cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value and Capital in the Equilibrium Business Cycle Programme

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, when Sir John Hicks was a young scholar at the London School of Economics, there was growing interest in the prospect of an equilibrium approach to the study of business cycles. In 1931, Hayek gave the LSE lectures that were to become Prices and Production, a first attempt to use Austrian capital theory to study aspects of economic fluctuations. Next, in one of his earliest published papers, ‘Equilibrium and the Cycle’, written in 1932, Hicks made two key observations about the developing equilibrium approach.
Syntactic Complexity as an Aspect of Text Complexity

Students’ ability to read complex texts is emphasized in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy. The standards propose a three-part model for measuring text complexity. Although the model presents a robust means for determining text complexity based on a variety of features inherent to a text as well as considerations outside the text, the grammar used in a text is not an overt component of the model. In this essay, we argue that the grammar of a text—especially, the syntactic complexity of sentences in a text—should be included as an explicit and distinct component in a text complexity model due to the fact that grammar contributes to the meaning of text and grammatical meaning impacts reading comprehension. We summarize findings from linguistics research on academic English to support this argument.
Factors affecting the larvicidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis toxin for Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Nematoda)

Abstract The larvidical activity of crystals from Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis for the nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis was not increased by storage for 6 days or moderate heat. However, treatment with trypsin increased the activity. Larvicidal activity was inhibited by cupric or ferric chloride. Gamma or ultraviolet irradiation had no effect on the toxin. First-stage larvae of the nematode also were killed by the B. thuringiensis israelensis toxin. Larvidical effects of the toxin were reduced when in vitro assays were conducted at 4°C. Toxin from bacteria at various periods of cultivation had similar lethal effects on eggs. Growth of the bacterium during the in vitro assay had no relation to resultant toxicity for eggs. The toxin eluted through a reverse-phase Sep-Pak, but was retained by membrane filters with a pore size of 0.8 μm or less. Dialysis of the B. thuringiensis israelensis toxin in sequentially smaller pore size membranes caused no significant change in larvicidal activity. No larvicidal activity was found in ultrafiltrates after passage through filters with molecular weight cutoffs from 500 to 10,000. Toxicity of B. thuringiensis israelensis was reduced by heating to 100°C for 1 hr, autoclaving, or addition of Penicillin G or streptomycin to the eggs' medium. B. thuringiensis kurstaki had no effect on the in vitro toxicity of B. thuringiensis israelensis for nematode eggs, but B. thuringiensis israelensis reduced the toxicity of low doses of B. thuringiensis kurstaki.
Bering Sea circulation explored

A recent survey conducted by NOAA's Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (FOCI) has revealed a well-developed northward flow into the central Bering Sea through two major passes. This survey is the first to depict continuity of inflow through the southern Bering Sea and northward along much of the continental slope of the central deep basin.
Linkage of hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis in Quarter horses to the horse adult skeletal muscle sodium channel gene

Summary. A genetic disease observed in certain Quarter horses is hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis (HYPP). This disease causes attacks of paralysis which can be induced by ingestion of potassium. Recent studies have shown that HYPP in humans is due to single base changes within the adult skeletal muscle sodium channel gene. A large Quarter horse pedigree segregating dominant HYPP was studied to determine if mutations of the sodium channd gene are similarly responsible for HYPP in horses. We used cross-species, PCR-mediated, cDNA cloning and sequencing of the horse adult skeletal muscle sodium channel α-subunit gene to identify a polymorphism, and then used this polymorphism to see if the horse sodium channel gene was genetically linked to HYPP in horses. The sodium channel gene was indeed found to be tightly linked to HYPP (LOD = 2.7, 8 = 0). Our results suggest that HYPP in horses involves the same gene as the clinically similar human disease, and indicates that these are homologous disorders. The future identification of the specific sodium channel mutation causing HYPP in Quarter horses will permit the development of accurate molecular diagnostics of this condition, as has been recently shown for humans.
The Relationship between Caffeine Contracture of Intact Muscle and the Effect of Caffeine on Reticulum

At concentrations between 1 to 10 mM, caffeine reduced the Ca-accumulating capacity of fragmented reticulum obtained from frog and rabbit muscle. With 8 mM caffeine enough Ca was released from frog reticulum to account for the force of the contracture. Caffeine did not affect all reticulum membranes equally. The fraction which was spun down at 2000 g was more sensitive than the lighter fractions. The percentage of the total accumulated Ca released by caffeine decreased with decreasing Ca content of the reticulum. In parallel with their known effects on the caffeine contracture, a drop in temperature increased the caffeine-induced Ca release while procaine inhibited it. Caffeine also inhibited the rate of Ca uptake, which may in part account for the prolongation of the active state caused by caffeine.
Surgical management of thyroid cancer invading the airway

Background: Locally advanced thyroid cancer invading the tracheal cartilage represents a difficult treatment dilemma during thyroidectomy.
Enhanced Toxicity for Mice of Combinations of Bacterial Endotoxin with Antitumor Drugs

The toxicity of Salmonella typhosa 0901W endotoxin to mice was potentiated by (per kilogram) 1 mg of colchicine, 20 mg of emetine, 100 mg of 6-mercaptopurine, 100 mg of 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside, 75 mg of methotrexate, 2 mg of sparsomycin, or 2.5 mg of vinblastine. No potentiation of endotoxin lethality was evident with simultaneously administered (per kilogram): 200 mg of cytosine arabinoside, 450 mg of dibromomannitol, 100 mg of 5-fluorouracil, 125 mg of 5-fluorouracil deoxyriboside, 8 mg of mitomycin C, 1 mg of nitrogen mustard, or 10 mg of tris(1-aziridinyl)-phosphine sulfide. With the exception of colchicine, all drugs prolonged the duration of sleep after the administration of 80 mg of hexobarbital per kg. Simultaneous injection of endotoxin with 100 mg of 6-mercaptopurine per kg, 75 mg of methotrexate per kg, or 1 mg of vincristine per kg resulted in significantly greater lethality than administration either prior to or after the drug. However when endotoxin was administered prior to 100 mg of 5-fluorouracil per kg, lethality was significantly increased. The route of administration of endotoxin and 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, or vincristine did not influence overall lethality. Pretreatment of mice with multiple doses of Escherichia coli endotoxin resulted in a significant reduction in the lethality of 6-mercaptopurine- or vincristine-endotoxin combinations, but had no influence on 5-fluorouracil- or methotrexate-endotoxin combinations. Endotoxin-pretreated mice were more susceptible to vincristine alone and more resistant to high doses of 5-fluorouracil. The lethality of 6-mercaptopurine was increased by simultaneous administration of gram-negative isolates from feces of human patients with neoplastic disease.
Evaluation and comparison of transition states with the HCTH98 and FT97 functionals

Abstract A series of seven transition states was examined using the new pure density functionals, Hamprecht–Cohen–Tozer–Handy 1998 (HCTH98) and Filatov–Thiel 1997 (FT97). Both HCTH98 and FT97 surpass older pure functionals in quality and compare favorably to hybrid functionals, exhibiting good geometries and frequencies. HCTH98 outperforms all of the pure and hybrid functionals regarding barrier-height calculations, whereas FT97 rivals hybrids in accuracy. Basis-set effects ranging from 6-31G(d) to aug-cc-pVTZ were investigated and determined to be minimal. The use of fitting basis sets to obtain third-order scaling had negligible effects.
Comments on “trivial influences: A doubly stochastic poisson process model permits the detection of arbitrarily small electromagnetic signals”

I show that Pickard's mathematics cannot properly describe the effects of time-correlated signals in the presence of incoherent noise and cannot, therefore, properly address most signal-to-noise questions. Aside from this objection, I show that Pickard's conclusions follow from an ingenuous definition of “small signals” and do not hold for realistic models of biological processes and more conventional descriptions of “small signals.” © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A remote laboratory for USRP-based software defined radio

Electrical and computer engineering graduates need practical working skills with real-world electronic devices, which are addressed to some extent by hands-on laboratories. Deployment capacity of hands-on laboratories is typically constrained due to insufficient equipment availability, facility shortages, and lack of human resources for in-class support and maintenance. At the same time, at many sites, existing experimental systems are usually underutilized due to class scheduling bottlenecks. Nowadays, online education gains popularity and remote laboratories have been suggested to broaden access to experimentation resources. Remote laboratories resolve many problems as various costs can be shared, and student access to instrumentation is facilitated in terms of access time and locations. Labs are converted to homeworks that can be done without physical presence in laboratories. Even though they are not providing full sense of hands-on experimentation, remote labs are a viable alternatives for underserved educational sites. This paper studies remote modality of USRP-based radio-communication labs offered by National Instruments (NI). The labs are offered to graduate and undergraduate students and tentative assessments support feasibility of remote deployments.
Effect of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on hydrolysis of urea by plant, microbial, and soil urease

Comparison of the effects of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) on hydrolysis of urea by plant (jackbean), microbial (Bacillus pasteurii), and soil urease showed that whereas NBPT was considerably more effective than PPD for inhibiting hydrolysis of urea added to soil, it was much less effective than PPD for inhibiting hydrolysis of urea by plant or microbial urease. Studies to account for this observation indicated that NBPT is rapidly decomposed in soil to a compound that is much more effective than NBPT for inhibition of urease activity and that this compound is N-(n-butyl) phosphoric triamide.
Evaluation of sonic IR for NDE at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Sonic IR was evaluated as an NDE technique at LLNL using a commercial ThermoSoniX system from Indigo Systems Corp. The main effort was to detect small cracks in aluminum oxide, a dense stiff ceramic. Test coupons were made containing 0.2- mm cracks by surface grinding, 1-mm cracks by compression with a Vickers bit, and 4-mm cracks by 3-point bending. Only the 3-point bend cracks produced thermal images. Several parts shattered during testing, perhaps by being forced at resonance by the 20-kHz acoustic probe. Tests on damaged carbon composite coupons produced thermal images that were in excellent agreement with ultrasonic inspection. The composite results also showed some dependence on contact location of the acoustic probe, and on the method of support. Tests on glass with surface damage produced weak images at the pits. Tests on metal ballistic targets produced thermal images at the impact sites. Modal analyses suggest that the input frequency should be matched to the desired response, and also that forced resonance damaged some parts.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Effect of Target Color and Contrast on Movement Times in Aimed Movement Tasks

Today's use of various devices and software requires pointing, clicking or touching within a variety of graphic user interfaces. Understanding the effect of the potential variety of interface eleme...
A technique for measuring and optimizing modulator extinction ratio

Summary form only given. As global communication systems rapidly expand and high-speed optical TDM and WDM networks continue to mature, the performance of optical modulators becomes increasingly important. Accurate methods of characterizing and optimizing key parameters, such as the extinction ratio, to levels exceeding 40 dB become necessary. The modulator extinction ratio (ER), defined as the power off-to-on ratio, impacts on communication performance in many ways. It determines the initial distance between logical zero and one power levels. Incomplete ER degrades sensitivity in optically preamplified links and leads to multiple interferometric cross talk, which adversely impacts both TDM and WDM systems. Furthermore, the ER limits the dynamic range of data-rates for variable duty-cycle (VDC) multi-rate optical communications. The author describes a new method for accurately measuring ER using the properties of average power limited (APL) amplifiers that does not require high-speed detection equipment.
Assembling Nonspherical 2D Binary Nanoparticle Superlattices by Opposite Electrical Charges: The Role of Coulomb Forces

High-quality ∼16 nm c-In2O3 nanoctahedra and ∼6 nm Pd spherical nanoparticles were synthesized via a high-temperature wet-chemical approach, and their electrophoretic mobilities in toluene were investigated, respectively. Opposite electrical charge-induced 2D binary nanoparticle superlattice patterns containing two such nanocomponents were prepared, for the first time. Three types of c-In2O3-skeleton-structure-contained assembly patterns were identified as well. It was further observed that the vertices of c-In2O3 nanoctahedra could have higher electrical charge density than that on edge or plane and the small Pd nanoparticles were “suspended” on the middle plane of the c-In2O3 nanoctahedra, apparently well above the substrate surface (support film) rather than sitting on it. The assembly structure study indicates that Coulomb forces resulted from the opposite electrical charges are the dominative driving forces to induce the formation of such nanoctahedra-nanospheres 2D binary nanoparticle superlattices.
Implementation of routine screening for Lynch syndrome in university and safety-net health system settings: successes and challenges

Routine screening for evidence of DNA mismatch repair abnormalities can identify colorectal cancer patients with Lynch syndrome, but impact in usual care settings requires study. After implementing routine screening at our university and safety-net health systems as usual practice, our aims were to determine outcomes, including screening process quality. We conducted a retrospective cohort study from 1 May 2010 to 1 May 2011. Screening included reflexive immunohistochemistry to evaluate DNA mismatch repair protein expression for patients with colorectal cancer aged ≤70 years, with a cancer genetics team following up results. Screening outcomes, as well as challenges to a high-quality screening process were evaluated. We included 129 patients (mean age 56 years, 36% female); 100 had immunohistochemistry screening completed. Twelve patients had abnormal immunohistochemistry: four with definite Lynch syndrome, four with probable Lynch syndrome, and three without Lynch syndrome; one patient had an incomplete work-up. Lynch syndrome was confirmed for 6/13 asymptomatic relatives tested. Screening process quality was optimal for 77.5% of patients. Barriers to optimal quality screening included ensuring reflexive immunohistochemistry completion, complete follow-up of abnormal immunohistochemistry, and timely incorporation of results into clinical decision making. Usual care implementation of routine screening for Lynch syndrome can result in significant rates of detection, even in a largely safety-net setting. To optimize implementation, challenges to high-quality Lynch syndrome screening, such as ensuring reflexive screening completion and clinically indicated genetic testing and follow-up for abnormal screens, must be identified and addressed. Genet Med 15 12, 925–932.
Development and Validation of a Spectrophotometric Method for Quantification of Total Glucosinolates in Cruciferous Vegetables

Given their putative role in chemoprevention, validated methods are needed for quantification of total glucosinolates. Based on the colorimetric reaction of ferricyanide with 1-thioglucose, released by alkaline hydrolysis of glucosinolates, we developed a simple and sensitive method for spectrophotometric quantification of total glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables. Lyophilized and ground vegetables are extracted with 80% boiling methanol. Extracted glucosinolates are isolated using a strong anion exchange column and then hydrolyzed with 2 N NaOH to release 1-thioglucose. Ferricyanide is added, and the decrease in absorbance is measured at 420 nm, with final values adjusted for background. Recovery of internal standard (sinigrin) was 107%. Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 5.4% and 15.8%, respectively. Dose response was linear with sinigrin and amount of plant material extracted (R2 ≥ 0.99). Using sinigrin, the lower limit of quantification was 0.6 mg. This straightforward method ma...
Survey of Volunteer Coaches

A survey of 38 volunteer baseball coaches indicated that, although they were experienced coaches and former athletes, their backgrounds did not include formal training in coaching. Coaching styles evolved from observing and working with other coaches. Since most respondents did not feel they were strong motivators, workshops that address this issue and other aspects of coaching are recommended.
Influence of solar variability on global sea surface temperatures

Recent measurements1 have shown that the total solar irradiance decreased at a rate of 0.019% per year between 1980 and 1985, and may still be decreasing. Presumably, this reflects a cyclical variation that may or may not be related to the well-known cycles of solar activity. Using data on globally averaged sea surface temperature (SST) over the past 120 yr2, I show that the solar irradiance may have varied in phase with the 80–90 yr cycle represented by the envelope of the 11-yr solar-activity cycle. As the last peak of this cycle occurred in 1955–60, the next minimum should be reached about the end of the century, by which time the solar irradiance will be reduced from its peak value by ∼1% if the present decay rate of 0.019% per year is typical.
Analogues of an in vitro parathyroid hormone inhibitor: Modifications at the amino terminus

Four analogues of parathyroid hormone were synthesized, based on a sequence previously shown to yield an in vitro inhibitor of PTH action. Binding properties of the analogues to presumed parathyroid hormone receptors were evaluated. Each of these analogues contains a structural alteration of the amino terminus of the compound [Nle-8, Nle-18, Tyr-34]bPTH-(3-34)amide. Each of the analogues--[desamino-Ser-3, Nle-8, Nle-18, Tyr-34]bPTH-(3-34)amide, [acetyl-Glu-4, Nle-8, Nle-18, Tyr-34]bPTH-(3-34)amide, [D-Ser-3, Nle-8, Nle-18, Tyr-34]bPTH-(3-34)amide, and [pyroGlu-4, Nle-8, Nle-18, Tyr-34]bPTH-3(3-34)amide--contains modifications selected to diminish or eliminate the weak PTH-like agonist properties detected in the parent compound in vivo. To permit valid comparison of receptor-binding properties, all the analogues were derived from a common solid-phase synthesis. When assayed in the renal adenylate cyclase assay, each of the compounds inhibited completely PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and was devoid of PTH-like agonist activity. To compare the binding affinity of the analogues for parathyroid hormone binding sites, the peptides were evaluated in a parathyroid hormone renal radioreceptor assay. Each peptide demonstrated a binding affinity comparable with one another and only slightly weaker than that of the unmodified inhibitory analogue, [Nle-8, Nle-18, Tyr-34]bPTH-(3-34)amide. These studies demonstrate that it is possible to alter the amino terminus of parathyroid hormone analogues without causing a dramatic decline in affinity for the parathyroid hormone receptor. Preservation of high receptor-binding affinity in these analogues indicates that synthesis of one or several of these peptides on a scale sufficiently large to permit in vivo evaluation of both agonist and antagonist properties is warranted.
Newsweek’s measure of corporate environmental reputation and the ‘financial halo effect’

Abstract We present in this study the results of our investigation into whether the Newsweek magazine measure of corporate environmental reputation (reported as part of Newsweek’s ranking of the 500 greenest corporations in the United States) suffers from a ‘financial halo effect’. Prior studies (e.g., Brown and Perry, 1994) document that other measures of corporate reputation (Fortune Most Admired scores and their sub‐components) are positively biased by recent financial performance, and as such, we seek to determine whether the same problem exists with this newly available measure. Using the Brown and Perry (1994) model and a sample of 474 of the 500 corporations included in the Newsweek listing, we find that the reputation measure appears to be influenced by at least some aspects of financial performance with firm size having by far the greatest impact. We also find, however, that the impact of firm size and profitability are less pronounced for companies operating in environmentally sensitive industri...
Public transportation: advantages and challenges.

Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Vol. 82, No. 1, doi:10.1093/jurban/jti003 The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the New York Academy of Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.orgAdvance Access publication February 28, 2005
The reactions of p-nitroacetophenone with H and OH radicals

Abstract Reactions of the radiation sensitizer p -nitroacetophenone (PNAP) with H and OH radicals have been studied in detail. PNAP reacts with OH ( k = (3.3 ± 0.3) × 10 9 dm 3 mol -1 s -1 ), presumably in the main by ring addition, to produce a relatively weak absorption with a minor peak at 410 nm (e ∼ 2,000 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ). In contrast the electron adduct has a very strong absorption with peaks at 350 nm (e ∼ 18,200 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ) and 550 nm (e ∼ 2650 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ), in good agreement with literature values. At pH 1 the protonated adduct shows a single peak at 330 nm (e ∼ 20,500 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ). The spectra produced by reaction of PNAP with H atoms ( k = (6 ± 0.5) × 10 8 dm 3 mol -1 s -1 ) is intermediate between those with OH and with e - aq , with peaks at 350 (e ∼ 7100 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ) and 550 nm (750 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ) at neutral pH and near 325 nm (e ∼ 7100 dm 3 mol -1 cm -1 ) at pH 1, but with significant shoulders near 410 nm. These data are consistent with a mechanism whereby H atoms react partially by addition to the nitro group (∼ 30%) and partially by ring addition (∼ 70%).
Control of Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a small aspect ratio container

Active control of Rayleigh-Benard convection in small aspect ratio horizontal layer, by perturbation of the lower thermal boundary condition, is shown. These experiments use a novel shadowgraphic system to measure the departure of a high Prandtl number fluid from the no-motion state. A proportional control scheme uses the shadowgraphic information as feedback to determine the lower boundary heat flux distribution. An array of individually controlled heaters imposes the heating distribution. Significant suppression of the convection amplitude is possible to at least 10 times the critical Rayleigh number. This convection control method provides an economical alternative to magnetic convection suppression.
Local μ and δ opioid receptors regulate amphetamine-induced behavior and neuropeptide mRNA in the striatum

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role that mu and delta opioid receptor blockade has upon stimulant-induced behavior and neuropeptide gene expression in the striatum. Acute administration of amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg i.p.) caused an increase in behavioral activity and preprodynorphin, substance P, and preproenkephalin mRNA expression. Intrastriatal infusion of the mu opioid antagonist, H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH(2) (CTAP), or the delta opioid antagonist, H-Tyr-Tic[CH(2)NH]-Phe-Phe-OH (TIPPpsi), significantly decreased amphetamine-induced vertical activity. However, only CTAP reduced amphetamine-induced distance traveled. Quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry revealed that CTAP blocked amphetamine-induced preprodynorphin and substance P mRNA. However, preproenkephalin mRNA levels in the dorsal striatum were increased to the same extent by CTAP, amphetamine, or a combination of the two drugs. In contrast, TIPPpsi significantly decreased amphetamine-induced mRNA expression of all three neuropeptides. These data indicate that both mu and delta receptor subtypes differentially regulate amphetamine-induced behavior and neuropeptide gene expression in the rat striatum.
Phase transitions in the Nb-D(H) system: Superlattice reflections near the α'-β phase transition

An experimental study of ${\mathrm{NbD}}_{\mathrm{x}}$(${\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{x}}$) alloys (0.70x0.85) in the vicinity of the \ensuremath{\alpha}'-\ensuremath{\beta} phase transition was conducted using x-ray and elastic neutron scattering techniques in the temperature range 300T473 K. ``Superlattice'' reflections between the Bragg peaks of the bcc \ensuremath{\alpha}' phase were observed for both x-ray and neutron scattering but there were significant differences between observations carried out with the two types of radiation. The temperature dependence of these weak reflections was determined in the \ensuremath{\alpha}' phase. These superlattice reflections were interpreted as being due to periodic modulations of the metal lattice caused by the partial ordering of deuterium atoms in the \ensuremath{\alpha}' phase.
Bilateral nephrectomy in chronic hemodialysis and renal transplant patients.

Summary The records of sixty-one patients undergoing bilateral nephrectomy in conjunction with our chronic hemodialysis and renal transplant services were reviewed. Patients on chronic hemodialysis and with functioning homografts were compared with respect to morbidity, hospital stay, incidental operations, effect on blood pressure and hematocrit levels, and indications for surgery.
Hartree—Fock calculation of the barrier to internal rotation in hydrogen peroxide

Abstract Near Hartree—Fock calculations have been carried out on hydrogen peroxide at several dihedral angles. The potential function for internal rotation obtained from these calculations is in excellent agreement with experiment.
Our deepest sympathy: An essay on computer crashes, grief, and loss

This research provides a qualitative elaboration of the research of Reeves and Nass (1996) and Ferdig and Mishra (2004), examining the ways in people relate to computers as social agents. Specifically, this paper investigates the ways in which humans, due to a natural tendency to anthropomorphize computers, may experience significant emotions of grief and loss when computers crash. A content analysis of narratives describing human reactions to computer crashes demonstrates that the metaphoric language used to describe computer failure frames humans’ experience with computer loss in language that highlights the negative impact of human/computer interaction and that references Kubler-Ross’s (1969) stage theory of grief: denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance.
Transplantation of legal systems: an early report on the reception of western laws in Ethiopia

The transplantation of large bodies of law from one society to another is an old exercise.1 It occurred during the Roman Era and there was a general dissemination of the Napoleonic Code in the 19th century. The durability of early transplants has varied but documented explanations for these variations have not come down to us. Recent transplants of this sort have seen an increase in an important dimension of the process. As nations have been drawn apart due to accelerated economic development on the part of some and the relative quiescence of others, there have been attempts to promote a narrowing of the distance by importing the formal societal norms from the more to the less developed. This has meant that transplants have been attempted between countries that were very different culturally as well as economically. History has placed the economic avant-garde primarily in the Western nations which are culturally quite distinct from the less developed continents, particularly Asia and Africa. The theory has been that transplants are least likely to "succeed" where the economic and cultural gaps between the exporting and importing nations are the greatest.2
MAJOR GENETIC SOILS OF THE ARCTIC SLOPE OF ALASKA1

Summary The genetic soils of Arctic Alaska can be arranged in a drainage catena. The mature soils on well-drained sites are Arctic Brown and related soils. The Tundra profile is an imperfectly- to poorly-drained catenamember. The Bogs, with permafrost, occupy many of the broad, flat, very wet areas. No evidence of a qualitative soil-forming process unique to the Arctic areas is found. Instead, the Arctic Tundra is primarily a northern extension of the hydromorphic soils of the forested regions, whereas the Arctic Brown arid related soils represent the northern extensions of the podzolic process. The term Tundra, when used in connexion with zonal great soil groups along with Podzols, Chernozems, Laterites and related soils, is an erroneous one and its use, except for a hydromorphic soil, should be discouraged. The podzolic process on the stable, well-drained sites weakens northward, resulting in the successive development of Podzols, Minimal Podzols, Arctic Browns, Arctic Browns shallow phase, and, finally, no soil formation.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSEUDOSCOURFIELDIA MARINA AND PYCNOCOCCUS PROVASOLII (PRASINOPHYCEAE, CHLOROPHYTA): EVIDENCE FROM 18S rDNA SEQUENCE DATA

18S rDNA sequences were obtained for the prasinophytes Pseudoscourfieldia marina (Throndsen) Manton and Pycnococcus provasolii Guillard. These sequences, along with those of additional prasinophytes and other green algae and land plants, were used for phylogenetic analyses by the neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, and quartet puzzling methods. Results indicate that Ps. marina and Py. provasolii are closely allied and that both should be included in the Pycnococcaceae. In addition, results of these sequence analyses and additional pigment analysis indicate that the organism previously identified as Ps. marina, isolate CCMP 717, is, in fact, a Nephroselmis sp. or is closely related to that genus.
Segmenting texts from outdoor images taken by mobile phones using color features

Recognizing texts from images taken by mobile phones with low resolution has wide applications. It has been shown that a good image binarization can substantially improve the performances of OCR engines. In this paper, we present a framework to segment texts from outdoor images taken by mobile phones using color features. The framework consists of three steps: (i) the initial process including image enhancement, binarization and noise filtering, where we binarize the input images in each RGB channel, and apply component level noise filtering; (ii) grouping components into blocks using color features, where we compute the component similarities by dynamically adjusting the weights of RGB channels, and merge groups hierachically, and (iii) blocks selection, where we use the run-length features and choose the Support Vector Machine (SVM) as the classifier. We tested the algorithm using 13 outdoor images taken by an old-style LG-64693 mobile phone with 640x480 resolution. We compared the segmentation results with Tsar's algorithm, a state-of-the-art camera text detection algorithm, and show that our algorithm is more robust, particularly in terms of the false alarm rates. In addition, we also evaluated the impacts of our algorithm on the Abbyy's FineReader, one of the most popular commercial OCR engines in the market.
Unapparent virus infection and host fitness in three weedy grass species

Summary 1 The effects of pathogens on natural plant populations are poorly understood, in part because many cause few overt symptoms. I investigated the correlations between the incidence of barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) and total panicle length, a fitness proxy, in three apparently unaffected hosts, Bromus hordeaceus (Pooideae), Setaria viridis and Setaria lutescens (Panicoideae). 2 Whereas B. hordeaceus individuals did not differ in fitness with respect to infection, average fitness of infected S. viridis was approximately half that of uninfected individuals, and in one out of two years, infected S. lutescens had approximately 25% higher fitness. Variability among hosts appears to contribute more than variability among BYDV serotypes to the pattern of infection outcomes. 3 These correlations suggest that the relationship between BYDVs and these co-occurring host species ranges from antagonism to mutualism. If so, BYDVs can act as agents of selection in natural populations in which the symptoms of infection are unapparent. 4 The results also demonstrate that infections can be unapparent due to large trait variance rather than small mean effects. Because high trait variances are widespread in many natural populations, unapparent infections may be common in wild plant communities.
Maximum field criteria for a line current source in a conducting medium

Criteria are presented for the maximum amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields that can be produced at various distances by a line current source immersed in a conducting medium of infinite extent.
A time study of staff and student activities in a level II fieldwork program

A study was conducted to determine the cost and benefits of the occupational therapy Level II fieldwork program at University of Michigan Hospitals in order to complete annual contractual agreements between academic and clinical education agencies. A tally sheet consisting of 34 tasks was used by all staff members (therapists, assistants, and clerical support personnel) to record time spent daily on the student program (cost). Students recorded independent treatment provided (benefit). The cost and benefit of the program was equated to a full-time equivalent staff position. Results showed the following: the time staff devoted to the student program was equivalent to 1.33 of a full-time employee's workload and the treatments provided by students were equivalent to 1.35 of an employee's production. The findings of this study support the accepted assumption that the cost of a clinical program for occupational therapy students is at least balanced by the benefits derived from student production. However, the quality of student efforts may be less than that of staff efforts.
Structure and properties of pyrolytic carbons prepared in a fluidized bed between 1900° and 2400°C

Abstract Pyrolytic carbon deposits were produced in a fluidized bed between 1900° and 2400°C from a carrier gas containing between 1% and 15% methane. The carbons had either a ‘granular’, ‘laminar’ or ‘isotropic’ microstructure. Formation of “granular” carbon occurred at low methane partial pressures and low bed surface areas. Increasing the deposition temperature decreased the metallographic grain size and increased the density, X-ray apparent crystallite size, and preferred orientation of the granular deposits so that at the highest temperature, the deposits took on a laminar appearance. Increasing the deposition temperature increased the crystallite size and density of the isotropic and transition deposits. The elastic moduli and fracture stresses of the carbons deposited from 3% methane rose from 1.5 to 1.8 × 106 psi and 18 to 32 × 103 psi, respectively, as the deposition temperature was increased from 1900° to 2400°C. The isotropic and transition carbons had fracture stresses of ~30 × 103 psi and elastic moduli that decreased from ~2.2 to ~1.6 × 106 psi over the deposition temperature range of 1900° to 2400°C. The carbons had thermal conductivities perpendicular to the deposition plane in the range of 1 to 6 × 10−2 cal/cm sec °C. The conductivities were highest for the isotropic carbons and lowest for the most highly oriented laminar carbons. The relations between deposition conditions, structure, and properties are discussed.
Frequency-dependent modulation of inhibition in the rat olfactory bulb.

Abstract Active sniffing in rodents at theta frequency during exploratory behavior has been hypothesized to enhance odorant access to the receptor sheet and to evoke activity patterns in olfactory and limbic structures which facilitate induction of synaptic plasticity. The present results demonstrate a third potential consequence of theta frequency sniffing – reversible enhancement of lateral/feedback inhibition in the rat olfactory bulb. Suppression of mitral/tufted cell single-unit spontaneous activity evoked by single lateral olfactory tract (LOT) shocks was examined during LOT stimulation at either 1 or 5 Hz (theta frequency). Theta frequency stimulation rapidly and reversibly enhanced LOT-evoked suppression compared with 1 Hz stimulation. This enhancement was not stimulus intensity dependent. Sniffing-induced modification of lateral/feedback inhibition may enhance odor processing during exploration.
High-order stitching overlay analysis for advanced process control

In recent years, layer-to-layer overlay methods moved from the linear regime into non-linear high-order methods in order to meet the shrinking overlay requirements. In this study we investigate a large number of metrology structures in the overlapped scribe-line between adjacent scanner fields and the opportunity for improved overlay performance. Sampling and modeling considerations are discussed. In this investigation we consider the opportunities for high-order stitching analysis in process control and scanner monitoring. The goal of this work is to establish a systematic methodology for high order stitching to characterize and reduce overlay errors for advanced IC manufacturing.
Products of phosphoinositide specific phospholipase C can trigger dephosphorylation of cofilin in chemoattractant stimulated neutrophils.

The signal transduction pathways that trigger dephosphorylation of cofilin in neutrophils stimulated with the chemoattractant fMet-Leu-Phe (fMLP) were investigated with a phospho-specific antibody that recognized cofilin only when this protein was phosphorylated on ser-3. Unlike earlier studies that monitored changes in (32)P-labeled cofilin, this Ab allowed us to monitor changes in the total mass of phosphorylated cofilin during neutrophil stimulation. Neutrophils stimulated with fMLP (1.0 microM) for 1.0 min exhibited a massive loss (> 85%) of phosphate from cofilin, which was blocked by an antagonist of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) (1.0 microM U73122). Products of PI-PLC, sn-1,2-diglyceride and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate, are known to activate protein kinase C (PKC) and increase intracellular Ca(2+), respectively. Treatment of neutrophils with agents that selectively activate PKC [4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) ] or cellular Ca(2+) (ionophore A23187) also triggered dephosphorylation of cofilin. Both a nonspecific (100 nM staurosporine) and a highly selective antagonist of PKC (200 nM bisindolylmaleimide I) blocked dephosphorylation of cofilin in neutrophils stimulated with PMA but not with fMLP or ionophore A23187. The calmodulin (CaM) antagonists trifluoperazine (15 microM) and W-7 (50 microM) blocked dephosphorylation of cofilin in stimulated neutrophils whereas inactive/less-active analogs of these inhibitors (15 microM promethazine, 50 microM W-5) were substantially less effective. Calyculin A (40 nM), an antagonist of type 1 and 2A protein phosphatases, also triggered a massive dephosphorylation of cofilin in unstimulated neutrophils through a pathway that was insensitive to inhibitors of type 2B phosphatases. These data suggest that both PKC-dependent and independent pathways can trigger dephosphorylation of cofilin in neutrophils with the latter pathway predominating in fMLP-stimulated cells. These pathways may also contain CaM and a type 2C and/or novel phosphatase (e.g., slingshot).
Short communication: Reducing agents attenuate methylglyoxal-based browning in Parmesan cheese.

The microbial production of methylglyoxal in cheese has been linked to the formation of brown pigmentation and distinctive volatiles. This study investigated methods for preventing methylglyoxal-induced browning in Parmesan cheese through the addition of reducing agents. Cheeses were treated with the reducing agents sodium bisulfite, glutathione, and erythorbate at 2:1 and 4:1 molar ratios with added methylglyoxal, and then incubated at 10°C. Colorimetric methods were used to determine degree of browning at 0, 3, and 6 d. Sodium bisulfite and glutathione inhibited the browning reactions of methylglyoxal compared with the control. Erythorbate was much less effective than the other compounds at inhibiting browning, yet was significantly less browned than the control. These reducing agents are thought to act as strong nucleophiles that can form thiohemiketals and thioketals at the carbonyl carbons of methylglyoxal.
Frames from generalized group fourier transforms and SL_2(F_q)

We explore the problem of deterministically constructing frames and matrices with low coherence, which arises in areas such as compressive sensing, spherical codes, and MIMO communications. In particular, we present a generalization of the familiar harmonic frame by selecting a subset of rows of the generalized discrete Fourier transform matrix over finite groups. We apply our methods to the group SL_2(F_q) and show how to produce frames with remarkably low coherence, for which we provide upper bounds.
Canine multifocal retinopathy caused by a BEST1 mutation in a Boerboel

A 7-month-old male intact Boerboel presented to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University for the evaluation of ocular discharge. Bilateral multifocal serous retinal detachments were noted on fundus examination as an incidental finding. Genetic testing confirmed the dog to be homozygous for a mutation in the BEST1 gene, where a C73 T/R25 X change results in premature termination codon. Further testing, including electroretinography and optical coherence tomography (OCT), demonstrated that there was no evidence of retinal photoreceptor dysfunction and confirmed that observed lesions were characteristic of canine multifocal retinopathy. No progression of the lesions was noted 3 months after the initial examination. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of canine multifocal retinopathy in the Boerboel breed.
A wearable platform utilizing off-the-shelf components and performing quality analysis of physiological data

In this paper we present our efforts towards establishing a wearable platform that utilizes off-the-shelf Bluetooth-enabled sensors in order to preprocess and analyze streaming physiological recordings. A smart-phone running multi-threaded J2ME software is utilized for handling multiple simultaneous Bluetooth connections and a network socket connection with a remote workstation. Received measurements of signals such as the ECG and PPG are decomposed through appropriately selected Wavelet Transforms with the purpose of identifying unusable segments that have been severely corrupted by noise and de-noising the remaining usable data portions. We study the use of the undecimated wavelet packet transform for ECG noise removal. Provided results illustrate the advantages of the proposed decomposition for wavelet denoising compared to conventional approaches, at the cost however of performing more computations. The described wearable platform along with the documented data preprocessing steps is employed as the front end of a closed-loop intelligent and interactive system termed Prognosis. This system is capable of facilitating ubiquitous and unsupervised round-the-clock health monitoring of people at risk, as it is able to a) address the issue of unsupervised data collection and b) to interact with the patient via an automated speech-dialogue system.
Binding of netropsin and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole to an A2T2 DNA hairpin: A comparison of biophysical techniques

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and biosensor-surface plasmon resonance (SPR) are evaluated for their accuracy in determining equilibrium constants, ease of use, and range of application. Systems chosen for comparison of the three techniques were the formation of complexes between two minor groove binding compounds, netropsin and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and a DNA hairpin having the sequence 5'-d(CGAATTCGTCTCCGAATTCG)-3'. These systems were chosen for their structural differences, simplicity (1:1 binding), and binding affinity in the range of interest (K approximately 10(8) M(-1)). The binding affinities determined from all three techniques were in excellent agreement; for example, netropsin/DNA formation constants were determined to be K = 1.7x10(8) M(-1) (ITC), K = 2.4x10(8) M(-1) (DSC), and K = 2.9x10(8) M(-1) (SPR). DSC and SPR techniques have an advantage over ITC in studies of ligands that bind with affinities greater than 10(8) M(-1). The ITC technique has the advantage of determining a full set of thermodynamic parameters, including deltaH, TdeltaS, and deltaC(p) in addition to deltaG (or K). The ITC data revealed complex binding behavior in these minor groove binding systems not detected in the other methods. All three techniques provide accurate estimates of binding affinity, and each has unique benefits for drug binding studies.
Hormones and depression: What are the facts about premenstrual syndrome, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy?

The diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment of premenstrual syndrome are reviewed. A relationship between depression and premenstrual syndrome is suggested by the increased prevalence of prior depressive episodes in women with premenstrual syndrome, common neurotransmitter and chronobiologic abnormalities, and the successful treatment of premenstrual syndrome with regimens used for depression. The relationship between menopause and depression is not clearly defined, but the perimenopausal years may be a time of increased depression for women who are at risk for depressive recurrences. The role of hormone replacement treatments in either ameliorating or promoting depression in menopausal women is a subject for future studies.
The decisions of the CPSU and the great purge

(1971). The decisions of the CPSU and the great purge. Soviet Studies: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 177-185.
Metal-affinity partitioning of phosphoproteins in PEG/dextran two-phase systems

Ferric ion (Fe3+) complexed to iminodiacetic acid (IDA)-polyethylene glycol enhances the partitioning of phosphoproteins in PEG/dextran aqueous two-phase systems. The ratio of partition coefficients in the presence and absence of Fe(III)IDA-PEG, K/K0, is highly sensitive to pH, increasing in the pH range of 3.0 to 5.0 and decreasing rapidly with a further increase in pH. The steep decline in partition coefficients above pH 5 can be explained by inhibitory binding of hydroxyl ions to ferric ion. In metal-affinity partitioning of phosvitin, the most highly phosphorylated protein known, K/K0≫1,000 was obtained. This is one of the highest values reported for affinity partitioning.