds within intact tissue. Although secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) with a single stage of MS have been used to image lignocellulosic biomass, the complexity of the plant tissue requires tandem MS, which limits the interpretation of simple MS. MALDI linear ion trap (LIT) tandem MS offers the high molecular specificity needed for lignocellulosic analyses. MALDI-LIT MS analyses of cellulose and xylan (hemicellulose) standards were performed to determine mass-to-charge ratios and fragmentation pathways for identification of these compounds in intact tissue. The MALDI-LIT-MS images of young Populus wood stem showed even distribution of both cellulose and hemicellulose ions; in contrast, the tandem MS images of cellulose and hemicellulose generated by plotting characteristic fragment ions resulted in drastically diff...
Predation by Calleida decora (F.) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on velvetbean caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in soybean.

Calleida decora (F.) was shown to be an effective predator on velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner, in laboratory and field experiments. First, second, and third instars were readily accepted as prey. Individual beetles consumed an average of 5.9 ± 1.6 (SEM) first instars in a 12-h laboratory study. Acceptance of small larvae by C. decora was significantly greater compared with acceptance of fourth and fifth instars offered as prey. Results from field-cage studies indicated that percent A. gemmatalis larval mortality due to C. decora predation was 57.1 and 57.6% in cages containing a starting density of 200 prey during 1980 and 1981, respectively.
Total Synthesis and Stereochemistry of Mycolactone F

The proposed structure 9 of mycolactone F, isolated from the fish pathogen Mycobacterium marinum, was synthesized from the core alcohol 7 and unsaturated acid 6. The 1H NMR spectrum of synthetic 9 matched well the reported 1H NMR spectrum of natural mycolactone F, thereby demonstrating the structure of mycolactone F to be 9 or its remote diastereomer 10. In order to develop an analytical method to distinguish them, 10 was synthesized from 7 and the antipode of 6. With the use of synthetic materials, a chiral HPLC method was developed to differentiate 10 from 9. This analytical method was then applied to the natural product, thereby establishing that the complete structure of mycolactone F surprisingly is 10, rather than 9. Intriguingly, the absolute configuration of the unsaturated fatty acid of mycolactone F from the fish pathogen M. marinum corresponds to the antipode of that present in natural mycolactones A/B and C from the human pathogen M. ulcerans.
Biosynthesis of (Z,Z)-6,9-heptacosadiene in the American cockroach

The biosynthesis of (Z,Z)-6,9-heptacosadiene, the major cuticular hydrocarbon component of the American cockroach, was examined by radiotracer and13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. Sodium [1-14C] acetate was incorporated about equally into the saturated and diunsaturated hydrocarbons, whereas [1-14C] linoleate preferentially labeled the C27 alkadiene and [9,10-3H] oleate labeled the C27 alkadiene almost exclusively.13C-NMR demonstrated that [2-13C] acetate labeled carbons 25 and 27 but not carbon 3 of the C27 alkadiene. In addition, ozonolysis of the diene labeled from [1-14C] acetate followed by radio-gas liquid chromatography showed that carbons 1–6 were not labeled, whereas the fragment containing carbons 10–27 was labeled. The data presented in this paper indicate that linoleate from the diet or synthesized de novo is elongated by the addition of acetate units and is then decarboxylated.
A barrier runs through it … or maybe just a river

During my residence in the Amazon district I took every opportunity of determining the limits of species, and I soon found that the Amazon, the Rio Negro and the Madeira formed the limits beyond which certain species never passed. The native hunters are perfectly acquainted with this fact, and always cross over the river when they want to procure particular animals, which are found even on the river's bank on one side, but never by any chance on the other. On approaching the sources of the rivers they cease to be a boundary, and most of the species are found on both sides of them. Alfred Russel Wallace (1)
Effect of phenethyl isothiocyanate on microsomal N-nitrosodimethylamine metabolism and other monooxygenase activities

1. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a dietary compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, has previously been shown to decrease N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)-induced methylation of hepatic DNA, apparently by inhibition of microsomal activation of the procarcinogen. 2. Using hepatic microsomes from acetone-treated rats, PEITC exhibited competitive inhibition of NDMA demethylase activity with an apparent Ki of 1 microM. In studies using a two-stage incubation protocol, the inhibition by PEITC was time- and metabolism-dependent. 3. Using control rat liver microsomes, PEITC selectively inhibited P450 IIE1-mediated NDMA-demethylase activity as compared to the demethylation of benzphetamine and ethylmorphine. 4. Pretreatment of rats with a single oral dose of PEITC (1 mmol/kg body wt) 24 h before killing caused a marked decrease in hepatic NDMA demethylase activity, but an 11-fold increase in 7-pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase activity. These trends agreed with immunoblot analysis which indicated that PEITC was a suppressor of P450 IIE1 but an inducer of P450 IIB1. 5. The selective inhibition of P450 IIE1 activity and suppression of its level in microsomes indicates a role for PEITC as a chemopreventive agent against toxic or carcinogenic metabolites of this isozyme.
Impact of Biodiesel Blending on Diesel Soot and the Regeneration of Particulate Filters

A critical requirement for the implementation of diesel particulate filters on diesel-powered vehicles is having a low “break-even temperature” (BET), which is defined as the temperature at which particulate deposition on the filter is balanced by particulate oxidation on the filter. This balance point needs to occur at sufficiently low temperatures, either to fit within the exhaust temperature range of the typical duty cycle for a diesel vehicle or to require a minimum of active regeneration. Catalytic coating on the diesel particulate filter, the use of a fuel-borne catalyst, and oxidation catalysts placed upstream of the particulate filter can all reduce the BET. Another important factor in reducing the BET is the sulfur content of the fuel, because the sulfur dioxide generated during combustion can poison catalyst activity. However, fuel formulation factors other than sulfur content can also have significant effects on the BET. Considered in this work were low sulfur diesel fuel (LSD, 325 ppm sulfur),...
What Happens to the Clients

Despite the fact that each year billions of dollars are spent to provide mental health services to millions of persons, information is seldom systematically and regularly collected about whether clients feel and function better after services, and whether they were satisfied with the services. This paper discusses the results of pilot tests of an approach for regularly collecting such outcome information. Two essential features of the approach are the use of client self-reports and client follow-up. A relatively inexpensive mail collection method is used to follow-up clients. The feasibility, cost, validity, and utility of the outcome monitoring procedures are discussed.
Wear behavior of an amorphous alloy

Abstract The effects of annealing and crystallization on the wear behavior of an amorphous alloy (Fe 81 B 13.5 Si 3.5 C 2 ) were studied. The alloy in the form of thin strips of 2 μm average surface roughness was sliding dry against tungsten-carbide-coated rolls of 3, 8 and 15 μm average roughness. The wear mechanism changed from ploughing to microcutting to crack nucleation and propagation with increasing roughness of the tungsten-carbide-coated rolls. Similar to crystalline metals, the mass loss increases linearly with time after an incubation period and the wear is proportional to the load applied normally to the sliding interface. However, unlike crystalline metals, the wear rate increases with sliding speed in the range tested. Thermal analysis of wear debris collected at sliding speeds of 25 and 75 mm s −1 showed that the interfacial temperature had reached the crystallization temperature, i.e . 820 K. For smooth surfaces and low loads, the wear resistance increases in the order amorphous state, annealed state and crystalline state. In contrast, for rough surfaces and high loads, the wear resistance increases in the order crystalline state, annealed state and amorphous state. A comparison with the calculated stress needed to dislodge a part of the structure in a computer simulation using the Johnson potential between iron atoms indicated that the actual contact area was only about 10 −5 times the apparent contact area at a normal stress of 0.1 MPa.