cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imperfect Competition and Exchange Rate Pass-Through in the Food Processing Sector

Imperfect competition has become an important dimension of international trade theory (Helpman and Krugman). Product differentiation and economies of scale are explicitly incorporated in the "New Trade Theory." Policy prescriptions following from these models hinge critically on underlying assumptions, particularly the form of strategic firm behavior (competitive, Cournot, or Bertrand). Unfortunately, these models do not lend themselves easily to empirical testing. Also, little empirical information exists on the strategic behavior of firms in international markets. Thus, various models and tests on different aspects of imperfect competition in trade have been proposed and implemented. One form of imperfect competition in international trade that has received attention re-
Elevated-temperature mechanical properties of silicon-carbide-whisker-reinforced aluminum matrix composites

Abstract The aging characteristics, elevated-temperature strength and stiffness as well as creep deformation of aluminum alloy 6061 composites reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) whiskers (Vf=0.20) have been studied. The peak hardness for this composite was 148 kgf mm−2 after aging for 18 h at 150 °C and 138 kgf mm−2 after aging for 1 h at 200 °C following solutionization for 15 min at 530 °C. The maximum tensile strength was retained after aging for 18–55 h at 150 °C, an improvement of 40% over that of wrought aluminum. The tensile strength of the received composite decreases from 578 MPa at room temperature to 229 MPa at 350 °C. In terms of the use temperature, the composite provides an advantage of approximately 200 °C over that of wrought aluminum. Young's modulus for the composite remains almost constant (104 GPa) from 150 to 350 °C, and it is 58% higher than that of the wrought aluminum at 150 °C. Experimentally determined values of the steady state creep rate range from 4.9 × 10−9 to 1.3 × 10−6 s−1 for the composite which shows substantial resistance to creep deformation with respect to the wrought aluminum alloy. The activation energy and stress exponent for the composite are reported and discussed.
Unified total synthesis of pteriatoxins and their diastereomers.

A unified total synthesis is reported to access all of the possible diastereomers of pteriatoxins A−C, with the use of an intramolecular Diels−Alder reaction as the key step to form the carbo-macrocyclic core structure. The C34/C35-diol protecting groups were found to have significant effects on both the exo/endo-selectivity and the exo-facial selectivity of the intramolecular Diels−Alder process.
Thermal and rheological controls on the formation of mafic enclaves or banded pumice

Magma mixing can occur in a fluid manner to produce banded pumice or in a brittle manner to form enclaves. We propose that the critical control on mixing style is a competition between developing networks of crystals in the intruding magma that impart a strength to the magma and melting and disrupting those networks in the host. X-ray computed tomography analysis demonstrates that banded pumice from the 1915 Mt. Lassen eruption lacks crystal networks. In contrast, rhyodacite hosts with mafic enclaves from Chaos Crags contain well-developed networks of large crystals. We present a one-dimensional conductive cooling model that predicts mixing style, either ductile or brittle, as a function of magma compositions, temperatures, and the size of the intruding dike. Our model relies on three assumptions: (1) Mixing is initiated by the injection of a hot dike into a cooler magma body with a yield strength; (2) when magma crystallinity exceeds a critical value, 13 vol% plagioclase, the magma develops a yield strength; and (3) when total crystallinity exceeds 40 vol%, the magma has a penetrative crystal network and is effectively solid. Importantly, because the two magmas are of different compositions, their crystallinities and viscosities do not have the same variations with temperature. As the intruding magma cools, it crystallizes from the outside in, while simultaneously, host magma temperature near the intruder rises. Mixing of the two magmas begins when the host magma is heated sufficiently to (1) disrupt the crystal network and (2) initiate convection. If the shear stress exerted by the convecting host magma on the dike is greater than the yield strength of the dike margin (and dike crystallinity does not exceed 40 %), then fluid mixing occurs, otherwise enclaves form by brittle deformation of the dike. Application of the model to magma compositions representative of Lassen and Chaos Crags shows that emplacement of dikes <1 m thick should produce enclaves, whereas thicker dikes should generate fluid mixing and form banded pumice within days to weeks of emplacement. Similar relationships apply to other modeled magmatic systems, including Pinatubo, Unzen, and Ksudach/Shtuybel’ volcanoes. For all studied systems, the absolute size of the intruding dike, not just its proportion relative to the host, influences mixing style.
Large-scale turbulence under a solitary wave: Part 2: Forms and evolution of coherent structures

The instantaneous turbulent velocity field produced by a broken solitary wave propagating on a 1 in 50 plane slope was measured in the longitudinal transverse plane in the middle part of the water column and near the bottom using a stereoscopic particle image velocimetry system. These measurements showed that large-scale turbulence first arrived in the form of a downburst of turbulent fluid. In the middle of the water column, the downbursts arrived shortly after the wave crest had passed. Each downburst was accompanied by two counter-rotating vortices. The latter grew rapidly in size to become a prominent feature of the flow field. Each vortex had a typical length scale of 1/2 to 1 water depth, and carried most of the turbulent kinetic energy in the region between the vortices. Near the bottom, the counter-rotating vortices were not as well defined and covered only a small plane area compared to the entire flow structure. The turbulent fluid descending from above diverged at the bed and the resulting flow structure developed an elongated shape as the source of down-flow travelled onshore with the broken wave. It was found that the transverse spacing between adjacent downbursts ranged from 2 to 5 times the local still water depth. Since vortices cannot end in the interior of the fluid, the counter-rotating vortices must extend to the free surface in the form of a vortex loop. It was suggested that these vortex loops were produced by bending and stretching of primary vorticity generated in the wave breaking process, possibly as a result of three-dimensional water surface deformation. The vortex loops were then carried downward by the falling water from the broken wave.
Effective Integration of Technology for Student Engagement

The modern learning environment is subject to numerous forces that affect teaching strategies. The desire for standards based curricular reform, student centered instructional methodologies, and formative assessment strategies are designed to optimize learning at a time when technology access provides accelerated access to personalized learning and student engagement. This presentation will share findings from a synthesis of research and evaluation of 21st-Century skills collected over ten years on effective integration of technology for teaching and learning resulting from the Intel education initiatives.
Improving the efficiency of the simplex algorithm based on a geometric explanation of phase 1

An open question pertaining to the simplex algorithm is where phase 1 terminates on the feasible region. Here, computer simulations support the conjecture that phase 1 terminates at a feasible point geometrically close to the starting point. This observation leads to a coordinate transformation for bounded Linear Programs (LP) that requires fewer iterations in phase 2. This is confirmed by computational experiments on random LPs and Netlib problems and shows generally increasing benefits as the number of negative coefficients in the minimisation objective function increases. Though not winning on all Netlib problems, the coordinate transformation saves 2–11% of the CPU time.
Responses to deceleration during car following: Roles of optic flow, warnings, expectations, and interruptions.

More than 25% of accidents are rear-end collisions. It is essential to identify the factors that contribute to such collisions. One such factor is a driver's ability to respond to the deceleration of the car ahead. In Experiment 1, we measured effects of optic flow information and discrete visual and auditory warnings (brake lights, tones) on responses to deceleration during car following. With computer simulations of car-following scenes, university students pressed a button when the lead car decelerated. Both classes of information affected responses. Observers relied on discrete warnings when optic flow information was relatively less effective as determined by the lead car's headway and deceleration rate. This is consistent with DeLucia's (2008) conceptual framework of space perception that emphasized the importance of viewing distance and motion (and task). In Experiment 2, we measured responses to deceleration after a visual interruption. Scenes were designed to tease apart the role of expectations and optic flow. Responses mostly were consistent with optic flow information presented after the interruption rather than with putative mental expectations that were set up by the lead car's motion prior to the interruption. The theoretical implication of the present results is that responses to deceleration are based on multiple sources of information, including optical size, optical expansion rate and tau, and discrete warnings that are independent of optic flow. The practical implication is that in-vehicle collision-avoidance warning systems may be more useful when optic flow is less effective (e.g., slow deceleration rates), implicating a role for adaptive collision-warning systems. Language: en
Spatial excitation patterns induced by swift ions in condensed matter

It is shown that a charged particle moving with velocity $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{v}}$ in a medium of resonance frequency ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{0}$ may set up two types of electron-density fluctuations. Collective fluctuations trail the particle, composing a conical pattern in a relatively extended periodic wake of wavelength $\ensuremath{\sim}\frac{2\ensuremath{\pi}v}{{\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{0}}$. They constitute a mode of energy transport from the particle track leading eventually to particle-hole excitations. Single-particle interactions give rise to bow waves ahead of the particles of wavelength $\frac{2\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\hbar}}{\mathrm{mv}}$. The gradient along $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{v}}$, at the site of the ion, of the wake potential set up by density fluctuations, multiplied by the ionic charge, yields an expression for the retarding force of the medium on the projectile in exact agreement with the Bethe stopping-power formula appropriate to the medium. The wake of a dicluster causes forces between the constituent ions which account quantitatively for measurements of the breakup behavior of swift molecular ions in thin foils. The increase in the energy straggling of a test charge, when moving in the wake of a leading ion, is shown to be small compared with the straggling induced by its own wake under normal conditions.
Ring-size distribution in the depolymerization of poly(butylene terephthalate)

Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) was depolymerized in refluxing o-dichlorobenzene using stannoxane catalysts to produce good yields of cyclic oligomers. We have studied how the ring size distribution varies as a function of the starting concentration of monomer units. Over a concentration range of 0.05 to 0.2 M, there is little change in the ring size distribution. This result suggests that the depolymerizations were performed above the critical monomer concentration. Application of a recent model by Mandolini (an adaptation of the Jacobson- Stockmayer model) for thermodynamically controlled cyclizations contradicts the experimental results by suggesting that the experiments were run below the critical monomer concentration. It appears that Mandolini's model may not be appropriate, in its present form, for depolymerizations. We further studied the experimental data using RIS modeling in which the probability of zero end-to-end distance for linear oligomers was used to calculate macrocyclization equilibrium constants. Reasonable agreement was observed between calculated and experimental data with greater deviation for smaller ring sizes, as might be expected. Incorporation of the width of the distribution and skewness into the calculation depressed the macrocyclization values.
Seed-mediated shape evolution of gold nanomaterials: from spherical nanoparticles to polycrystalline nanochains and single-crystalline nanowires

We studied the kinetics of the reduction of a gold precursor (HAuCl4) and the effect of the molar ratio (R) of sodium citrate, which was introduced from a seed solution, and the gold precursor on the shape evolution of gold nanomaterials in the presence of preformed 13 nm gold nanoparticles as seeds. The reduction of the gold precursor by sodium citrate was accelerated due to the presence of gold seeds. Nearly single-crystalline gold nanowires were formed at a very low R value (R = 0.16) in the presence of the seeds as a result of the oriented attachment of the growing gold nanoparticles. At a higher R value (R = 0.33), gold nanochains were formed due to the non-oriented attachment of gold nanoparticles. At a much higher R value (R = 1.32), only larger spherical gold nanoparticles grown from the seeds were found. In the absence of gold seeds, no single-crystalline nanowires were formed at the same R value. Our results indicate that the formation of the 1D nanostructures (nanochains and nanowires) at low R values is due to the attachment of gold nanoparticles along one direction, which is driven by the surface energy reduction, nanoparticle attraction, and dipole–dipole interaction between adjacent nanoparticles.
Superconductivity in WO 2.6 F 0.4 synthesized by reaction of WO 3 with teflon

WO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}x}$F${}_{x}$ ($x$ $\ensuremath{\le}$ 0.45) perovskite-like oxyfluorides were prepared by a chemically reducing fluorination route using the polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (teflon). The symmetry of the crystal structures of WO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}x}$F${}_{x}$ changes from monoclinic to tetragonal to cubic as the fluorine content increases. Fluorine doping changes insulating WO${}_{3}$ to a metallic conductor, and superconductivity (${T}_{c}$ $=$ 0.4 K) was discovered in the samples with fluorine contents of 0.41 $\ensuremath{\le}$ $x$ $\ensuremath{\le}$ 0.45. This easy fluorination method may be applicable to other systems and presents an opportunity for finding new oxyfluoride superconductors.
Metabolic basis for the lack of nephrotoxicity of acetylated puromycin aminonucleoside in rats

Abstract The metabolic fate of acetylated puromycin aminonucleoside (acetyl-PA) was examined in the rat with the aid of the 8- 14 C- and the acetyl- 14 C-labeled material. The compound was not extensively metabolized since a large fraction (66–80%) of the administered dose was recovered in the urine as the unchanged drug. The metabolic products found in urine were identical irrespective of whether the ring-labeled or the acetyl-labeled compound was used; thus the acetyl group in acetyl-PA was not metabolized in vivo . Likewise, deacetylation of acetyl-PA did not occur in vitro using homogenized fractions from liver, kidney, spleen, and intestine. Only three metabolites were detected in the urine, and these have been identified by degradation studies and comparison with carrier compounds of known structure as (in the order of decreasing quantities found in urine): 6-methylamino-9-(3′-acetamido-3′-deoxy-β- d -ribofuranosyl)-purine, 3′-acetamido-3′-deoxyadenosine, and 3′-acetamido-3′-deoxyinosine.
Field-free particle focusing in microfluidic plugs

Particle concentration is a key unit operation in biochemical assays. Although there are many techniques for particle concentration in continuous-phase microfluidics, relatively few are available in multiphase (plug-based) microfluidics. Existing approaches generally require external electric or magnetic fields together with charged or magnetized particles. This paper reports a passive technique for particle concentration in water-in-oil plugs which relies on the interaction between particle sedimentation and the recirculating vortices inherent to plug flow in a cylindrical capillary. This interaction can be quantified using the Shields parameter (θ), a dimensionless ratio of a particle’s drag force to its gravitational force, which scales with plug velocity. Three regimes of particle behavior are identified. When θ is less than the movement threshold (region I), particles sediment to the bottom of the plug where the internal vortices subsequently concentrate the particles at the rear of the plug. We demonstrate highly efficient concentration (∼100%) of 38 μm glass beads in 500 μm diameter plugs traveling at velocities up to 5 mm/s. As θ is increased beyond the movement threshold (region II), particles are suspended in well-defined circulation zones which begin at the rear of the plug. The length of the zone scales linearly with plug velocity, and at sufficiently large θ, it spans the length of the plug (region III). A second effect, attributed to the co-rotating vortices at the rear cap, causes particle aggregation in the cap, regardless of flow velocity. Region I is useful for concentrating/collecting particles, while the latter two are useful for mixing the beads with the solution. Therefore, the two key steps of a bead-based assay, concentration and resuspension, can be achieved simply by changing the plug velocity. By exploiting an interaction of sedimentation and recirculation unique to multiphase flow, this simple technique achieves particle concentration without on-chip components, and could therefore be applied to a range of heterogeneous screening assays in discrete nl plugs.
Thermal runaway due to strain-heating feedback

Abstract : A one-dimensional, dynamic, thermomechanical model, which includes nonlinear inelastic deformation, internal heat generation (strain-heating), temperature dependent material properties, thermal expansion and thermoelastic coupling, is considered for a uniform thin bar subjected to mechanical or thermal disturbances. A nonlinear Maxwell material is examined in this model and special attention is focused on the temperature change. By solving a nonlinear problem, it is found that a thermal instability, called thermal runaway, may result due to the mutual feedback between strain-heating and the temperature dependent inelastic material properties. Neglecting this important phenomenon may lead to unexpected material failure.
Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity in Patients with Cerebral Lesions

Spatial contrast sensitivity as a function of spatial frequency was measured in patients with cerebral lesions. In most of these patients visual acuity, as measured by the Snellen chart, was 20/30 or better, yet marked departures from normal contrast sensitivity were found. The greatest loss in contrast sensitivity occurred at high frequencies, but in one patient the loss was greatest in the midfrequency range. This finding lends support to the channel hypothesis of spatial contrast discrimination.
An investigation of the efficacy of a bromine containing biocide on an aquatic consortium of planktonic and biofilm micro‐organisms including Legionella pneumophila

A biocide (l‐bromo‐3‐chloro‐5,5‐dimethylhydantoin), was tested for efficacy against planktonic and biofilm bacteria in a laboratory model to simulate a water system. BCDMH was continually added to the continuous culture chemostat which was operated using an artificially softened water to simulate conditions within a cooling tower. Biofilm developed on stainless steel and mild steel tiles suspended in the culture. The consortium of bacteria growing in the chemostat model included legionellae, pseudomonads, methylobacteria and actinomycetes. Flavobacterium, Alcaligenes and Achromobacter spp. which were grouped together as Gram negative (GN) bacteria were also present. At biocide concentrations of 1 or 2 mg.l‐1 bacteria in the planktonic phase were dramatically reduced in the culture whereas only a 1 log drop in viable bacteria was detected in the biofilm. When the concentration of BCDMH was increased to 4 or 6 m.gl‐1 a 3 log reduction was observed in the number of viable bacteria recovered from the biofilm....
Photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds on Mars

Ultraviolet-stimulated catalytic oxidation is proposed as a mechanism for the destruction of organic compounds on Mars. The process involves the presence of gaseous oxygen, UV radiation, and a catalyst (titanium dioxide), and all three of these have been found to be present in the Martian environment. Therefore it seems plausible that UV-stimulated oxidation of organics is responsible for degrading organic molecules into inorganic end products.
Optical link demonstration with a lightweight transceiver breadboard

A compact optical communications transceiver breadboard was constructed. In order to keep the mass of the breadboard as low as possible the design was made very simple. The entire package weighs less than 5 kg. The optical module uses a 40 mW diode laser and a two-axis voice coil actuator for beam steering. The breadboard is capable of locking onto a laser beacon within its field of view and transmitting the diode laser beam back toward the beacon. Design of the breaboard, details of each component in the breadboard, and current experiments with the package are described.
Five-dimensional gauged supergravity black holes with independent rotation parameters

We construct new nonextremal rotating black hole solutions in $SO(6)$ gauged five-dimensional supergravity. Our solutions are the first such examples in which the two rotation parameters are independently specifiable, rather than being set equal. The black holes carry charges for all three of the gauge fields in the $U(1{)}^{3}$ subgroup of $SO(6)$, albeit with only one independent charge parameter. We discuss the BPS limits, showing that these include the first examples of regular supersymmetric black holes with independent angular momenta in gauged supergravity. We also find nonsingular BPS solitons. Finally, we obtain another independent class of new rotating nonextremal black hole solutions with just one nonvanishing rotation parameter, and one nonvanishing charge.
Simultaneous Refinement and Coarsening for Adaptive Meshing

In the numerical simulation of the combustion process and microstructural evolution, we need to consider the adaptive meshing problem for a domain that has a moving boundary. During the simulation, the region ahead of the moving boundary needs to be refined (to satisfy stronger numerical conditions), and the submesh in the region behind the moving boundary should be coarsened (to reduce the mesh size). We present a unified scheme for simultaneously refining and coarsening a mesh. Our method uses sphere packings and guarantees that the resulting mesh is well-shaped and is within a constant factor of the optimal possible in the number of mesh elements. We also present several practical variations of our provably good algorithm.
Metadata provision and standards development at the Collaborative Digitization Program (CDP): A History

What began in 1998 as the Colorado Digitization Project is now known as the Collaborative Digitization Program (CDP), or CDP@BCR. The CDP’s Heritage West database represents not only the primary product of the organization, but also one of the oldest continuously-operating collaborative repositories of cultural heritage metadata in the country. As a basis for the author’s forthcoming quantitative and qualitative analysis of Dublin Core metadata in Heritage West, the following article offers a history of how the CDP has, over time, organized and managed the metadata provision for its digitization projects.
Experimental Charge Density of α-Glycine at 23 K

The electrostatic properties of crystals of α-glycine have been obtained from extensive X-ray diffraction data collected at approximately 23 K and carefully processed, including corrections for scan truncation losses, anisotropic extinction, and multiple reflection. From a multipole parameterization of the X-ray intensities we have obtained an unusually precise - and we are confident, accurate - model of the total electron distribution in the crystal including the topological features, atom and group charges, the dipole moment for the glycine zwitterion, electrostatic potentials, electric field gradients at the nucleii of the three hydrogen atoms of the ammonium group, and intermolecular electrostatic energies within the crystal. We have also calculated the total interaction energies involving the six distinct types of intermolecular pairings and examined these energies in terms of the molecular arrangement.
Use of Polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex) Grafts for the Construction of Right Ventricle-Pulmonary Artery Conduits

Placement of a right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit (18- or 20-mm grafts) made of Gore-Tex without a prosthetic valve was undertaken in 6 patients ranging in age from 8 1/2 to 32 years. Three patients had tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia, and the other 3 had transposition of the great vessels, ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary obstruction. Pulmonary pressure was low in all patients. The technique for implantation of this valveless, noncrimped type of prosthesis is described.
Murine Fetal Development Enhanced by Dietary Vitamin A, Corn Oil, and Inositol

Previous work on the effects of dietary vitamin A on craniofacial anomalies in mice revealed that 18-day-old fetuses from dams given 200 IU of vitamin A in corn oil daily in their diet weighed approximately 10% more than fetuses from mothers fed the unsupplemented standard mouse diet, Purina 5001. In the experiments reported here, it has been found that water-soluble vitamin A (200 IU/day) and myo-inositol (5 mg/day) added separately to the diets of pregnant mice increased the weight of 11-day gestations by approximately 25% and enhanced development of the eyes by the equivalent of 0.5-1.0 day without significantly affecting development of the liver or hind limbs. Corn oil alone (0.2 ml/day) had a similar effect on weight and eye development of 11-day fetuses and, in addition, growth of the hind limbs was enhanced modestly. The addition to the diet of vitamin A (200 IU/day) dissolved in corn oil (0.2 ml/day) resulted in a 25% increase in the weight of the 11-day fetuses and enhanced development of the eyes and hind limbs by the equivalent of about 1 day of gestation, suggesting that corn oil contains a factor(s) that interacts with vitamin A to accelerate limb development. Corn oil contains very small quantities of beta-carotene or retinol (< 1.0 IU vitamin A/ml); however, it is a rich source of the essential growth factors linoleic and linolenic acids and of inositol esters. The data suggest that the growth-promoting actions of dietary corn oil are due in part to the inositol esters.
The primate dorsal spinothalamic tract: evidence for a specific termination in the posterior nuclei (Po/SG) of the thalamus

Abstract The spinothalamic tract in primates and other mammals arises primarily from cells in lamina 1 of the dorsal horn, from lamina V cells and to a lesser extent from other laminae. Most of the neurons of lamina I respond only to noxious mechanical or thermal stimuli. Spinothalamic tract (STT) cells of lamina V tend to respond to both innocuous and noxious stimuli. Recent studies have suggested that the classical STT in the anterolateral quadrant (ALQ) contains primarily the axons of lamina V cells and that the axons of lamina I cells travel more dorsally in the dorsolateral quadrant (DLQ) to constitute the dorsal spinothalamic tract (DSTT). Using the anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) injected into the spinal cord in conjunction with a contralateral anterolateral cordotomy, we have found there is a substantial projection of the DSTT to the posterior nuclei of the caudal-ventral thalamus, designated Po/SG. This projection is almost entirely abolished when the lesion includes the area of spinal cord white matter at the level of the denticulate ligament. Larger lesions that destroy the ALQ and much of the lateral column white matter, but that spare the dorsolateral column white matter in the region of the corticospinal tract, abolish all transport of WGA-HRP to the thalamus. We conclude that the spinothalamic pathway in the non-human primate encompasses a continuous fiber bundle that extends dorsally to include the region of lateral column white matter opposite the denticulate ligament and that the more dorsal aspect of this pathway projects primarily to Po/SG of thalamus.
A calcium‐ and pH‐regulated actin binding protein from D. discoideum

A protein from Dictyostelium discoideum with an apparent subunit molecular weight of 95,000 daltons (95K protein) was previously identified as an actin-binding protein ‘Hellewell and Taylor, 1979’. In this paper, we present a method for purifying the protein, and characterize some important aspects of its structure and function. Purification of the 95K protein is achieved by fractionation with ammonium sulfate followed by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, gel filtration on 6% agarose, and final purification on hydroxyapatite. The 95K protein is a dimer, composed of apparently identical subunits. It is a rod-shaped molecule, 38 nm in length, with a Stokes radius of 74 A. In these structural properties, the 95K protein is similar to muscle and nonmuscle α-actinins. The 95K protein and filamin are equally competent, when compared on a weight basis, to enhance the apparent viscosity of actin as determined by falling ball viscometry. The apparent viscosity of mixtures of the 95K protein and actin is dramatically reduced at pH greater than 7.0 or free ‘Ca2+’ greater than 10−7 M. We also examine the mechanism by which calcium regulates the interaction of the 95K protein and actin. A change in free ‘Ca2+’ induces no detectable change in the quaternary structure of the 95K protein. Our experiments indicate that the 95K protein does not dramatically alter the length distribution of actin filaments in the presence of micromolar free ‘Ca2+’. A large fraction of the 95K protein cosediments with actin in the presence of low free ‘Ca2+’ (ca. 3 × 10−8M), but not in the presence of high free ‘Ca2+’ (ca. 4 × 10−6M). We conclude that increased free ‘Ca2+’ inhibits gelation of actin by the 95K protein by reducing the affinity of the 95K protein for actin. We propose that 95K protein is an important component of the cytoskeletal/contractile system in D. discoideum amoebae.
A Dynamic Model for Continuous Improvement in the Management of Service Quality

Quality is increasingly becoming the key determinant of demand for goods and services. Managerial philosophy and perceptions shape the overall corporate attitude towards quality and define the parameters for its role as a determinant of competitiveness and performance. Quality of services is defined and determined primarily by individual customers through their perceived delivery of service attributes expected. Customer input and feedback is essential for bridging the gap between the perceptions of management and those of the customers, as they view service quality. It is only the mutual synchronization of perceptions that ensures high quality. This article discusses important limitations of contemporary methods in use for the control of quality in services. It models a system and provides a complete and effective quality management framework. The proposed model is dynamic, flexible and utilizes information gathered through an unbroken chain of customer input and feedback in ensuring competitiveness throu...
Frame-level temporal calibration of unsynchronized cameras by using Longest Consecutive Common Subsequence

We present a computationally efficient and robust method for temporally calibrating video sequences from unsynchronized cameras by using object trajectories. Existing methods remain restricted in terms of their assumptions, and/or they are computationally expensive. To match and align the object trajectories, and thus to recover the frame offset between video sequences, we present an algorithm that is based on the Longest Consecutive Common Subsequence. The candidate frame offsets are obtained from each matched trajectory pair, and then a confidence check is performed. The algorithm is robust against possible errors due to background subtraction and location extraction, and can handle large frame offsets. We present experimental results for different frame offset values on different video sequences, which show the robustness of the algorithm in recovering the frame offsets. We also compare the presented algorithm with our previous work to demonstrate the computational efficiency provided.
A simple method for the synthesis of specific [2H] and [3H]labelled methyl‐hydroxylated derivatives of 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene

Specific [2H] and [3H]labelled methyl-hydroxylated derivatives of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene, 7-methyl-12-hydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene, and 7,12-dihydroxymethylbenz[a]anthracene, were synthesized with good yield and high specific activity. The method involved two simple steps; oxidation of the unlabelled methyl-hydroxylated DMBA to the corresponding formyl derivatives followed by reduction with either sodium borodeuteride or sodium borotriteride to yield the [2H] or [3H]labelled methyl-hydroxylated derivatives with the isotope specifically attached to benzylic carbons.
Coordination strategy for coarse motion control in biorobotics

Human coordination strategy for coarse motion control in operating a telerobot is investigated for efficient human-telerobot interaction. Two types of major coordination strategy, end effector control (EEC) and point angle control (JAC), were examined by performing placement tasks requiring large/coarse motion as opposed to small/fine motion of a joystick-controlled telerobot. In fine motion control, EEC is in general superior, since JAC demands that the human operator determine the mapping between the robot joint angles and the robot hand Cartesian space. In experiments on coarse motion control, however, the superiority of EEC disappeared, resulting in no significant difference in task success rate or completion time between EEC and JAC. It turns out that: (i) the disadvantage of EEC, difficulty in visualizing the joint angle limitations, sometimes emerged in coarse motion control, causing EEC to take longer to complete the task than JAC, and (ii) the disadvantage of JAC, difficulty in determining the precise movement of the telerobot hand from the joint angle command, was not critical in coarse motion. >
Linking hospital discharge and death records--accuracy and sources of bias.

Abstract Background and Objective The aim of this study was to develop and apply an automated linkage algorithm to 10 years of California hospitalization discharge abstracts and death records (1990 to 1999), evaluate linkage accuracy, and identify sources of bias. Methods Among the 1,858,458 acute hospital discharge records with unique social security numbers (SSNs) from 1 representative year of discharge data (1997), which had at least 2 years of follow-up, 66,410 of 69,757 deaths occurring in the hospital (95%) and 66,998 of 1,788,701 of individuals discharged alive (3.7%) linked to death records. Linkage sensitivity and specificity were estimated as 0.9524 and 0.9998 and positive and negative predictive values as 0.994 and 0.998 (corresponding to 400 incorrect death linkages among out-of-hospital death record linkages and 3,300 unidentified record pairs among unlinked live discharges). Results Based upon gold standard linkage rates, discharge records for those of age 1 year and older without SSNs may have 2,520 additional uncounted posthospitalization deaths at 1 year after admission. Gold standard comparison for those with SSNs showed women, the elderly, and Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks had more unlinked hospital death records, although absolute differences were small. The concentration of unidentified linkages among discharge records of traditionally vulnerable populations may result in understating mortality rates and other estimates (i.e., events with competing hazard of death) for these populations if SSN is differentially related to a patient's disease severity and comorbidities. Conclusion Because identification of cases of out-of-hospital deaths has improved over the past decade, observed improvements in patient survival over this time are likely to be conservative.
On the Duration of Spatial Fluency Measures

Various measures of spatial fluency have been developed and have been shown to be sensitive to right frontal lobe dysfunction. Patients with diffuse cerebral injuries (traumatic brain injury) also show impaired performance. Administration times for these tests range from three to five minutes. It is well known that longer tests provide more reliable data. in the present study, the base rates of unique designs and perseverative errors on the Five-Point Test were examined minute-by-minute for ten minutes, in a sample of healthy young adults (n = 80). Contrasts between each minute showed significant decreases in number of unique designs to the ninth minute (significant at p <. 001). Contrasts between each minute revealed significant increases (significant at p <. 001) in percentage of perseverative errors to the eighth minute. Data demonstrating the progressive decrease of unique designs and progressive increase of perseverative errors as a function of time have important implications for clinical practice. ...
Agricultural Economics Research and The Experiment Station System

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Complications of Baerveldt glaucoma drainage implants

Objectives To report the incidence and identify risk factors of postoperative complications after Baerveldt glaucoma drainage implantation. Methods A retrospective review of the medical records of all patients at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Fla, who underwent placement of a Baerveldt glaucoma drainage implant from October 1, 1992, through October 31, 1996, to determine demographic characteristics, preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressures, and complications. Variables were analyzed using the Student t test and Fisher exact test to determine the association between delayed postoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage and various potential risk factors. Results A total of 107 eyes of 103 patients were identified. Suprachoroidal hemorrhage occurred in 4 eyes (4%), with onset ranging from 3 to 33 days after implantation. Two eyes (2%) had choroidal effusions requiring surgical drainage, and 20 eyes (19%) had low choroidal effusions requiring only close observation. Tube blockage was observed in 5 eyes (5%). Four eyes (4%) had aqueous misdirection, 2 eyes (2%) had corneal decompensation, and 1 eye (1%) each had endophthalmitis, tube migration, corneal ulcer, hyphema, and implant migration. Patients who were older ( P =.04) or had postoperative choroidal effusions ( P =.03), low intraocular pressure immediately after the tube opened ( P =.03), hypertension ( P =.08), or atherosclerosis ( P =.09) were more likely to develop suprachoroidal hemorrhage. Conclusions A lower incidence of serious postoperative complications was observed in Baerveldt implantations in this study when compared with a recent report. Risk factors for serious complications were similar to trabeculectomy.
Neutron reflectometry characterization of PEI–PSS polyelectrolyte multilayers for cell culture

Using Neutron Reflectometry (NR), polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films made by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of a strong polycation (polyethylene imine [PEI]) and a polyanion (polystyrene sulfonate [PSS]) have been characterized. PEI terminated samples with a total of 5, 7, and 9 layers were deposited on a quartz substrate and studied under three different environmental conditions (i.e., dry air, 100% relative humidity, and bulk water). We were able to model all the measurements at three different contrast conditions using one simple, physically reasonable and consistent model, which led to a firm understanding of the structure of the systems. The PEM thickness was found to vary linearly with the number of layers deposited. Thin film structures formed using the LbL method were constituted of two distinctive regions, i.e., the bottom and top strata. When measured in dry air and D2O vapors, the ∼30 to 50 A thick bottom stratum was found to consist of loosely packed polymers (i.e. 30% polymer by volume). This region could have resulted from an island type of deposition during the initial stages of LbL assembly. In contrast, the thickness of the top strata, which consisted of densely packed polymers (i.e. 100% polymer by volume when measured in dry air), was found to vary linearly with the number of layers deposited. Upon exposure to D2O saturated vapors, it was observed that the top and bottom strata absorbed significant quantities of heavy water, accompanied with PEM swelling. We estimated that in this case, the top strata comprise ca. 57% (v/v) polymer and 43% (v/v) D2O for 7- and 9-layered samples. No further swelling of the PEM samples was observed when they were exposed to bulk D2O. Nevertheless, the entire polymeric system underwent a rearrangement leading towards the homogenization of the multilayered structure, suggested by the decreased scattering contrast between the top and bottom strata. We also performed studies to assess the cytocompatibility of 7-layered PEM structures. Two different cell types, fibroblasts (3T3) and human embryo kidney cells (HEK-293), were seeded on the polyelectrolyte multilayer, and the cell coverage was monitored by optical microscopy at varying times. Our observations confirmed that cells adhered and spread on PEM substrates, which showed no sign of immediate toxicity. Therefore, such multilayers proved to be a suitable support for 3T3 and HEK-293 cell growth.
On the stability of non-foster monopole antenna arrays

Non-Foster circuits (NFCs) promise to improve the gain of electrically-small and superdirective antenna arrays by at least 10x by cancelling the self and mutual reactances over wide bandwidths, thereby overcoming the Fano limit. To the authors' knowledge, however, there are no reports of NFCs being successfully integrated into antenna arrays. A 2-element monopole array (length and spacing 15 and 3 cm respectively) whose self and mutual reactance is substantially cancelled over 10-300 MHz employing three negative-capacitance NFCs has been realized. The NFCs are integrated into a single integrated circuit that consumes 50 mW of DC power. The analytical stability model is consistent with the experimental data, demonstrating that series and interelement NFCs are necessary to cancel the reactance of both the even and odd modes.
HIGH CNR ACHIEVED ON MAGNETO-OPTIC DISKS USING A PLURALITY OF RECORDING LAYERS

We have achieved a carrier-to-noise ratio of 67 dB (30 kHz bandwidth) on magneto-optic disks that utilize two thin magneto-optic layers. The improvement came primarily from the writing noise reduction. This noise reduction is explained through the statistical averaging of the written magnetic transition positions in the two recording layers. The disk writing noise can be further reduced when more active layers are used in the disk structure. This noise reduction scheme can be utilized in other kinds of recording disks.
Between the Unique and the Pattern

This article proposes that the underlying ideas of data journalism are not new, but rather can be traced back in history and align with larger questions about the role of quantification in journalistic practice. This article sketches out a theoretical frame (assemblage theory) in which quantitative journalism is best understood by examining the objects of evidence that journalism mobilizes on its behalf. The article illustrates this perspective by outlining three historical tensions in notions of quantitative journalism: tensions between records and reports, individuality and social science, and isolated facts and broader patterns.
Effect of four-day psyllium supplementation on bowel preparation for colonoscopy:A prospective double blind randomized trial [ISRCTN76623768].

Background Patients with new onset constipation or presumed hemorrhoid bleeding frequently require the use of both fiber supplements and diagnostic colonoscopy. We sought to determine whether preliminary fiber supplementation would alter the tolerability or efficacy of a standard bowel preparation for colonoscopy
Low-Energy Electron (LEE)-Induced DNA Damage: Theoretical Approaches to Modeling Experiment

Low-energy electrons (LEE) have been experimentally found to structurally alter DNA by induction of base damage, base release, and strand breaks. This has engendered a considerable number of theoretical studies of the mechanisms involved in this DNA damage. In this chapter, we discuss the various pathways for LEE interaction with DNA and the theoretical treatments most suited to A. Kumar ( ) • M.D. Sevilla Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA e-mail: kumar@oakland.edu; sevilla@oakland.edu © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015 J. Leszczynski et al. (eds.), Handbook of Computational Chemistry, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6169-8_34-2 1 2 A. Kumar and M.D. Sevilla unravel these pathways. For example, inelastic electron scattering produces excitation, ionization, and transient negative ions (TNI) via shape, core-excited, and vibrational Feshbach resonances, which can all lead to DNA damage. Each of these pathways is distinguished, and their pertinence to the experimental results observed is described. Theoretical approaches used to explain these pathways are also described. Shape resonances can be understood as interactions with the electron with unoccupied molecular orbitals of neutral molecule, while coreexcited states involve excitation of inner shell electrons and can be treated with theoretical methods such as time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) or CASSCF. In treating the electron–molecule interaction, special care is needed to distinguish between diffuse and valence states of the TNI. The role of the vertical and adiabatic states of the radical anion is important as the electron adds to the neutral molecular framework, and reactions induced likely occur before equilibration to the adiabatic state. The effect of solvation is critical to both energetics of the interaction and the nature of the TNI formed. For example, gas-phase calculations show diffuse dipole-bound character for adenine, guanine, and cytosine anion radicals, but each of these is found to be in a valence state in aqueous solution by experiment. DNA base anion radicals often show ground states that are diffuse in character and that collapse to valence states on solvation. Such processes are shown to be accounted for inclusion of the polarized continuum model (PCM) for solvation. TD-DFT excited-state calculations including solvation show that the diffuse states rise in energy on solvation as expected. For LEE in the aqueous phase, new energy states become available such as conduction band or presolvated electrons, which may have sufficient energy to cause DNA damage. DNA radiosensitizers such as halogensubstituted uracils are being used to produce highly reactive uracil-5-yl radical, a precursor of DNA strand breaks, through its reaction with LEE.