cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Must research participants understand randomization

In standard medical care, physicians select treatments for patients based on clinical judgment, considering which treatment is best for the individual patient, given the patient's history and circumstances. In contrast, investigators conducting randomized clinical trials select treatments for participants based on a random selection process. Because this process represents a significant departure from the norms of standard medical care, it is widely assumed that potential research participants must understand randomization to give valid informed consent. This assumption, together with data that many research participants do not understand randomization, implies that randomized clinical trials often fail to obtain adequately informed consent. Before accepting this conclusion, and before initiating extensive efforts to improve research participants' understanding of randomization, we should assess the plausible, but rarely analyzed assumption that participants need to understand randomization to give valid informed consent for randomized clinical trials.
Myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis elucidated by 31P NMR kinetic studies and 1H PFG-diffusion measurements

We conducted 31P NMR kinetic studies and 1H-diffusion measurements on myosin-catalyzed hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) under varied conditions. The data elucidate well the overall hydrolysis rate and various factors that significantly impact the reaction. We found that the enzymatic hydrolysis of ATP to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was followed by ADP hydrolysis, and different nucleotides such as ADP and guanosine triphosphate acted as competitors of ATP. Increasing ATP or Mg2+ concentration resulted in decreased hydrolysis rate, and such effect can be related to the decrease of ATP diffusion constants. Below 50 °C, the hydrolysis was accelerated by increasing temperature following the Arrhenius’ law, but the hydrolysis rate was significantly lowered at higher temperature (~60 °C), due to the thermal–denaturation of myosin. The optimal pH range was around pH 6–8. These results are important for characterization of myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis, and the method is also applicable to other enzymatic nucleotide reactions.
Tuberculosis Diagnosed at Death in the United States

From 1985 through 1988, 5.1 percent of TB cases reported in the United States were diagnosed at death. Differences in the proportions diagnosed at death by race/ethnicity, sex, and place of birth (United States vs foreign-born) were relatively small. The proportion of cases diagnosed at death increased with age, from 0.7 percent in patients less than 5 years old to 18.6 percent among patients 85 years and older. Only 26.0 percent of cases diagnosed alive were among those 65 years and older, but 60.3 percent of those diagnosed at death were in this age group. Eighteen percent of cases with miliary, meningeal and peritoneal TB were diagnosed at death, compared with 4.8 percent among those with pulmonary TB. These data indicate that TB too often remains unrecognized and that, to prevent continuing deaths from this curable disease, a high index of suspicion of TB remains important, particularly among the elderly and among persons with extrapulmonary sites of disease. (Chest 1991; 100:678-811)
COLOR-MOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN YOUNG ADULTS

Studies have suggested that colors are associated with mood-tones. The following research was conducted to determine the extent to which color-mood associations exist for 200 college-aged adults. Significant differences in performance on a color-mood association task were found between 154 male and 46 female Ss of the same academic discipline as well as between 154 men and 46 women of two different disciplines.
Access to experimental drugs in terminally ill patients: a new idea?

32. In the treatment of a patient, where proven prophylactic, diagnostic and therapeutic methods do not exist or have been ineffective, the physician, with informed consent from the patient, must be free to use unproven or new prophylactic, diagnostic and therapeutic measures, if in the physician’s judgment it offers hope of saving life, re-establishing health, or alleviating suffering. Where possible, these measures should be made the object of research, designed to evaluate their safety and efficacy . . . .’’
Consistent price systems in multiasset markets.

Let 𝑋𝑡 be any d-dimensional continuous process that takes values in an open connected domain 𝒪 in ℝ𝑑. In this paper, we give equivalent formulations of the conditional full support (CFS) property of 𝑋𝑡 in 𝒪. We use them to show that the CFS property of X in 𝒪 implies the existence of a martingale M under an equivalent probability measure such that M lies in the 𝜖g0 neighborhood of 𝑋𝑡 for any given 𝜖 under the supremum norm. The existence of such martingales, which are called consistent price systems (CPSs), has relevance with absence of arbitrage and hedging problems in markets with proportional transaction costs as discussed in the recent paper by Guasoni et al. (2008), where the CFS property is introduced and shown sufficient for CPSs for processes with certain state space. The current paper extends the results in the work of Guasoni et al. (2008), to processes with more general state space.
Observations of Near-Inertial Waves in a Front

Abstract Near-inertial with horizontal scales ∼O(10 km) dominate profiles of velocity finestructure collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Front during January 1980. Considerable spatial variability is observed. Two features in particular contain most of the energy: a 20 cm s−1 amplitude (λz = 100 m) wave on the warm edge of the front propagating downward and away from the front, and a low wavenumber (λz = 500 m) wave reflecting off the surface. The propagating wavegroup is four times as energetic as the local downgoing near-inertial wave field. Its spatial structure is not consistent with propagation in a homogeneous medium, which suggests that it may be interacting with the front. Possible mechanisms for the existence and properties of the wavegroup are discussed, including baroclinic/barotropic instability, wind-forcing and enhancement by wave-mean flow interaction. a wave-mean flow interaction model that predicts trapping and amplification of near-inertial flow interaction. A wave-mean flow intera...
Some explicit formulas for mixed exponential service systems

Abstract We present some explicit formulas for queue length and waiting time distributions of customers in the M / HE m /1 queue. The formulas are obtained with the aid of roots of quadratic, cubic, and quartic polynomials constructed from a recurrence equation. With an example, we demonstrate that the formulas for queueing distributions are extremely accurate, while the corresponding infinite history M / GI /1 recurrence equation is not. Applications include computation of queueing distributions, accurate tail probabilities, and in systems where exponentiality can be replaced by hyperexponentiality. The explicit solutions are easier to use than the problem-specific partial fraction expansions of the Pollachek-Khinchin transform.
Subcellular location of rat liver calciferol-25-hydroxylase.

The major calciferol-25-hydroxylase from rat liver is shown to be localized in the microsomal cell fraction. As was previously observed in whole homogenates, microsomal calciferol-25-hydroxylase activity decreases dramatically following in vivo vitamin D 3 administration. In the absence of added cytoplasmic fraction from liver, vitamin D 3 is completely degraded by incubation with liver microsomes and other cell fractions. Addition of liver cytoplasmic fraction to the microsomal incubation both inhibits destruction of vitamin D 3 and stimulates production of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 demonstrating the existence of a liver cytoplasmic factor important to the microsomal 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D 3 . Isolated mitochondria are able to convert vitamin D 3 to compounds similar in polarity to 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . The major product of this reaction is not 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . The mitochondrial reactions are not influenced by in vivo vitamin D 3 administration, and their products do not appear when [ 3 H]vitamin D 3 is incubated with the liver homogenates from vitamin D 3 -treated rats, casting doubt on their physiological significance.
Regulation of Fas-associated Death Domain Interactions by the Death Effector Domain Identified by a Modified Reverse Two-hybrid Screen

The adapter protein FADD consists of two protein interaction domains and is an essential component of the death inducing signaling complex (DISC) that is formed by activated death receptors of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family. The FADD death domain binds to activated receptors such as Fas or other adapters such as TRADD, whereas the FADD death effector domain binds to procaspase 8. Each domain can interact with its target in the absence of the other domain, and this has led to the idea that the two domains function independently. FADD death domain interactions with Fas and TRADD are thought to occur on the same surface; however, the regulation of these interactions is poorly understood. We developed a modified reverse two-hybrid method that can identify mutations, which inhibit some protein-protein interactions without affecting other interactions. Using this method, we identified mutations in FADD that prevent binding to Fas but do not affect binding to TRADD. Surprisingly, these mutations were in the death effector domain rather than the death domain. To test whether the mutants function in mammalian cells, we expressed wild type or mutant FADD molecules in FADD-deficient cells. Wild type FADD rescued both Fas ligand- and TNF-dependent signaling, whereas the FADD death effector domain mutants rescued only TNF signaling. These data indicate that in contrast to current models, the death effector domain of FADD is involved in interaction with Fas.
Rook Theory for Perfect Matchings

In classical rook theory there is a fundamental relationship between the rook numbers and the hit numbers relative to any board. In that theory the k-th hit number of a board B can be interpreted as the number of permutations whose intersection with B is of size k. In the case of Ferrers boards there are q-analogues of the hit numbers and the rook numbers developed by A. M. Garsia and J. B. Remmel (1986, J. Combin. Theory, Ser. A41, 246-275) M. Dworkin (1996, ''Generalizations of Rook Polynomials,'' Ph. D. Thesis, Brandeis University''; 1998, J. Combin. Theory, Ser. A81, 149-175) and J. Haglund (1998, Adv. Appl. Math.20, 450-487). In this paper we develop a rook theory appropriate for shifted partitions, where hit numbers can be interpreted as the number of perfect matchings in the complete graph whose intersection with the board is of size k. We show there is also analogous q-theory for the rook and hit numbers for these shifted Ferrers boards.
Determining residual urine volumes using a portable ultrasonographic device

Abstract Residual urine volumes of 24 men with neurogenic bladder dysfunction were repetitively assessed 400 times with the BVI-2000 BladderScan portable ultrasonographic device prior to 100 episodes of intermittent catheterization. By comparing each examiner's first ultrasonographic measurement of urine volume with the catheterized urine volume, the mean error of the ultrasonographic measurements was −26 mL (−11%) and the mean absolute error was 44mL (22%). The ultrasonographic measurements detected the presence of residual urine volumes of ≥100mL with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 81%. In the subset of catheterization episodes in which the catheterized urine volumes were ≤200mL, the mean error of the ultrasonographic measurements was −15mL (−9%), the mean absolute error was 37mL (28%), and the sensitivity and specificity were 77% and 81%, respectively. There was no clear advantage in using the average or maximum of two repeated ultrasonographic measurements over using each examiner's first ultrasonographic measurement alone. Increased examiner experience did not significantly decrease the erros encountered.
Vitamin B12 studies in total vegetarians (vegans).

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and rate of development of a low (below normal) serum B12 level in clinically well persons on a total vegetarian diet (TVD) with and without supplementation/fortification with B12.Serum B12 and red cell mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were measured in participants on a TVD for 12–340 months. Ability to absorb B12 orally was tested. In addition, urinary methylmalonic acid/creatinine ratio (UMMMCr) was measured in a subgroup of 27.In 47 of 78 adults the B12 level was below 200 pg ml-1, and the MCV was 94.2 ± 4.0. The other 31 adults had a B12 level of 200 or above, averaged 293 ± 85 pg ml-1 and an MCV of 92.6 ± 4.6. Eight children and 12 adults were on the same TVD, but were using B12-fortified soy milk instead of cow's milk. Their B12 level ranged from 255 to 690 (average 417 pg ml-1) with a mean MCV of 88.8 ± 3.5 fl. The serum B12 level of seven of 16 adults with a low serum B12 who chewed a 100 μg tablet of B12 once a week for 6...
Imaging Benzene Molecules and Phenyl Radicals on Cu{111}

In two sets of experiments built on the work of Brian Bent, we imaged benzene molecules and phenyl radicals on the Cu{111} surface at low coverage and low temperature. 1 The experiments allowed us to see how mobile molecules on surfaces probe the electronic structure of the surface. Bare terraces of the Cu{111} surface appear extremely flat in scanning tunneling microscope images. We are thus able to image the perturbations to the electronic structure caused by steps, defects, and adsorbates. These perturbations determine the structure and dynamics of the adsorbates. Benzene forms ordered structures along step edges at even very low coverages. Adsorbed phenyl radicals form complex pairs, aligned so as to be able to couple to form biphenyl at higher temperature. We discuss the chemical consequences of such substrate-mediated interactions.
Competitive Advantages of Earlier Onset of Foraging in Pogonomyrmex occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

ABSTBACT Colonies of the western harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Cresson) with greater genetic diversity begin foraging earlier, forage for longer durations, and collect more food than those with less genetic diversity. In this study we tested whether earlier onset of foraging improved the foraging success of colonies at baits placed midway between neighbors. Colonies that began foraging earlier in the morning were more likely to be the first to discover the food and to monopolize the food source. Colony size was also important with larger nests monopolizing significantly more baits than smaller nests. These results show that early foraging by colonies can provide an intraspecific foraging advantage at a clumped food resource. This advantage adds more evidence to a growing body of work showing how polyandry, genetic diversity, and colony-level performance are interrelated in P. occidentalis colonies.
Intracanopy variation in leaf morphology and physiology in dominant shrubs of Florida’s xeric uplands

The variation in morphological traits and photosynthetic potentials associated with light conditions in the canopy can determine whole-plant function. However, leaf structure–function relationships...
Dopant and thermal interaction on SPE formed SiC for NMOS performance enhancement

The dopant and thermal interaction on solid phase epitaxy (SPE) formed SiC has been investigated. We have studied the impact on substitutional carbon concentration ([C] sub ) from various thermal steps including low temperature anneal, SiGe epitaxy thermal budget, RTP, and laser anneal (LSA). Regarding the integration scheme for implementing embedded SiC (eSiC) S/D on NMOS performance enhancement, both post-LDD and post-S/D schemes were studied. The higher [C] sub in post-LDD scheme was observed and the S/D dopants were found to enhance the carbon precipitation into interstitial with conventional RTP/LSA activation thermal processes. The phosphorous implant is also found to degrade [C] sub in comparison to As implant. The higher [C] sub and proximity to channel of formed eSiC in post-LDD scheme are beneficial to device performance. The fabricated eSiC S/D NMOS shows 31% mobility improvement and 7% current enhancement.
Modeling atmospheric turbulence effects on a ground-based interferometer

Bester et al. report measurements of atmospheric fluctuations made with the Infrared Spatial Interferometer, which indicated behavior not in accord with the standard Kolmogorov model with only a single constant wind velocity. Our numerical simulations use relatively complex models of the atmosphere to investigate both Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov models. We find that the measurements of Bester et al. for light passing through the upper atmosphere are within the limits of behavior for Kolmogorov models, but often only if the outer scale of turbulent fluctuations is between 15 to 100 meters. The possibility that the measured behavior might be non-Kolmogorov is not excluded. We also examine measurements made along short paths in the surface boundary layer, where some measurements of Bester et al. showed variations in the atmospheric fluctuations with seeing conditions which appeared to be non-Kolmogorov. These variations can be perhaps be explained by standard models, but require that seeing improve with increasing wind speed in the surface layer. We discuss some other measurements which lend some support to that idea. However, we cannot exclude non-Kolmogorov behavior. We find that meteorological data is needed concurrent with astronomical observations, to help constrain the models. The size of the outer scale, the wind velocity profile and the turbulence spectrum are important to the ultimate capabilities of interferometers and other systems with adaptive optics.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identification of localized autoantibody epitopes in thyroid peroxidase.

Recent reports have disagreed on the nature of the autoantibody epitopes in thyroid peroxidase (TPO). We used immunoprecipitation of recombinant human TPO constructs to determine if localized autoantibody binding sites exist in this autoantigen. In vitro transcription and translation of TPO cDNA fragments yielded 35S-labeled products consisting of either full-length protein (933 amino acids) or N-terminal peptides of 631, 455, and 120 amino acids. Immunoprecipitates analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography revealed that the Hashimoto's sera consistently precipitated the full-length and the 631 amino acid products, but not the shorter N-terminal peptides. An additional construct resulting in a full-length TPO peptide with an internal deletion of amino acids 4-455 was also made, and this product was also precipitated by the Hashimoto's sera. A fusion protein consisting of maltose binding protein followed by amino acids 456-933 of human TPO was produced in Esc...
The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Virgina Woolf Studies and aims to provide a snapshot of the field. Urmila Seshagiri (University of Tennessee) and Rishona Zimring (Lewis and Clark College) first provide an introduction for this paper along with Sara Gerend's article, “‘Street Haunting’: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis.” The full text of Benjamin Harvey's piece then follows. These papers grew out of the 15th Annual International Virginia Woolf Conference (College of Lewis and Clark, Portland, OR, June 9–12, 2005). The full cluster is made up of the following articles: “Introduction: Virginia Woolf and The Art of Exploration,” Urmila Seshagiri and Rishona Zimring, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00393.x “Virginia Woolf's Sense of Adventure,” Maria DiBattista, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00394.x “The Twentieth Part: Virginia Woolf in the British Museum Reading Room,” Benjamin Harvey, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00395.x “‘Street Haunting’: Phantasmagorias of the Modern Imperial Metropolis,” Sara Gerend, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00396.x “Hyde Park Gate News,” Gill Lowe, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00397.x “The Art of ‘Scene-Making’ in the Charleston Bulletin Supplements,” Claudia Olk, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00398.x “A Camera of Her Own: Woolf and the Legacy of the Indomitable Mrs. Cameron,” Emily Setina, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00399.x “Woolfian Resonances,” Anne Fernald, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00400.x “Early Twentieth-Century British Women Travellers to Greece: Contextualizing the Example of Virginia Woolf,” Martha Klironomos, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00401.x “‘Others Wanted to Travel’: Woolf and ‘America Herself’,” Thaine Stearns, Literature Compass 3 (2006), 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2006.00402.x
Integrating the imposed query into the evaluation of reference service: A dichotomous analysis of user ratings

Abstract A secondary analysis of a user survey administered in 13 public libraries examined user ratings of reference services by transaction type. Transaction type is defined dichotomously as self-generated (users transacting questions they have determined for themselves) or imposed (agent users in the library seeking information on behalf of someone else). Users with self-generated questions rated library services lower than did users with imposed questions. Both groups rated the library experience lower than their reference desk experience, and imposed queries were responsible for proportionately higher “first time” use of the reference desk. No significant difference existed between groups for ratings of finding useful information in the library, finding everything wanted in the library visit, frequency of library use, or levels of attained formal education. There were significant differences found for ratings of the reference librarian's service behaviors, user satisfaction with reference service, and frequency of reference desk use.
Directive effects in the hydroboration of 1-alkenyl derivatives of o-carborane with representative hydroborating agents

Abstract A series of 1-alkenyl- o -carboranes was hydroborated using representative hydroborating agents with different steric requirements. The steric and electronic effects of the carboranyl group were evaluated by examining the distribution of the isomeric alcohols obtained after oxidation of the intermediate carboranyl-substituted organoboranes.
The politics of pollution control in Brazil: State actors and social movements cleaning up Cubatão

Abstract This study of environmental policy making in Brazil focuses on a successful program to control air, water, and soil pollution in Cubatao, which previously had been widely known as one of the most polluted cities in the world. It examines the role played by a temporary alliance between state technocrats and popular movements formed to push the local polluting industries to comply with environmental legislation. It concludes that, during Brazil's democratic transition, it was possible for state and social groups to avoid traditional patterns of cooptation and confrontation in policy making.
High performance computing of fiber scattering simulation

Cellulose is one of the most promising energy resources that is waiting to be tapped. Harvesting energy from cellulose requires decoding its atomic structure. Some structural information can be exposed by modeling data produced by X-ray scattering. Forward simulation can be used to explore structural parameters of cellulose, including the diameter, twist and coiling, but modeling fiber scattering is computationally challenging. In this paper, we explore how to accelerate a molecular scattering algorithm by leveraging a modern high-end Graphic Processing Unit (GPU). A step-wise optimization approach is described in this work that considers memory utilization, math intrinsics, concurrent kernel execution and workload partitioning. Different caching strategies to manage the state of the atom volume in memory are taken into account. We have developed optimized cluster solutions for both CPUs and GPUs. Different workload distribution schemes and con- current execution approaches for both CPUs and GPUs have been investigated. Leveraging accelerators hosted on a cluster, we have reduced days/weeks of intensive simulation to parallel execution of just a few minutes/seconds. Our GPU-integrated cluster solution can potentially support concurrent modeling of hundreds of cellulose fibril structures, opening up new avenues for energy research.
Describing Variation in Home Health Care Episodes for Patients With Heart Failure

This cohort study used Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data to describe home health care episode variation for patients (N = 103 869) with heart failure (HF), according to prior site of care. The most common episode is admission followed by discharge home, occurring for 63% of patients in the hospital, and 58% of patients at home, prior to home health care admission. Hospitalization with no return to home health care comprised the next most frequent pattern, occurring most often (16%) for patients with skilled nursing facility as prior site of care, and least often (11%) for patients at home prior to admission. Home health care episodes vary for patients with HF according to prior site of care, perhaps a reflection of variation in patients’ care needs (restorative, maintenance, palliative).
Nuclear data sheets for A = 221

The available information on the decay characteristics and level structure for all nuclei with the mass number A = 221 is examined. A summary and evaluation of the experimental data, including adopted values and comparisons with theory, are presented. The individual level schemes are discussed, and comments pertaining to spin and parity assignments and to gamma-ray multipolarities are given. Any apparert discrepancies or inconsistencies are pointed out. It should be noted that most of the level information in the A = 221 mass chain is obtained from the alpha decay of the A = 225 parent. The spin and parity of the /sup 221/Fr g.s. has been the subject of much discussion in the literature. The spin assignments for the levels in /sup 221/Fr are highly correlated with spin and parity assignments suggested by the compilers in both the /sup 225/Ac parent (particularly the g.s.) and the /217/At daughter (particularly the 217.6-keV level). The spin assignments proposed for the levela in /sup 221/Fr must, therefore, be consistent with the available information on both the parent and the daughter. It should therefore be noted that any new information which would alter the suggested spin assignments in either of these nuclei maymore » necessitate changes in the proposed assignments for /sup 221/Fr. The level schemes of each of the A = 221 nuclei are shown first, followed by the data used in calculating alpha -hindrance factors. The information on the respective A = 221 nuclei, listed in order of increasing Z, is presented according to the following format: the experimental decay data and their evaluation; reaction data (if any); a summary of the level properties and spin assignments; a discussion of gamma-ray properties; and compilers' comments. The reference list is given at the end of the A = 221 review. All information obtained prior to May 1973 is included. (auth)« less
Atomic structure of zero-magnetostrictive amorphous Fe4.7Co70.3Si15B10 alloy

Abstract The atomic radial distribution function (RDF) of zero-magnetostrictive Fe 4.7 Co 70.3 Si 15 B 10 amorphous alloys was determined by the energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. The nature of the atomic short-range order in the alloy was investigated by examining the structure of the crystalline compounds with similar compositions and by comparing the RDF of this alloy with those of similar amorphous alloys. It is suggested that the metalloid elements in this alloy retain a high degree of compositional short-range order, just as in many other transition metal-metalloid amorphous alloys.
Femtosecond laser erasing and rewriting of self-organized planar nanocracks in fused silica glass

Tightly focused, linearly polarized, femtosecond laser radiation can produce highly birefringent nanograting structures inside fused silica glass. Here we report that when the polarization direction of the femtosecond light is changed, old nanogratings are erased and simultaneously replaced with new ones whose orientation is solely determined by the polarization of the rewrite beam. We also show that these volume nanogratings can be rewritten 1000 times with little degradation in their quality.
Effect of chlorpromazine and haloperidol on negative contrast

Rats shifted from 32 to 4% sucrose consume substantially less of the 4% solution than animals that have not had prior experience with the 32% sucrose. This negative contrast effect was not substantially influenced by chlorpromazine (1, 3, and 5 mg/kg) or haloperidol (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg). Haloperidol decreased overall lick frequency, but this decrease occurred proportionately in shifted and unshifted rats, leaving contrast intact. The benzodiazepine flurazepam (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg), included as a positive control, reduced contrast at the two highest doses. The results suggest that neuroleptics do not disrupt consummatory contrast and that dopaminergic antagonists may not influence reward relativity.
Discretion without accountability: politics, flood damage, and climate

Federal disaster assistance is one component of U.S. policy for coping with damaging floods. The president ultimately determines whether or not federal relief is provided to states and local communities following a disaster. Yet, guidelines governing the president's discretion are vague and the total federal cost of disaster assistance is extremely difficult to determine. This study analyzes flood-related presidential disaster declarations from 1965 to 1997. It compares the annual number of flood-related declarations to measures of precipitation and flood damage, finding that presidents have differed significantly in disaster declaration policy. Annual differences in declarations during seven presidential administrations do not correspond to the president's political party affiliation. In addition, a state's ability to pay has not been a major consideration in presidential decisions about whether a disaster warrants federal assistance. However, presidential decisions are related to whether or not the pres...
Life cycle characteristics of Machaeranthera gracilis (Compositae) in desert habitats

Plant population dynamics and life cycle characteristics are presented for two genetically related, yet ecologically distinct, chromosomal races of Machaeranthera gracilis (Nutt.) Shinners. Seedling mortality was very high for a field population of the desert race (n=2) as only 8% of the maximum number of seedlings produced did survive to the period of peak reproduction. Lower mortality occurred in the foothills race (n=4) as 15% of the maximum number of seedlings produced did survive until the period of peak reproduction. The desert race also exhibited the capacity to assume the perennial growth habit. Perennial plants of the desert race produced 4.4 heads/plant (116 heads/m2) versus 0.2 heads/plant (4 heads/m2) for annual plants of the desert race under field conditions. Annual plants of the foothills race produced 2.7 heads/plant (75 heads/m2). The perennial habit did not occur in field populations of the foothills race. When grown in identical glasshouse conditions the desert race reached anthesis of the first four flower heads ca. 25 days prior to the foothills race. This acceleration to anthesis was accompanied by a greater potential reproductive allocation. The latter response was due in part to greater biomass allocation to reproductive structures at the expense of vegetative structures, and the uncoupling of net photosynthesis from phenological events.
Evaluation of plastic composite-supports for enhanced ethanol production in biofilm reactors

Biofilms are a natural form of cell immobilization that result from microbial attachment to solid supports. Biofilm reactors with polypropylene composite-supports containing up to 25% (w/w) of various agricultural materials (corn hulls, cellulose, oat hulls, soybean hulls or starch) and nutrients (soybean flour or zein) were used for ethanol production. Pure cultures ofZymomonas mobilis, ATCC 31821 orSaccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 24859 and mixed cultures with either of these ethanol-producing microorganisms and the biofilm-formingStreptomyces viridosporus T7A ATCC 39115 were evaluated. An ethanol productivity of 374g L−1 h−1 (44% yield) was obtained on polypropylene composite-supports of soybean hull-zein-polypropylene by usingZ. mobilis, whereas mixed-culture fermentations withS. viridosporus resulted in ethanol productivity of 147.5 g L−1 h−1 when polypropylene composite-supports of corn starch-soybean flour were used. WithS. cerevisiae, maximum productivity of 40 g L−1 h−1 (47% yield) was obtained on polypropylene composite-supports of soybean hull-soybean flour, whereas mixed-culture fermentation withS. viridosporus resulted in ethanol productivity of 190g L−1 h−1 (35% yield) when polypropylene composite-supports of oat hull-polypropylene were used. The maximum productivities obtained without supports (suspension culture) were 124 g L−1 h−1 and 5 g L−1 h−1 withZ. mobilis andS. cerevisiae, respectively. Therefore, forZ. mobilis andS. cerevisiae, ethanol productivities in biofilm fermentations were three- and eight-fold higher than suspension culture fermentations, respectively. Biofilm formation on the chips was detected by weight change and Gram staining of the support material at the end of the fermentation. The ethanol production rate and concentrations were consistently greater in biofilm reactors than in suspension cultures.
Condom use among U.S. students: the importance of confidence in normative and attitudinal perceptions.

The author performed a study among U.S. undergraduates to test an earlier conclusion (D. Trafimow, 1994) that confidence in the correctness of one's perceptions of normative pressure to use a condom influences the correspondence between those perceptions and the intentions actually to perform the behavior. Consistent with previous findings (Trafimow), the participants' perceptions of normative pressure strongly predicted their intentions to use condoms only under conditions of extreme normative confidence. Otherwise, their attitudes were better predictors of their intentions to use condoms. In addition, 2 other variables (attitudinal confidence and perceived behavioral control) were found to be unimportant predictors of intentions. Results of a 2nd study suggest that behaviors performed by sexual partners and knowing the sexual partners affected the participants' normative confidence.
Cesium‐insensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary The molecular analysis of solute transport across the plasma membrane in animals and microorganisms has been aided by the analysis of well-defined transport mutants. To obtain mutant plants with genetic defects in cation transport, the inhibitory effect of monovalent cations (Li+, Na+, Rb+, and Cs+) on Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination was tested. Cesium was unique in that at low concentrations it strongly inhibited seedling development. In this report it is demonstrated that cesium is a competitive inhibitor for potassium transport in A. thaliana and its toxicity is closely tied to the level of potassium supplied. Conditions were obtained to maximize the cesium-sensitivity for seed germination in a large population, and selection for resistance using M2 seeds derived from ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-treated plants yielded several dozen resistant plants. Seeds derived from these plants yielded cesium-Insensitive mutant lines with heritable changes in energy-dependent potassium uptake. In progeny from a backcross to wild-type plants, at least one of the lines showed the segregation ratio expected for a single-gene recessive mutation and an RFLP analysis mapped the mutant locus to the top of chromosome 4.
Ice Nuclei from Automobile Exhaust and Iodine Vapor

When exposed to a trace of iodine vapor, the submicroscopic particles of lead exhausted by automobiles produce nuclei for the formation of ice crystals. Concentrations of particles exceeding 106 per liter can be directly sampled from the exhaust pipe of an idling motor. Concentrations of from 104 to 105 per liter have been found in rural air downwind of auto roads; the concentration at one rural site has increased by an order of magnitude in 13 years. The phenomenon may provide a method of modifying clouds, and of determining ( and monitoring) the percentage of automobile exhaust in a polluted atmosphere. It may be an important factor in inadvertent modification by man of the climate.
Stable metal–insulator transition in epitaxial SmNiO3 thin films

Abstract Samarium nickelate (SmNiO 3 ) is a correlated oxide that exhibits a metal–insulator transition (MIT) above room temperature and is of interest for advanced electronics and optoelectronics. However, studies on SmNiO 3 thin films have been limited to date, in part due to well-known difficulties in stabilizing the Ni 3+ valence state during growth, which are manifested in non-reproducible electrical characteristics. In this work, we show that stable epitaxial SmNiO 3 thin films can be grown by rf magnetron sputtering without extreme post-deposition annealing conditions using relatively high growth pressure (>200 mTorr). At low growth pressure, SmNiO 3 is insulating and undergoes an irreversible MIT at ∼430 K. As pressure is increased, films become metallic across a large temperature range from 100 to 420 K. At high pressure, films are insulating again but with a reversible and stable MIT at ∼400 K. Phase transition properties can be continuously tuned by control of the sputtering pressure.
Determination of hydrogen pęrmeation parameters in alpha titanium using the mass spectrometer

The kinetic parameters of hydrogen permeation through α-Ti were determined from mass spectrographic measurements between 400° and 800°C and 0.004 and 2.0 torr H2. The specimens were hollow cylinders and the hydrogen source was gaseous hydrogen. Hydrogen entered the specimen wall at the inside surface and emerged from the specimen at the outside surface. The permeated hydrogen flux is given byP = 1.6 × 10−5 p exp (-14,900 ± 856/RT) mole torr/s cm2 where the hydrogen pressure isp and the permeation activation energy is 14,900 cal mole−1 The surface dependent nature of hydrogen permeation in α-Ti is established in these experiments by the observations that 1) permeation is not proportional to the square root of input hydrogen pressure, 2) the concentration gradient calculated from experimental permeation data is lower than it would be if equilibrium solubility had developed, and 3) the diffusional frequency factor as determined under nonsteady-state conditions is low by a factor of three compared with values determined by others.
Synthesis of Novel Bisphosphono-Pyrimidinediones Via Pentacovalent Organophosphorus Methodology

Abstract The synthesis of bisphosphono-pyrimidinediones from the condensations of pentacovalent oxaphospholenes with isocyanates is discussed.
Curvature-Induced Dielectrophoresis (C-iDEP) for Microfluidic Particle and Cell Manipulations

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a powerful tool for particle and cell manipulations in microfluidic devices. Our group has recently developed a new method that exploits the intrinsic curvature of microchannel walls for a diverse electrical control of particle and cell motions, which is termed Curvature-induced Dielectrophoresis (C-iDEP). Due to the variation in path length for electric current, the electric field becomes inherently non-uniform within a microchannel turn. Thus induced DEP can generate a cross-stream particle motion, which is a nonlinear function of electric field and superimposed to the linear electrokinetic motion enabling flexible particle manipulations. This paper presents our recent results on the deflection, focusing, filtration, and separation of particles and cells in curved microchannels by the use of C-iDEP.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
PROPYLENE POLYMERIZATION WITH CHIRAL AND ACHIRAL UNBRIDGED 2-ARYLINDENE METALLOCENES

Unbridged 2-arylindenyl metallocene complexes, such as bis(2-phenylindenyl)zirconium dichloride, in the presence of methyaluminoxane (MAO) are catalyst precursors for the synthesis of elastomeric polypropylenes. The effects of 1-methyl substitution on the polymerization behavior of these unbridged 2-arylindene complexes have been studied. The reaction of the lithium salt of 1-methyl-2-phenylindene with ZrCl4 leads to the formation of two diastereomers of bis(1-methyl-2-phenylindenyl)zirconium dichloride: rac- and meso-(1-Me-2-PhInd)2ZrCl2. The two isomers have been separated by fractional crystallization and identified by X-ray crystallography. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that the dihedral angles between the planes of the phenyl and the indenyl rings have significantly increased upon 1-methyl substitution (28−34° compared to 10−12° for unsubstituted (2-PhInd)2ZrCl2), which suggests strong steric repulsion between the 1-methyl and 2-phenyl groups. In ethylene polymerization, the productivity o...
Monovalent derivatives of concanavalin A.

Abstract Monovalent dimers of concanavalin A (Con A) have been prepared by a combination of succinylation and photoaffinity labeling. Partial derivatization of native Con A using the photoaffinity label, p-azidophenyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside, followed by affinity chromatography yielded a fraction that consisted of dimers with a single saccharide-binding site at pH 5. These monovalent dimers formed divalent tetramers at pH 7. In order to achieve a monovalent dimer at this pH, the divalent tetramers were succinylated by previously developed methods. Ultracentrifugation, equilibrium dialysis, and chromatographic experiments indicated that the resultant preparations consisted mainly of monovalent dimers which showed subunit exchange to yield about 15% divalent dimers after 12 hr at physiological pH. Freshly prepared material failed to agglutinate sheep erythrocytes at concentrations 500-fold higher than native tetravalent Con A. In addition, they showed saturating dose-response curves of mitogenic stimulation of mouse splenic lymphocytes. These curves resembled those of divalent succinyl-Con A but not those of the native molecule. Further development of methods for preparing stable monovalent derivatives of Con A should allow a refined analysis of the effects of lectin valence at the cell surface.
Crime and Detection in a Defective World: The Detective Fictions of Borges and Dürrenmatt

The debt of contemporary writers to detective fiction, both in theme and technique, has been noted in recent criticism. However, studies of a comparative nature are virtually nonexistent. This article attempts to show some remarkable parallels in the approach taken by Friedrich Durrenmatt and Jorge Luis Borges to a genre which, as yet, has not acquired recognition as literary art form. The similarities of the two authors are striking both with respect to their world view and to their transformation of the genre through poetic treatment. Detective fiction, which lends itself readily to innovation and parody, is used by these writers to meditate and comment on the reaches and limitations of human reason and on its implications for a genre that has spent itself. Proposing tentatively that its possibilities have been exhausted, Borges and Durrenmatt discover in the process of writing a new and original form, a radically modified detective story as well as the fundamentals of a
X-ray microtomography of materials

X-ray microtomography allows imaging of the interior microstructure of materials non- destructively and with spatial resolution which can approach that of optical microscopy (typically, no better t...
Toward a high-resolution structure of IP3R channel

The ability of cells to maintain low levels of Ca(2+) under resting conditions and to create rapid and transient increases in Ca(2+) upon stimulation is a fundamental property of cellular Ca(2+) signaling mechanism. An increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) level in response to diverse stimuli is largely accounted for by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) present in the endoplasmic reticulum membranes of virtually all eukaryotic cells. Extensive information is currently available on the function of IP3Rs and their interaction with modulators. Very little, however, is known about their molecular architecture and therefore most critical issues surrounding gating of IP3R channels are still ambiguous, including the central question of how opening of the IP3R pore is initiated by IP3 and Ca(2+). Membrane proteins such as IP3R channels have proven to be exceptionally difficult targets for structural analysis due to their large size, their location in the membrane environment, and their dynamic nature. To date, a 3D structure of complete IP3R channel is determined by single-particle cryo-EM at intermediate resolution, and the best crystal structures of IP3R are limited to a soluble portion of the cytoplasmic region representing ∼15% of the entire channel protein. Together these efforts provide the important structural information for this class of ion channels and serve as the basis for further studies aiming at understanding of the IP3R function.
Agricultural marketing boards: their establishment and operation

Agricultural marketing boards: their establishment and operation , Agricultural marketing boards: their establishment and operation , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
Training observers to detect spontaneous deception: Effects of gender

A group of observers were trained to detect deception by instructing them to focus their attention on the reliable behavioral correlates of deception (message duration, response latency, pauses, nonfluencies, adaptors, and hand gestures) and away from unreliable behavioral correlates of deception (e.g., eye contact and leg/feet gestures). Trained observers also practiced detecting deception using this behavioral information. It was predicted that compared with untrained observers, trained observers would detect deception more accurately, but that this effect would be more pronounced for males. It also was predicted that the difference between observers' actual ability to detect deception and their confidence in the accuracy of their judgments would be smaller for trained than for untrained observers. Results were consistent with the first hypothesis; whereas the means were in the predicted direction for the second hypothesis but were not significantly different.
Why Governments Innovate: Adoption and Implementation of Open Source Software by Four European Cities

ABSTRACT A growing number of governments will consider and even choose to migrate to an alternative operating system that uses Free/Open Source Software (FOSS). This research examines why governments choose to migrate and what factors affect implementation. Drawing on a comparative case study of four cities, I find that governments decide to migrate for a range of factors, but are driven more by democratic values such as independence and self-determination than by a desire to cut costs or save money. I also find that implementation is affected by a variety factors but in particular by information technology's place within a city's organizational structure.