cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Commission des Donnees Spectroscopiques Fondamentales

The responsibility of Commission 14 is increasing so rapidly that an appraisal of the present activity and future trends may be in order. The Commission is unique in its basic purpose, namely, to provide a strong liaison between astronomers and laboratory spectroscopists. In the United States, at least four data centers exist primarily to provide critical data of astrophysical interest: (1) Atomic Energy Levels and (2) Transition Probabilities (both at the National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.), (3) Cross Sections (Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, Colorado), (4) Diatomic Molecules (University of California, Berkeley, California).
Bladder and/or Prostate Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a soft tissue malignant tumor of mesenchymal origin. It is the third most common solid tumor in children accounting for 10–15 % of all pediatric solid tumors [1]. The incidence of RMS is estimated at 4.5 per 1 million, with over 50 % of cases diagnosed in the first decade of life [1, 2]. RMS exhibits a bimodal distribution for age at presentation with a peak between 2 and 6 years, and then again between 10 and 18 years of age [3]. Approximately 15–20 % of RMS tumors arise in the genitourinary (GU) system primarily in the prostate, bladder, and para-testicular area [4]. Vaginal, cervical, uterine, primary retroperitoneal, and renal RMS are relatively unusual sites. The treatment of GU-RMS has drastically evolved over the years due to effective multidisciplinary, multimodal, and risk adapted therapies developed through clinical trials. Prognosis has significantly improved as a result of all these measures, currently with an expected overall 5-year survival >70 % [1]. Accordingly, the goals in treating GU-RMS have shifted towards minimizing morbidity and reducing therapy. Surgery has shifted from pelvic exenteration to organ preservation. Surgery is directed by stage, risk stratification, and response to chemotherapy/radiation therapy. Current relevant surgical procedures for the treatment of RMS include performing a biopsy to establish a diagnosis, and subsequent partial cystectomy, cystectomy ± prostatectomy (cystoprostatectomy), and pelvic lymphadenectomy. For para-testicular RMS the reader is recommended to review the chapter on testicular tumors and associated procedures such as orchiectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.
Comparison of the impact of viral and plant-derived promoters regulating selectable marker gene on maize transformation and transgene expression

Key message The choice of promoter regulating the selectable marker gene impacts transformation efficiency, copy number and the expression of selectable marker and flanking genes in maize.
Similitude Analysis of the Frequency Response Function for Scaled Structures

Full-scale testing of the large structures is time consuming and expensive. Scaled-down structures expedite and facilitate the testing process of the large structures. To design a scaled-down structure, a deliberate methodology should be used to ensure the similarity between the full-scale structure and its scaled-down model. Comparison of the frequency response functions of the full-scale structure and its scaled-down model can verify the similarity between two scales. In this study, three composite I-beams with different scales (i.e. small, medium and large) are designed and manufactured. The designed composite I-beams replicate the spar caps and the shear web of a utility-scale wind turbine blade. Frequency response functions of the three beams are measured using a hammer impact test. The scaling laws of the frequency response function are derived using similitude analysis. The derived scaling laws are used to map the frequency response functions of the large and medium beams to that of the small beam. The comparison between the FRF curve of the small beam and the mapped FRF curves of the large and medium beams indicates the similarity of the laminated beams with different scales and demonstrates the effect of the scaling on shear and flexural stiffnesses.
Non-random species loss in a forest herbaceous layer following nitrogen addition.

Nitrogen (N) additions have decreased species richness (S) in hardwood forest herbaceous layers, yet the functional mechanisms for these decreases have not been explicitly evaluated. We tested two hypothesized mechanisms – random species loss (RSL) and non-random species loss (NRSL) – in the hardwood forest herbaceous layer of a long-term, plot-scale fertilization experiment in the central Appalachian Mountains, USA. Using a random thinning algorithm, we simulated changes in species densities under RSL and compared the simulated densities to the observed densities among N-fertilized (+N), N-fertilized and limed (+N+L), and reference (REF) plots in regenerating forest stands. We found a lower S in the +N treatment across all survey years and determined that the reduction in S was a function of NRSL. Furthermore, non-random effects were observed in certain species, as they occurred at densities that were either higher or lower than expected due to RSL. Differential advantages were also observed among species between +N and +N+L treatments, suggesting that species responded to either the fertilization or acidification effects of N, though no consistent pattern emerged. Species nitrophily status was not a useful trait for predicting specific species losses, but was a significant factor when averaged across all treatments and sampling years. Our results provide strong evidence that declines in S in the forest herbaceous layer under N fertilization are due largely to NRSL and not simply a function of species rarity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Routine tumor next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify rare germline lung cancer risk mutations in EGFR and ERBB2.

1513Background: New insights into lung cancer genomics has required a new look at genetic determinants of inherited lung cancer risk. There are now four germline mutations in lung cancer oncogenes (EGFR T790M, V843I, R776H; and ERBB2 G660D) which have been reported in kindreds with a high prevalence of lung cancer in nonsmokers. We hypothesized that routine tumor NGS could be used to find rare kindreds with inherited lung cancer risk. Methods: An institute-wide database of tumor NGS results was queried for cases positive for one of the reported germline risk alleles in EGFR or ERBB2. At our center, tumor NGS is performed using a hybrid-capture platform spanning exons and key introns of ~400 cancer related genes, and is available for patients (pts) with consent to a research protocol. For living pts with a mutation detected at an allelic fraction (AF) > 25%, and excluding acquired T790M, genetic counseling and CLIA germline testing was provided. For pts with EGFR T790M, testing was performed on the INHERIT...
Enhancement of the yield of rape seeds by plasma discharge and biological protection: Field experiments

The recent rapid progress in development of new technologies offers new procedures, which are environmental-friendly. One of such area are modern seed-protective methods based on treatment of seeds by plasma discharges with consequent settling of the surface by protective fungi. These biotechnological approaches represent progressive practices, which may in the future reduce the amount of chemical compounds used during chemical treatment of seed. In the past decade we performed extensive laboratory research in order to establish the plasma processing parameters. In past three years the research continued by field experiments, which aimed to assess the possibility to use such approaches in real conditions. We stated that plasma treatment of seeds in combination with consecutive microbial protective coatings of grains enhances biological value of the rapeseed, when process parameters are appropriately selected. Plasma treated seeds have higher water absorbability that contributes to better germination and early growth. The plants are more robust, they have stronger root system, quicker development and maturing. And the main benefit of such approaches is, that the presented dual treatment technique results in higher yields in field experiments.
Prevalence of Major Behavioral Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE We examined the proportion of American adults without type 2 diabetes that engages in lifestyle behaviors known to reduce type 2 diabetes risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 3,679 nonpregnant, nonlactating individuals aged ≥20 years without diabetes (self-reported diagnosis or glycated hemoglobin ≥6.5% [8 mmol/mol] or fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL) and who provided 2 days of reliable dietary data in the 2007–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). We used the average of 2 days of dietary recall and self-reported leisure-time physical activity to assess whether participants met type 2 diabetes risk reduction goals (meeting four or more MyPlate recommendations [adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, meat, beans, and eggs]; not exceeding three maximum allowances for alcoholic beverages, added sugars, fat, and cholesterol; and meeting physical activity recommendations [≥150 min/week]). RESULTS Approximately 21%, 29%, and 13% of individuals met fruit, vegetable, and dairy goals, respectively. Half (51.6%) met the goal for total grains, compared with 18% for whole grains, and 54.2% met the meat/beans goal and 40.6% met the oils goal. About one-third (37.8%) met the physical activity goal, and 58.6% met the weight loss/maintenance goal. Overall, 3.1% (95% CI 2.4–4.0) of individuals met the majority of type 2 diabetes risk reduction goals. Younger age and lower educational attainment were associated with lower probability of meeting goals. CONCLUSIONS A small proportion of U.S. adults engages in risk reduction behaviors. Research and interventions targeted at young and less-educated segments of the population may help close gaps in risk reduction behaviors.
Interactive symbolic software for teaching formal languages, automata and beyond

We use the interactive symbolic software system, called FoLa (FOrmal Languages & Automata), for teaching formal languages, grammars, automata and related modern topics in theoretical computer science. We utilize symbolic techniques to develop an easy-to-use, portable and efficient software that can be used for both visualizing abstract theoretical models and for assisting the manipulation of the models of computers and computation. The software offers a unified approach for working with both fundamental topics of theoretical computer science such as formal languages, grammars, automata and Turing machines as well as modern applications of automata in model checking and automated program verification. ABFoLa also provides an environment that supports experimental research on formal languages, grammars, finite automata and infinite automata such as Buechi automata and alternating automata. The software does not have any restrictions on the alphabets, symbols, variables, the number of internal states, the size of input tapes or the number of input tapes. FoLa can be used not only as a visual tool but also as a mathematical assistant for teaching and studying the subject. The software has been effectively used in some years for teaching courses on foundations of computer science.
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and the 'Aggregate Powers' of Congress over Elections

In NAMUDNO v. Holder, the Supreme Court suggested that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. The Court explained that Section 5, requiring preclearance of electoral changes in certain jurisdictions, rests on Congress’s Fifteenth Amendment enforcement power, yet does not appear congruent and proportional to recent unconstitutional discrimination as required by City of Boerne v. Flores. Further, it imposes substantial federalism costs both because it interferes with local electoral practices, and because it does not apply uniformly to all states. NAMUDNO disposed of the case on other grounds, but an appeal squarely presenting the issue is before the Court. This article proposes that NAMUNDO overlooks the fact that the Constitution grants Congress a portfolio of powers to regulate elections. In other contexts, the Court has referred to “an aggregate of the powers of the Congress,” reading several powers together to understand the Constitution’s intended scope. Several other provisions sustain Section 5: the Elections Clause (Article I, § 4) as to federal elections, and the Guarantee Clause (Article IV, § 4) as to state elections. Both provisions appear in the legislative history, and the court has previously discussed both in support of the Act. The Elections Clause and the Guarantee Clause grant Congress direct powers, so unlike legislation based on the Reconstruction Amendments, there is no necessity to measure Section 5 against constitutional violations. In addition, although Section 5 does not apply to all states, it is “uniform” under the Court’s decisions requiring uniform exercise of federal powers. Section 5 is a heartland exercise of the powers of Congress. The Elections Clause authorizes Congress to prevent misconduct in one state that might disadvantage other states or distort the national government. The Guarantee Clause is designed, among other things, to ensure that minorities do not wrongfully usurp lawful majorities of voters. The history of African American suffrage involved disenfranchisement of absolute majorities or of minorities so large that they could win with only a sliver of the non-African American vote. Today, in a closely divided nation, it is plausible that African Americans could provide the margin of decision in many elections. Accordingly, Congress legislated well within its powers when it enacted Section 5.
HiSPADA: Self-Organising Hierarchies for Large-Scale Multi-Agent Systems

The formation of hierarchies within large-scale systems can solve problems of scalability and distributed control. In this paper, we suggest a self-organising partitioning control scheme that uses a distributed set partitioning algorithm to dynamically introduce and resolve hierarchy layers in a decentralised fashion according to the needs of the application at runtime. The partitioning control can work within a predefined organisational framework and is highly adaptable to application-specific needs. We demonstrate the approach with an application from the domain of distributed power management and provide evaluations that show that a self-organising hierarchy formation can increase scalability by simplifying control decisions with negligible overhead. Keywords-Autonomous agents; Hierarchical Systems; Adaptive Systems
Four coloring greedy algorithm visualizations

This paper presents two programming assignments where students construct software to four-color a map using greedy algorithms. A visualization is employed so that students can see the progress of their software as the map is colored. The assignments are given in two courses, our CMPS 144 (first year second semester), Computer Science II, and CMPS 240 (second year first semester), Data Structures and Algorithms. In the CMPS 144 course the students use two stacks to hold access to the areas that have been successfully and unsuccessfully colored by the greedy algorithm. In the CMPS 240 course the student employ a greedy algorithm using threads, one thread per area. This paper presents observations about the role visualization plays in these assignments.
A Note on Günther’s Analysis of Couple Stress

The following considerations are concerned with Gunther’s form of couple stress theory [1]. While the observations which follow were made without knowledge of the earlier work1, they are offered here as a supplement to it.
Adaptive immunity: care for the community.

A memory-based immune system may have evolved in vertebrates because of the need to recognize and manage complex communities of beneficial microbes. The cover on Nature of 21/28 December 2006 highlighted the role of gut microbes in obesity. Gut flora are even talked of as part of the Homo sapiens 'metagenome'. This has echoes in this week's Essay, which suggests that adaptive immunity, which allows vertebrates to respond to microbes on the basis of past interactions, may have developed initially as a way of managing communities of beneficial microbes.
Endogenous Elevations of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) Can Up-Regulate Embryonic Globin Gene Expression.

Abstract Persistence of fetal hemoglobin can ameliorate adult beta (β)-globin gene disorders. Since SCFAs can affect embryonic and fetal globin gene expression, we examined their role during development. Murine globin gene expression, β-type (embryonic βH1, and epsilon-y, eY, and adult βmajor), and alpha (α)-type (embryonic zeta, ζ, >α, adult α), were compared between wildtype (wt) and transgenic mice, in which a key enzyme for SCFA metabolism, PCCA, had been knocked out (PCCA−/−, (Miyazaki et al, 2001). E10.5 PCCA−/− yolk sac (n= 9), showed increased α, βH1 and ζ gene expression, at respectively 2-, 2.6- and 1.6-fold relative to wt (n=13, p
Microbiome of the Unified Airway

The human microbiome influences airway mucosa in several ways, including downregulating inflammation or activating inflammatory cytokines that contribute to overall health or disease. Conversely, living conditions and common treatments used in airway diseases influence shifts in the microbiome. Our understanding of the role of the microbiome in complex microbe-host interactions in the unified airway is in its infancy, but some patterns have emerged: patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have less sinonasal bacterial diversity detected, while patients with asthma have more diverse pulmonary bacterial communities. There are currently limited clinical data using molecular diagnostics and therapeutic probiotic regimens. There are no clear guidelines for using either, but there may be some benefit of using oral probiotics to influence the gut-airway axis and decrease the frequency and severity of upper respiratory tract infections (URIs).
Fever, Cough, and Flank Pain in a 10-year-old Boy.

1. Emily M. Harris, MD* 2. Kieley Chapman, MD* 3. Elizabeth Pingree, MD* 4. Deanna Chieco, MD, EdM* 1. *Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA A 10-year-old previously healthy boy presents to the emergency department with a 9-day history of fever, cough, and right-sided flank pain. Eighteen months before this presentation, the patient underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for perforated appendicitis. He remained in the hospital on antibiotics for 4 days postoperatively and had a closed suction drain in place until the day of discharge. One week after the appendectomy he developed fever and shortness of breath. He was found to have a parapneumonic effusion requiring chest tube placement and a subhepatic phlegmon not amenable to drainage. He completed a course of antibiotics and recovered without any interval symptoms. The patient now presents with fever, cough, and right-sided flank pain for the past 9 days. The pain is intermittent and radiates to the right lower chest. The cough is productive of nonbloody sputum and exacerbates the pain. His maximum temperature at home was 102°F (38.9°C), with daily fevers until admission. He denies diarrhea, hematochezia, persistent vomiting, hematuria, or dysuria but reports malaise and loss of appetite. There is no history of travel or animal exposure. He was seen 2 days ago at an urgent care facility, where he was diagnosed as having pneumonia based on symptoms and findings on chest radiography. He has completed 2 days of azithromycin but his symptoms persist. Due to perceived failure of outpatient management, he is now admitted to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics and respiratory monitoring. Physical examination reveals an alert, nontoxic-appearing boy. He is afebrile, normotensive, tachycardic to 120 beats/min, and breathing comfortably at 18 breaths/min, with oxygen saturations of 98% or greater. There are faint …
Automorphic Forms and L-Functions for the Group GL ( n , R): Existence of Maass forms

Maass forms for SL (2, ℤ) were introduced in Section 3.3. An important objective of this book is to generalize these functions to the higher-rank group SL ( n , ℤ) with n ≥ 3. It is a highly non-trivial problem to show that infinitely many even Maass forms for SL (2, ℤ) exist. The first proof was given by Selberg (1956) where he introduced the trace formula as a tool to obtain Weyl's law, which in this context gives an asymptotic count (as x → ∞) for the number of Maass forms of type ν with |ν| ≤ x . Selberg's methods were extended by Miller (2001), who obtain Weyl's law for Maass forms on SL (3, ℤ) and Muller (2004), who obtained Weyl's law for Maass forms on SL ( n , ℤ). A rather startling revelation was made by Phillips and Sarnak (1985) where it was conjectured that Maass forms should not exist for generic non-congruence subgroups of SL (2, ℤ), except for certain situations where their existence is ensured by symmetry considerations, see Section 4.1. Up to now no one has found a single example of a Maass form for SL (2, ℤ), although Maass (1949) discovered some examples for congruence subgroups (see Section 3.15). So it seemed as if Maass forms for SL (2, ℤ) were elusive mysterious objects and the non-constructive proof of their existence (Selberg, 1956) suggested that they may be unconstructible.
Endogenous modulation of ACh release by somatostatin and the differential roles of Ca2+ channels

In cats, spinal and medullary input to the thalamic nucleus submedius (Sm) arises almost exclusively from neurons in the marginal zone. As a result, it has been proposed that Sm may be specifically involved in nociception. In the present study, we determined the locations of neurons in the spinal cord and caudal medulla that project to Sm in rats. Iontophoretic injections of Fluoro-Gold or pressure injections of Fast blue were made into Sm. In each of the 6 rats that received small injections of Fluoro-Gold into Sm, only a small number (mean = 90) of retrogradely labeled neurons were found throughout the 18 segments of the spinal cord examined. Surprisingly, almost no labeled neurons (less than 1%) were counted in the marginal zone of the spinal cord. The majority were located in the deep dorsal horn and intermediate zone/ventral horn. In contrast, many neurons were labeled in the marginal zone of nucleus caudalis. Injections of Fluoro-Gold into any of a number of nuclei near Sm also labeled only a small number of neurons in the spinal cord and almost no neurons in the marginal zone. Using identical injection parameters, we injected Fluoro-Gold into the ventrobasal complex or posterior thalamic group. Hundreds of neurons in the spinal cord, including many in the marginal zone, were labeled following these injections. These results indicate that the techniques used to inject Fluoro-Gold into Sm were capable of labeling many projection neurons, including those in the marginal zone. Larger pressure injections of Fast blue were also made into Sm of 3 rats. The distribution of labeled neurons in nucleus caudalis and the spinal cord was similar to that following iontophoretic injections of Fluoro-Gold. Again, few marginal zone neurons were labeled in the spinal cord in any of these rats. Therefore, our results indicate that few spinothalamic tract neurons appear to project to Sm or any of several adjacent nuclei, and virtually no marginal zone neurons in the spinal cord project to these areas.
The NYU Ultracomputer&#8212;Designing an MIMD Shared Memory Parallel Computer

We present the design for the NYU Ultracomputer, a shared-memory MIMD parallel machine composed of thousands of autonomous processing elements. This machine uses an enhanced message switching network with the geometry of an Omega-network to approximate the ideal behavior of Schwartz's paracomputer model of computation and to implement efficiently the important fetch-and-add synchronization primitive. We outine the hardware that would be required to build a 4096 processor system using 1990's technology. We also discuss system software issues, and present analytic studies of the network performance. Finally, we include a sample of our effort to implement and simulate parallel variants of important scientific programs.
Abdominal colpocystopexy for complete prolapse of the vagina and bladder; the rectus suspension principle of crossed-suspender support.

Abstract Seven Cases Are Available to Date . 1.Case 1.—Operation, 1940. Support to bladder. Ventral fixation of vagina (Figs. 12 and 13). Posterior vaginal wall hernia developed fifteen months later (Fig. 4). Two small incisional hernias discovered six years later. Otherwise result good (Fig. 2).Second operation, 1947. Closure of cul-de-sac for treatment of enterocele. Repair of incisional hernias. Result good to date. 2.Case 2.—Operation, 1941. Support to bladder. Vagina sewed to strips. Cul-de-sac closed (Fig. 9). Still being observed. Result good to date. 3.Case 3. ∗ ∗Performed while in the A.A.F. Armed Services.—J. B. Operation, 1942. Support to bladder. Strip ends to posterior vaginal wall (Fig. 9, inset B). Cul-de-sac closed. Result good after nine months. No contact since. 4.Case 4. ∗ —R. G. H. Operation, 1943. Support to bladder. Vagina sewed to strips (Fig. 9). Cul-de-sac closed. Good result after three months.Contact re-established three years later. Result still good to date. 5.Case 5. ∗ —R. H. G. Operation, 1943. Support to vagina. Strip ends to bladder. (Fig. 9, Inset A.). Result good after 3 months. No contact since. 6.Case 6. ∗ —M. F. Operation, 1944. Support to bladder. Vagina to strips (Fig. 9). Cul-de-sac closed. Good result after four months. No contact since. 7.Case 7.—Operation, 1946. Support to bladder. Vagina to strips (Fig. 9). Cul-de-sac closed. Still being observed. Result good to date.
Administering a victim impact curriculum to inmates: a multi-site replication

While restorative justice has been the topic of much research, a specific type of program included in restorative justice, Impact of Crime (IOC) on Victims programs, has not been widely studied or assessed for effectiveness. This study examines IOC on Victims Curriculum Development Programs. Offenders from programs in California, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia were participants in this research. A four-state evaluation methodology was developed in order to assess the effectiveness of these programs in educating offenders about victims’ right and victim facts, as well as increasing their sensitivity to victims’ difficulties. The findings in this evaluation lend support to previous studies, indicating efficacy for IOC programs. Suggestions for future research are briefly discussed.
Syntheses and characterization of some chloro, methoxy, and mercapto derivatives of [Ru(η2-2,2'-bipyridine)3]2+2PF6-: crystal and molecular structures of [Ru(η2-2,2'-bipyridine)2(η2-4,4'-(X)2-2,2'-bipyridine)]2 + 2PF6-(X = Cl, OCH3)

Abstract Nucleophilic substitutions involving [Ru(η2-bipy)2(η2-bipy–Cl2)]2+2PF6 − (bipy=2,2′-bipyridine; bipy–Cl2=4,4′-dichloro-2,2′-bipyridine) and NaSH or LiS(p-tol) (p-tol=4-CH3–C6H4), carried out in tetrahydrofuran at 115 °C, lead to [Ru(η2-bipy)2(η2-bipy–(SH)2)]2+2PF6 − or [Ru(η2-bipy)2{η2-bipy–(S(p-tol))2}]2+2PF6 −, respectively. Treatment of [Ru(η2-bipy)2(η2-bipy–Cl2)]2+2PF6 − with NaCN in methanol at 55 °C leads to [Ru(η2-bipy)2{η2-bipy–(OCH3)2}]2+2PF6 −. The complexes [Ru(η2-bipy)2(η2-bipy–X2)]2+2PF6 −, with X=Cl and OCH3, were structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Some spectroscopic features of the products are presented.
A budget primer

Fundamental to understanding President Reagan's fiscal 1983 budget proposal, made public yesterday, and what the proposal means for the health of federally funded programs, is to comprehend the budget process itself. A table that outlines the budget process appears below; a short glossary (see box) defines some of the basic budget terms. Next week, Eos will summarize the President's budget proposal. In 2 weeks, Eos will analyze the budget proposal as it affects geophysicists. Congress, having just received the President's budget proposal, can begin to review it formally under the procedures mandated by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (see table). Note, however, that Congress often does not meet its budget deadlines.
Corporate cash holdings, foreign direct investment, and corporate governance ☆

Abstract The determinants of corporate cash holdings in the context of corporate governance theories have recently been analyzed in the literature. In the present study, the behavior of corporate managers in countries with poor shareholder rights protection is more in conformity with the agency problem theory than other corporate governance theories. Also, smaller firms tend to hold larger cash balances relative to their total assets than their larger counterparts. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in today's highly integrated capital markets act as substitutes for corporate cash holdings. When firms in G-7 countries are separated from the ones in other countries, FDI inflows demonstrate different effects on international corporate cash holdings: They are substitutes for cash holdings in the former group of countries but become complements for cash holdings by firms in the latter one.
Electrical characterization of epitaxial layers

Abstract The techniques for determining the concentrations of donors and acceptors in semiconductor samples from Hall effect and resistivity measurements are described, using measurements on GaAs as an example. Analyses of the temperature variation of the carrier concentration and mobility permit the determination of ND and NA in the range 1 × 1012≲ND+NA≲3 × 1017 cm−3. An empirical curve is derived from the results of these analyses which permits the accurate determination of ND and NA in homogeneous GaAs samples from a single measurement of the Hall coefficient and resistivity at 77 K.
er Type or more Type Adjectives of Comparison in English

It is generally said that monosyllabic and disyllabic adjectives ending in –y, –le, –ow, or –er normally take the inflectional forms –er/–est (–er type), while trisyllabic or longer adjectives can only take the periphrastic forms more/most (more type). This study examines for the first time a very large set of monosyllabic and disyllabic adjectives and classifies them into five types. The British National Corpus was used to clarify the gap between actually occurring instances of the adjectives and forms found in English dictionaries. The results show a shift towards periphrastic forms, with the superlative much more frequently formed with –est than with most. This article also concludes that only disyllabic adjectives with –y and –ow endings, not ones with –le or –er, readily take the –er/–est forms. As the published literature on the choice of forms in English adjective comparison does not include a sufficient explanation of the choice, this study examines the mechanism behind this phenomenon not only fr...
Effect of bile salts on partitioning behavior and GI absorption of a quaternary ammonium compound, isopropamide iodide.

The effect of various bile salts and, in particular, sodium glycocholate upon the partitioning behavior of the quaternary ammonium compound isopropamide iodide was studied in vitro. Absorption of this compound from the rat ileum in situ, in the presence of various concentrations of bile salt, was also studied. The results indicate that sodium glycocholate progressively increases the partitioning of isopropamide from a physiological aqucous buffer into n-octanol below the CMC of the bile salt, but increased partitioning is inhibited above this value. Isopropamide did not partition in the absence of the bile salt counterion. The formation of a lipid-soluble ion-pair between the bile salt anion and the quaternary cation is suggested as the mechanism by which enhanced partitioning occurs, the decrease in maximal transport being related to mixed micelle formation or adsorption of ammonium ions to the outer surface of the bile salt aggregate. Absorption from the rat ileum in situ in the presence of sodium glycocholate below and above its CMC appears not to follow a similar pattern. It is suggested that the GI absorption of the isopropamide cation cannot be increased in the presence of bile salt molecules through ion-pair formation or mixed micelle formation. Above the CMC of bile salt, the absorptive process appears actually to be hindered through a decrease in the availability of the drug to the absorptive surface, either by a physicochemical interaction with the micellar phase or by decreased diffusivity of the drug in the presence of bile salt aggregates.
Clinical implications of insulin resistance syndromes

Epidemiologic studies have shown an association between higher insulin levels and coronary artery disease, and metabolic studies have associated insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia with hypertension, obesity, and lipid disorders. This review focuses on the clinical implications (rather than the metabolic pathogeneses) of these associations and how practicing physicians should manage patients with insulin resistance.
On roads and riots in Tinnevelly: Radical change and ideology in Madras presidency during the 19th century

(1981). On roads and riots in Tinnevelly: Radical change and ideology in Madras presidency during the 19th century. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 34-52.
Comparison of the NMR and X‐ray structures of the HIV‐1 matrix protein: Evidence for conformational changes during viral assembly

The three-dimensional solution- and solid-state structures of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) matrix protein have been determined recently in our laboratories by NMR and X-ray crystallographic methods (Massiah et al. 1994. J Mol Biol 244:198-223; Hill et al. 1996. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:3099-3104). The matrix protein exists as a monomer in solution at low millimolar protein concentrations, but forms trimers in three different crystal lattices. Although the NMR and X-ray structures are similar, detailed comparisons have revealed an approximately 6 A displacement of a short 3(10) helix (Pro 66-Gly 71) located at the trimer interface. High quality electron density and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) data support the integrity of the X-ray and NMR models, respectively. Because matrix apparently associates with the viral membrane as a trimer, displacement of the 3(10) helix may reflect a physiologically relevant conformational change that occurs during virion assembly and disassembly. These findings further suggest that Pro 66 and Gly 71, which bracket the 3(10) helix, serve as "hinges" that allow the 3(10) helix to undergo this structural reorientation.
Remodeling of the Vessel Wall after Copper-Induced Injury Is Highly Attenuated in Mice with a Total Deficiency of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

Clinical studies have indicated that high plasma levels of fibrinogen, or decreased fibrinolytic potential, are conducive to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Other investigations have shown that insoluble fibrin promotes atherosclerotic lesion formation by affecting smooth muscle cell proliferation, collagen deposition, and cholesterol accumulation. To directly assess the physiological impact of an imbalanced fibrinolytic system on both early and late stages of this disease, mice deficient for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1 −/− ) were used in a model of vascular injury/repair, and the resulting phenotype compared to that of wild-type (WT) mice. A copper-induced arterial injury was found to generate a lesion with characteristics similar to many of the clinical features of atherosclerosis. Fibrin deposition in the injured arterial wall at early (7 days) and late (21 days) times after copper cuff placement was prevalent in WT mice, but was greatly diminished in PAI-1 −/− mice. A multilayered neointima with enhanced collagen deposition was evident at day 21 in WT mice. In contrast, only diffuse fibrin was identified in the adventitial compartments of arteries from PAI-1 −/− mice, with no evidence of a neointima. Neovascularization was observed in the adventitia and was more extensive in WT arteries, relative to PAI-1 −/− arteries. Additionally, enhanced PAI-1 expression and fat deposition were seen only in the arterial walls of WT mice. The results of this study emphasize the involvement of the fibrinolytic system in vascular repair processes after injury and indicate that alterations in the fibrinolytic balance in the vessel wall have a profound effect on the development and progression of vascular lesion formation.
Gait Mode Recognition Using an Inertial Measurement Unit to Control an Ankle-Foot Orthosis During Stair Ascent and Descent

Powered ankle-foot orthoses have significant potential as both assistance and rehabilitation devices for individuals with lower limb muscle impairments. Recently, we developed an untethered pneumatically powered ankle-foot orthosis (PPAFO) for outside-the-lab walking assistance or therapy. It is critical to recognize gait modes (i.e. level walking, stair ascend/descend) because improper actuation can dramatically increase fall risk. Gait mode recognition is a challenging task for the PPAFO because the sensor array is very limited and a new mode must be recognized at the earliest possible time to prevent inappropriate actuation and decrease fall potential. While manual mode switching is implemented in most powered orthotic/prosthetic device control algorithms, we propose an automatic gait mode recognition scheme by tracking the 3D position of the PPAFO from an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The experiment results showed that, with an optimized threshold, the controller was able to identify the position and gait mode at the very beginning of the mode change, to allow for proper actuation control.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Alpine Wellness: A Resource-based View

Today, it is essential for destinations to support their unique positioning by offering specialized, differentiated products within the global wellness market. Here, ‘Alpine Wellness’ is presented as a concept, bundling the wellness offers with special Alpine character, developed by hotels and wellness providers of four countries of the European Alps to strengthen their common positioning in the global market. The participating countries were challenged to define their unique profile and to develop a wellness-specific core competence in order to develop competitive products for ‘Alpine Wellness’ based on the roots of their own region that are not easy to imitate. Therefore, the following questions have to be answered: What are the resources and competences of the region to develop competitive products that are highly valued by guests? Who possesses these competences that could be drawn into a network in order to develop core competence? In 2003, the authors conducted a study in the Italian Alpine region o...
Feasibility of rotating fluidized bed reactor for rocket propulsion

The rotating fluidized bed reactor concept is outlined, and its application to rocket propulsion is discussed. Experimental results obtained indicate that minimum fluidization correlations commonly in use for 1-g beds can also be applied to multiple-g beds. It was found that for a low thrust system (20,000 lbf) the fuel particle size and/or particle stress play a limiting role on performance. The superiority of U-233 as a fuel for this type of rocket engine is clearly demonstrated in the analysis. The maximum thrust/weight ratio for a 90,000N thrust engine was found to be approximately 65N/kg.
Perspective: Combined forces

Beginning treatment with a combination of drugs should help to stop drug resistance developing, says Charles L. Sawyers.
An Optical Readout Scheme Providing High Spatial Resolution for the Evaluation of Combinatorial Libraries on Optical Fibers

We have developed a novel method for combinatorial chemistry that allows for fully parallel synthesis and full library analysis. The key feature is the use of linear supports for synthesis, where the position of a compound along the support encodes its synthetic history. Use of an optical fiber as the linear support allows for the optical evaluation of libraries: the location of an emitting fluorophore can be determined using fluorescent optical time domain reflectometry. We have demonstrated that limitations on the spatial resolution imposed by the fluorescence lifetimes are overcome by using a second fiber as an optical delay.
American Indian/Alaskan Native Undergraduate Retention at Predominantly White Institutions: An Elaboration of Tinto's Theory of College Student Departure

This article reports findings from a major public university sponsored study undertaken with the intention of (a) improving university understanding of factors affecting American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) undergraduates' persistence at this institution, and (b) identifying in what areas, and in what manner, this institution could improve campus-based services to better support AI/AN undergraduates. Tinto's integration-commitment model of attrition was utilized as a conceptual frame, and data was collected using four different methodologies. This study found that financial difficulties and family obligations, and how these two themes interact in the context of AI/AN cultural self-identity are critical issues affecting AI/AN undergraduate persistence. Findings are used to elaborate and more fully develop Tinto's model in its application to AI/AN undergraduate persistence in predominantly White institutions.
The use of rational, emotional, and combination appeals to respond to rejected requests

This study examines persons’ use of three types of appeals: rational, emotional, and combination, to respond to rejected interpersonal requests. Results suggest that persons use more rational than either emotional or combination appeals. When the specific obstacle in the refusal message is taken into account, however, this difference is present only when requesters are highly unable to comply.
Detection of glutamate/glutamine resonances by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 0.5 tesla

Midfield proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides a noninvasive method to monitor glutamate and glutamine (Glx) levels in vivo. Experiments to detect the gamma and beta resonances of Glx have been performed by using commercial 0.5 T and 1.5 T MR scanners on seven patients with elevated blood ammonia and eight normal volunteers. Compared with the spectral sensitivity obtained on an otherwise identical system operating at 1.5 T, the singlet resonance of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) was decreased by a factor of 1.48, which is significantly less than expected using the ratio of Boltzman populations at the two field strengths. However, the resonances of Glx at 0.5 T increased in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by a factor of 2. The increased SNR of Glx is principally due to improved B0 main-field homogeneity and collapse of the strongly J-coupled Glx resonances. Our preliminary results suggest that midfield proton MRS will provide significant clinical utility in the detection of Glx levels in human brain.
Evaluating the performance of dynamic branch prediction schemes with BPSim

BPSim (Branch Prediction Simulator) is a trace-driven simulator for predicting branch outcomes in high performance processors. It incorporates various dynamic prediction schemes widely reported in the literature and practiced in existing processors such as the MIPS R10000, Pentium Pro and Alpha 21164 [1, 10, 13]. Users can benefit from the completeness and flexibility of this simulator in gaining an understanding of the trade-off between prediction accuracy and hardware cost especially in an education environment.
Facilitation of an operant task in the rat following injection of whole brain extract.

Abstract It has been shown that the administration of trained donor brain extract to naive rats results in facilitation of performance on the same task. In the present study a group of food deprived rats was trained to press a lever for food on a continuous schedule of reinforcement until they reached criterion. The animals were then sacrificed, their brains excised, homogenized and the small proteins (m.w.
Dynamic simulation of bimodal suspensions of hydrodynamically interacting spherical particles

Stokesian dynamics is used to simulate the dynamics of a monolayer of a suspension of bimodally distributed spherical particles subjected to simple shearing flow. Hydrodynamic forces only are considered. Many-body far-field effects are calculated using the inverse of the grand mobility matrix. Near-field effects are calculated from the exact equations for the interaction between two unequal-sized spheres. Both the detailed microstructure (e.g. pair-distribution function and cluster formation) and the relative viscosity are determined for bimodal suspensions having particle size ratios of 2 and 4. The flow of an ‘infinite’ suspension is simulated by considering 25, 49, 64, and 100 particles to be ‘one’ cell of an infinite periodic array. The effects of both the size ratio and the relative fractions of the different-sized particles are examined. When the area fraction, ϕa, is less than 0.4 the particle size distribution does not affect the calculated viscosity. For ϕa > 0.4, and for a fixed fraction of small spheres, the bimodal suspensions generally have lower viscosities than monodispersed suspensions, with the size of this effect increasing with ϕa. These results compare favourably with experiment when ϕa and the volume fraction, ϕv, are normalized by the maximum packing values in two and three dimensions, respectively. At the microstructural level, viscosity reduction is related to the influence of particle size distribution on the average number of particles in clusters. At a fixed area fraction, the presence of smaller particles tends to reduce average cluster size, particularly at larger ϕa, where significant viscosity reductions are observed. Since the presence of large clusters in monodispersed suspensions has been directly linked to high viscosities, this provides a dynamic mechanism for the viscosity reduction in bimodal suspensions.
Energy-based damage assessment methodology for structural health monitoring of modern reinforced concrete bridge columns

Performance assessment of bridge structures instrumented with structural health monitoring systems requires development of deterministic methodologies producing quantitative information on different damage states. This aim can be achieved through defining engineering limit states that may be expressed by limiting values of quantities such as damage indexes. Displacement-based damage indexes for performance assessment of bridges do not consider the accumulated damage that results from plastic cycling. In more advanced approaches, the parameter that takes into consideration the effect of cyclic loading history and accumulation of damage is the dissipated energy. However, computation of dissipated energy for the purpose of structural health monitoring requires real-time measurement of lateral forces, which is beyond the capability of conventional sensing methodologies. This paper reports on the development of a methodology to evaluate the energy dissipation in reinforced concrete columns with circular cross sections based on the curvatures measured in the plastic hinge area. Integrating the introduced method in a normalized dissipated energy index provides the possibility of detecting and quantifying minor and moderate damage that is barely visible during visual inspection. The scope of the study included the evaluation of the proposed damage assessment method through hybrid simulation tests on 1/10-, 1/8-, and 1/6-scale hybrid models of a two-span bridge subjected to various amplitudes of near source ground motions of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Fiber-optic sensors were employed for monitoring the deformation response of the columns in the plastic hinge area.