cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rejecting the Fruits of Action: The Regeneration of the Waste Land's Legal System

In his greatest work, The Waste Land, T. S. Eliot presents a picture of twentieth century Western civilization as a culture which has lost its essential values and has come undone from its historical moorings. Material wealth has become the focal point of society and its inhabitants. In such a value distorted context, human relationships are devoid of meaning. Honest communication and a meaningful life for the soul and intellect are lost in a dehumanizing daily grind. Religious, communal, and even familial values are subverted to a culturally encouraged drive for personal gain. In this respect, modern Western civilization in general, and America in particular, embodies the world of The Waste Land even more than the Europe and America of 1922 with which Eliot was familiar. The systemic acceptance of result orientation and the consequent predominance of economic efficiencies and material wealth have not only corrupted society in general, but have also devalued modern concepts of the law in particular. Law in today's America is dominated by excessive litigation and a general disbelief that justice is evenly dispensed. The contemporary legal system has also become alienated from the historically based values which both created it and gave it meaning. Judges, lawyers, and the law itself have been adversely affected by this evolving devaluation. The pernicious influence of result orientation manifests itself in the modern American legal system through its influence on the judiciary in at least two significant ways: (1) legal theories which influence the intellectual climate within which judges operate and (2) the manner by which society instructs judges to resolve cases -- precedent or stare decisis. Both areas can be significantly reformed by the rejection of result orientation and its goal of material wealth and by the acceptance of a motivational process dedicated to the values of charity, compassion, and self-denial.
Introduction to impedance for short relativistic bunches

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of impedance to calculate the wake-field forces left behind by a short bunch which travels at relativistic speed through a structure with discontinuities.1 We will try to be as intuitive as possible and leave the more rigorous derivations to the second paper on this subject by J. Wang.
Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia Did Not: Political institutions and economic life

Introduction In the Wealth of Nations Adam Smith wrote that the nations of Europe were the most prosperous in the world while India and China were exemplars of past greatness, but present-day stagnation. Smith attributed the decline of these Asian regions to social and political institutions that constrained the operation of the market. In drawing this contrast between Europe and Asia, Smith was following a venerable tradition. We know that Smith had read the work of the seventeenth-century French physician Francois Bernier, whose “acrid account of the Orient exercised a deep influence on subsequent generations of thinkers.” Bernier drew an unflattering portrait of life in the Ottoman and Mughal Empires, where he argued that the inhabitants were oppressed by despotic rulers, denied access to the fruits of their labor, and took little economic initiative as they feared for the security of their property. His vivid descriptions influenced Montesquieu, who in several widely read works described Asia as unchanging (“the laws, customs and manners of the Orient – even the most trivial, such as mode of dress – remain the same today as they were a thousand years ago”), despotic (“power must always be despotic in Asia”) and unfree (“in Asia there reigns a spirit of servitude . . . it is impossible to find a single trait that marks a free soul”).
A Virtual Environment Designed To Help Students Understand Science

This paper reports research in progress regarding the effectiveness of immersive virtual environments (IVEs) in helping students understand complex scientific concepts and principles. The subject matter is the ecology of Puget Sound, in Washington State. The purpose of the project is to determine how different characteristics of immersive virtual environments are exploited by learners to improve their understanding of complex environmental processes, and to determine what aspects of the virtual environment facilitate or hinder this understanding. In this paper we describe: The conceptual framework that is guiding our work; the IVE itself, Virtual Puget Sound (VPS); the tasks students perform in it; and, the research that is currently underway. We conclude with some observations about the general role of IVEs in learning science.
T-regulatory/T-helper 17: promiscuous signals and fear of commitment.

Evaluation of: Yang XO, Nurieva R, Martinez GJ et al.: Molecular antagonism and plasticity of regulatory and inflammatory T cell programs. Immunity 29, 44–57 (2008). The insight gained recently on the differentiation of naive CD4 T cells challenges the dogma that expression of canonical transcription factors and production of signature cytokines portray a commitment to a specific lineage and a point of no return. For almost two decades now, the belief has been that naive CD4 T cells, under the guidance of environmental signals, follow a one-way road to evolve as Th1, Th2, Th17 or regulatory T cells (Tregs). The current paper, however, demonstrates a crosstalk between signals and identifies transitory T-cell states whereby a differentiating CD4+ T cell will express a mixed Th17 and Treg phenotype. Moreover, they were able to successfully reprogram terminally differentiated Tregs into Th17 cells, suggesting that redifferentiation could occur and provides an environmental plasticity to readjust immunity. Thi...
Coherent state transfer between itinerant microwave fields and a mechanical oscillator

Macroscopic mechanical oscillators have been coaxed into a regime of quantum behaviour by direct refrigeration or a combination of refrigeration and laser-like cooling. This result supports the idea that mechanical oscillators may perform useful functions in the processing of quantum information with superconducting circuits, either by serving as a quantum memory for the ephemeral state of a microwave field or by providing a quantum interface between otherwise incompatible systems. As yet, the transfer of an itinerant state or a propagating mode of a microwave field to and from a storage medium has not been demonstrated, owing to the inability to turn on and off the interaction between the microwave field and the medium sufficiently quickly. Here we demonstrate that the state of an itinerant microwave field can be coherently transferred into, stored in and retrieved from a mechanical oscillator with amplitudes at the single-quantum level. Crucially, the time to capture and to retrieve the microwave state is shorter than the quantum state lifetime of the mechanical oscillator. In this quantum regime, the mechanical oscillator can both store quantum information and enable its transfer between otherwise incompatible systems.
Silica-Supported Amine Catalysts for Carbon–Carbon Addition Reactions

Basic catalysts for carbon–carbon addition reactions were synthesized by immobilization of amine species on silica supports. Tetraethylenepentamine was impregnated and immobilized on amorphous silica (SiO2) and SBA-15 using an epoxy resin. The basicity of the catalysts was determined by adsorption–desorption of CO2 and the degree of immobilization was evaluated by FTIR. The catalytic activity towards the Claisen condensation reaction of methyl benzoate and methyl ethyl ketone was evaluated by an in-situ FTIR micro-scale reactor. A mechanism is proposed to show that the catalysts promote the formation of β-diketone and methanol; the effects of the support and amine immobilization degree are discussed.
African type-mineralogy: a general review (1838–1988)

Abstract Of the 3400 or so known valid mineral species, 292 were first described from Africa, between c 1838–1988. Additionally, there are 220 invalid phases representing inadequately described species, compositional and physical variants of existing valid minerals; also included within this group are hypothetical molecules, synonyms, mixtures and generic terms. Of the recorded number if unnamed minerals, a majority are PG phases from South Africa. Africa ranks 4th in terms of numbers of new type-minerals per continen Zaire is the most productive source in Africa for new minerals, followed by Namibia. This trend is reversed with regards the most productive localities; Tsumeb (Namibia) ranks first followed by Shinkolobwe (Zaire). Almost half of all known African type-occurrences are located in South Africa, Zaire and Namibia. Tsumeb and Shinkolobwe are within the top six of the most productive localities for new minerals, worldwide. At least forteen chemical groups of minerals were originally described from Africa; several of these still remain unique to the respective type occurrences.
Processes of the activated reactive evaporation type and their tribological applications

Abstract Plasma-assisted deposition processes have created a breakthrough in the deposition of compounds particularly the refractory compounds such as oxides, carbides, nitrides etc. Processes such as sputtering or ion plating inherently contain a plasma in the space between the target and the substrate. Evaporation and chemical vapor deposition processes have to be modified to include a plasma. In all of these reactive deposition processes the plasma plays a vital role in providing the activation energy necessary to carry out the process or to enhance its efficiency. All types of vapor sources can be used in these processes. The original development in 1971 used a thermionic electron beam evaporation source. Subsequently, resistance- heated, arc, induction, plasma electron beam and sputtering sources have all been used. In this paper we shall discuss the processes and the influence of deposition parameters on the microstructure and properties of compounds. Specific examples of the use of these compounds in tribological applications are considered.
Selective Fluorination in Drug Design and Development: An Overview of Biochemical Rationales

Several strategies used in the rational design and synthesis of fluorinated compounds as potential therapeutic agents are reviewed. Applications of fluorine substitution in empirical SAR studies for lead development also are discussed, along with the implications with respect to fluorine target interactions that can be derived from biological activities.
Assessment of Strength and Function in Ambulatory Children with Cerebral Palsy by GMFCS Level and Age: A Cross-Sectional Study

b Shriners Hospitals for Children-Northern California, Sacramento, CA. c Shriners Hospitals for Children-Springfield, Springfield, MA. d Uni- versity of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. e Shriners Hospitals for Children-Lexington, Lexington, KY. f ABSTRACT: The purpose of this work is to provide comparison data for muscle strength and measures of activity and participation stratified by GMFCS level, age, and cerebral palsy (CP) type. Clinicians can use the data to determine treatment goals based on the patients' matched peer group. Methods used were data were collected on 377 individuals with hemiplegia and diplegia, GMFCS levels I-III, ages eight to18 years. Lower extrem- ity muscle strength, Gillette gait index (GGI), one-minute walk test (1MWT), and timed up-and-go (TUG) were collected. Results showed that strength differed among GMFCS levels and age for both CP types. The GGI and 1 MWT discriminated among GMFCS levels within each CP type. The TUG discriminated between GMFCS levels I and III and levels II and III for the diplegic group. We conclude that differences in strength and mea- sures of activity and participation were found across GMFCS levels and CP type. The reported stratified data can serve as an important clinical tool in determining realistic treatment goals and clinical outcomes.
Reply [to “Comment on ‘Communicating with uncertainty: A critical issue with probabilistic seismic hazard analysis’” by R. M. W. Musson]

Musson's comments on our article are an example of myths and misunderstandings. We did not say that probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) is a bad method, but we did say that it has some limitations that have significant implications. Our response to these comments follows.
The levels of 91Y from the decay of 91Sr

Abstract The gamma rays emitted in the decay of 91Sr have been studied by Ge(Li) singles and NaI(Tl) coincidence spectrometry, and energies and absolute intensities of 35 transitions have been determined. A decay scheme is proposed involving 91Y excited states at 555.6, 652.9, 925.8, 1186.9, 1305.4, 1473.7, 1545.9, 1580.0, 1980.4, 2066.7, 2206.9, 2279.4 and 2572 keV. The results of this experiment are combined with the direct reaction data of other investigators to assign spins and parities. The observed level structure is compared with previously reported predictions based on effective interaction calculations.
Social ontogeny and behavioural diversity: consequences for Bighorn sheep Oris canadensis inhabiting desert and mountain environments

The development of social behaviour was studied in three natural populations of Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Individuals in all populations exhibited the same behavioural repertoires, but the utilization of specific behaviours among both infants and adults differed between populations. It was suggested that differences in the adult utilization of behaviour patterns result in part from behaviours used during infancy. In turn, the social and physical environments affected the development of subsequent behaviour patterns in sheep older than lambs. Desert sheep (in southern California) used mounting behaviours often, presumably because they matured sexually at an early age. Sheep in a more northern environment (British Columbia) used different behaviour patterns more frequently perhaps as a consequence of interactions experienced in larger bands. Additionally, playful interactions were reduced due to physical hazards in the desert, but they were at least nine times as frequent in the northern study population. Play in large groups resulted in the utilization of more different kinds of behaviour patterns. These behavioural findings are interpreted ecologically as consequences of inhabiting environments that differ socially and physically.
Substrate and Temperature Dependence of DNA Photolyase Repair Activity Examined with Ultrafast Spectroscopy

The kinetics and energetics of the electron transfer reactions occurring in the enzyme·substrate complex of DNA photolyase have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy with picosecond time resolution in the temperature range 275−90 K. The results can be summarized as follows: (i) The lifetime of 1(FADH-)* depends not only on the presence of the substrate but also on its nature, e.g. the electron transfer from 1(FADH-)* to thymine dimers T T and to thymine-uracil dimers T U is slower by a factor of 2 to 3 compared to that of U U and U T. This feature is attributed to the enlarged electronic coupling between 1(FADH-)* and the respective dimers in the absence of the methyl group in the C5 position of the 5‘-uracil. (ii) The temperature dependence of the quantum yield was studied, and from this the activation energy for the overall repair process has been estimated to be EA= 0.45 ± 0.1 eV.
A coupled oceanic and atmospheric spectral optimization algorithm for application to ocean color satellites: sensitivity to near-infrared error

A spectral optimization algorithm (SOA) has been developed for processing satellite data in marine waters. The algorithm couples an atmospheric aerosol model with a detailed water-reflectance model to simultaneously retrieve both atmospheric and ocean color parameters. A key feature separating SOA from standard algorithms is the retrieval of the absorption coefficient of colored detrital material, particulate backscattering and chlorophyll concentration in absorbing atmospheres. The same parameters can also be retrieved in Case 2 waters where higher particulate backscattering contributes to the near-infrared (NIR) water-leaving reflectance. Results of chlorophyll concentration are presented in this study using SeaWiFS data obtained for the Chesapeake Bay and Middle Atlantic Bight. Manipulations to the NIR measurements of a degree similar to the magnitude of sensor noise and calibration uncertainty show that the chlorophyll retrievals are highly sensitive to the error in the measured NIR total reflectance.
Glucose interaction magnifies atherosclerotic risk from cholesterol: Findings from the PDAY Study

Abstract Objective: To examine whether the atherosclerotic risk from cholesterol is modified by serum glucose level. Methods: Data from the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) study of 1530 individuals with complete autopsy data for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were examined with any atherosclerotic raised lesions (RL) >0% of surface area on any of three arterial specimens as the outcome. A TC/HDL-C ratio was categorized into quintiles and HbA1c was dichotomized as the upper quartile versus lower three quartiles. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated from logistic regression models adjusting for sex, race, age, body mass index, smoking and hypertension. Result s : An interaction product term of TC/HDL × HbA1c was statistically significant ( P =0.006) despite adjustment for the main effects and other covariates. In models stratified by HbA1c, ORs (3.0, 3.9, 1.9, 3.5) for four upper quintiles of TC/HDL-C in the upper HbA1c stratum were substantially higher than those in the lower HbA1c stratum (0.9, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.1). Strata differences were even more striking in the subset of those ≥25 years old. Conclusions: These results suggest a synergistic interaction between glucose and cholesterol that magnifies the atherosclerotic risk associated with TC/HDL-C for those with higher HbA1c levels.
Car wars: Factors underlying the success or failure of new car programs

This paper explores the factors responsible for success or failure of an automobile through a case study analysis of 10 product successes and 10 product failures in the United States auto market over the last 50 years. Through the creation and analysis of twenty case studies we have generated a first listing of 14 factors driving success or failure. Seven experts assessed the extent to which these factors were associated with each automobile. Their assessments indicate that the product development system of new automobiles, particularly those that are highly successful, is often born from financial and corporate responses to market crisis. The target segment of a new entry in the automotive market and its development process as they are adapted to economic conditions in the marketplace, coupled with leadership, are central success factors. The role of these factors play in the success of automobiles is discussed in the context of several case studies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 13
Methodological challenges to prospective study of an innovation: interregional nursing care management of cardiovascular patients

This paper discusses the methodological challenges of conducting an interregional intersystem study in a highly competitive health care environment. Nurses from a three-hospital rural health consortium and an urban tertiary medical centre collaborated in a two-phase study (a) to describe current interregional cardiovascular health care process (phase I) and (b) to test an interregional nurse-coordinated cardiovascular health care model (phase II). Phase I was a 1-year exploratory descriptive retrospective study involving patient interviews and chart reviews. Findings from the phase I study suggested a pattern of patient health problems occurring weeks and months following successful tertiary centre interventions. Phase II was a quasi-experimental prospective study with 90 intervention subjects and 64 comparison group subjects who completed pencil and paper survey tools over a 12-month period following discharge from the tertiary centre. Nurse and doctor providers completed a satisfaction survey twice, at an interval of 1 year. Concurrent data collection via telephone calls (comparison group) and a retrospective record review (intervention group) provided data on cost, resource use and system efficiency. Initial results of phase II are presented, together with tests of significance for hypotheses related to interregional nurse care management and patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, cost/system efficiency, and provider satisfaction. Methodological considerations and recommendations related to phases I and II of this interregional collaborative cardiovascular project are presented and discussed.
A performance evaluation of a general parallel processing model

In this paper we analyze a model of a parallel processing system. In our model there is a single queue which is K ≥ 1 identical processors. Jobs are assumed to consist of a sequence of barrier synchronizations where, at each step, the number of tasks that must be synchronized is random with a known distribution. An exact analysis of the model is derived. The model leads to a rich set of results characterizing the performance of parallel processing systems. We show that the number of jobs concurrently in execution, as well as the number of synchronization variables, grows linearly with the load of the system and strongly depends on the average number of parallel tasks found in the workload. Properties of expected response time or such systems are extensively analyzed and, in particular, we report on some non-obvious response time behavior that arises as a function of the variance of parallelism found in the workload. Based on exact response time analysis, we propose a simple calculation that can be used as a rule of thumb to predict speedups. This can be viewed as a generalization of Amdahl's law that includes queueing effects. This generalization is reformulated when precise workloads cannot be characterized, but rather when only the fraction or sequential work and the average number of parallel tasks arc assumed to be known.
Surveillance of pedestrian bridge traffic using neural networks

A computer-vision monitoring system is demonstrated that automatically detects the presence and location of people. The approach investigated the potential for real-time, automated surveillance and tracking in a realistic environment. Economy was obtained by the use of gray-scale, fixed perspective images and efficiency was obtained by the use of selected object features and a neural-network-processing algorithm. The system was applied to pedestrian traffic on an outdoor bridge and consequently had to handle complex images. Image sequences of single and multiple people were used with differences in clothing, position, lighting, season, etc. A two-stage algorithm was implemented in which (1) new objects were identified in a highly variable scene and (2) the objects were classified with a back-propagation neural network. The image processing techniques included segmentation and filtering and the neural network used fourteen object features as inputs. The implementation had excellent people-discrimination accuracy despite the noise in the images and had low computational complexity with respect to alternative techniques.
Russia's openness to the world: The unpredicted consequences of the country's liberalization

Abstract The author challenges the dogma that complete openness of the country to the external world has only a positive impact on its current state of affairs and its future. He uses post-Soviet Russia to show that in several respects openness, in particularly systematic emigrations of active people from the country, creates a lot of the problems which, however, can be partially solved if society has true democratic institutions.
The Politics of Reproduction: Households in the Mexican Industrial Transition

A household-level analysis helps to reveal the dynamics of a transition in Mexican industrial strategy from the state-led import substitution strategy dominant from 1930 to 1976 to the neoliberal one dominant today. The results suggest that gender restructuring was a crucial element of industrial restructuring. The new industrial strategy which relies on substantial foreign investment and adopts many of the norms of maquiladora production has reshaped the industrial household into a multitude of forms. In the case study presented these range from huge company-run single-sex dormitories to a variety of extended family households. In these new households the gender division of domestic labor has been renegotiated. In-depth interviews reveal that such micro-scale struggles result from and influence the new factory regime. (EXCERPT)
D-homothetic warping

The goal of this lecture will be to introduce the notion ofD-homothetic warping, give a few rudimentary properties and a couple of applications. As with the usual warped product it is hoped that this idea will prove useful for generating further results and examples of various structures. Details of the proofs will appear in [3]. For this purpose we must first review the geometry of contact metric and almost contact metric manifolds. By a contact manifold we mean a C manifold M2n+1 together with a 1-form η such that η ∧ (dη) 6= 0. It is well known that given η there exists a unique vector field ξ such that dη(ξ,X) = 0 and η(ξ) = 1. The vector field ξ is known as the characteristic vector field or Reeb vector field of the contact structure η. Denote by D the contact subbundle defined by {X ∈ TmM : η(X) = 0}. A Riemannian metric g is an associated metric for a contact form η if, first of all, η(X) = g(X, ξ) and secondly, there exists a field of endomorphisms, φ, such that φ2 = −I + η ⊗ ξ, dη(X,Y ) = g(X,φY ). We refer to (φ, ξ, η, g) as a contact metric structure and to M2n+1 with such a structure as a contact metric manifold. By an almost contact manifold we mean a C manifold M2n+1 together with a field of endomorphisms φ, a 1-form η and a vector field ξ such that
Deep Currents in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Direct current measurements using moored arrays have been made below 1000 m in the eastern, central and western Gulf of Mexico basin. The major low frequency velocity fluctuations in the lower 1000 to 2000 m of the water column in the three regions have the characteristics of topographic Rossby waves (TRWs). Spectral peaks are observed at periods of about 25 days and 40 to 100 days. Motions are highly coherent with depth. Variances increase toward the bottom despite the very weak stratification of the deep waters of the Gulf. Wave-lengths are about 150–250 km and phase propagation is offshore with energy propagation westward. A group velocity of about 9 km day−1 could be directly estimated from significantly coherent signals between eastern and western arrays. This value is consistent with estimates derived from the dispersion relation and is higher than the westward translation speed of 3 to 6 km day−1 of the large anticyclonic eddies shed from the Loop Current. It appears that a major source of...
SUBTLE ANTIGENIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NORMAL AND MUTANT ARYLSULFATASE B |[lpar]|ASB|[rpar]| DETECTED BY MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

Normal ASB and the mutant enzyme in Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome (MLS) have been shown to be immunologically indistinguishable when compared using rabbit anti-ASB antiserum. In the present study a monoclonal antibody library was obtained by fusion of spleen cells from mice immunized with purified ASB and X63NS1/1-Ag-4 (NS1) mice myeloma cells. Seventy-six hybridoma lines with ASB antibody specificity were obtained, of which 64 were sub-cloned and further studied. Of these, 56 reacted with both control and mutant ASB. Five reacted only with the active form of ASB and not with either the mutant form or with partially denatured (enzymatically inactive) control ASB. Three reacted only with heat denatured or urea treated control ASB and with the mutant enzyme but not with the active form. The specificity of these antibodies toward ASB was documented using Western blotting. Several of these hybridoma lines were injected into Pris-tane sensitized mice, and the specific monoclonal antibodies were purified from the ascites fluid. A solid phase radioimmunoassay was developed using IV-16-8 antibody (reacts with control and mutant ASB and has high binding affinity to polyvinyl chloride), 125I-labeled V-4-7 (reacts with both mutant and control ASB), and 125I-labeled V-18-8 (reacts specifically with active ASB). Using this assay the ratio between active and inactive ASB was determined in liver, fibroblast and leukocyte homogenates from controls, homozygotes and heterozygotes for MLS.
Web-based distribution of geo-scientific models

Scientific model developers have learned that the time required for the science and research phases of software development is relatively short when compared with the time needed to develop GUIs, writing documentation, developing support programs (e.g. pre-processors, visualization tools, and reports), debugging source code, and modifying the software for various computer operating systems. Another component of model development that requires a great deal of time and effort is the distribution and maintenance of model software. Consider the example of the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) Modular Modeling System (MMS). MMS allows a user to build a hydrologic model by selecting a set of modules that simulate a number of hydrologic processes. MMS is currently being used on various computer systems (e.g. Windows, Solaris, Linux, HP-UX, and AIX). Because each of these operating systems is slightly different, several versions of the software have been developed and maintained. When updates occur, they need to be added and tested for each version of the model. This process is time consuming. MMS is distributed via the internet from a web page. Users download MMS from the web page and then go through the task of installing the model on their system and then running it. Because so many different computer systems are used, the developers spend a considerable amount of time dealing with software bugs and trying to update various versions of the software. Each time the software is loaded onto a new system there are new problems to deal with, none of which have to do with the physics of the model; all are related to differences in computer operating systems. These problems are time consuming and take scientists away from further development of the physics included in the models. To overcome these problems, a method is needed whereby model developers can distribute an executable version of a model that will operate on all computer systems. The advent of the Internet and Java programming language makes this type of model distribution possible. This method of model distribution allows the delivery of (1) executable programs; (2) model documentation and (3) a robust GUI for model operation, all in a single Java archive file. Additionally, there is the issue of security related to the distribution of a model from the internet. For a model to be useful to a user, the user must be able to both input their own data files to a model and write output to his/her own computer. Sitraka Software (2001) proposes several guidelines for choosing an effective deployment strategy. Based on the anticipated end user and the nature of the application, Java Web Start (JWS) provides a way to address the security issues. JWS is a platform independent way to launch a wide variety of Java applications from a computer desktop or a web browser. The following sections describe the procedures necessary to implement and distribute a model with this method.
Comparative Studies on the Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Flax Fiber Reinforced Polyester and Polyester-Biopolymer Blend Resins

Bio-composites made of biopolymer and natural fibers provide good alternative to traditional fiber reinforced composites made of synthetic fibers and non-biodegradable polymers. In order for biocomposites to attain widespread applications and acceptance, compatibility between natural fibers and biopolymers in terms of good interfacial load transfer should be established which could be obtained through fiber surface treatment. Hence, current investigations were focused on the surface treatment of fiber and study its influence on the adhesion between fiber and polymer matrix. Initially, dew retted flax fibers were treated with alkali by varying concentration keeping temperature and time constant. The fibers were treated with 2.5, 5, and 7% of alkali at room temperature for one hour. 2.5% treated fiber showed comparatively better properties than higher concentration. Hence, for further studies, all flax fibers were treated with 2.5% solution of alkali at different temperatures. In the next phase of study, biocomposites were prepared by immersing fiber mats in resin bath and compression molded using a hot press. Two polymers: Polyester and a polyester-biopolymer blend, ENVIREZ® 1807 were used as matrix. Moisture absorption, mechanical and thermomechanical tests were conducted on the composites. It was determined that treated composites showed reduction in moisture uptake compared to untreated. Alkali treated composites showed an increase in flexural properties as well as storage modulus. The improvement of composites properties is attributed to the chemical treatment. Composites made using ENVIREZ® 1807 which has about 18% of natural polymer blend showed comparable properties with those of polyester resin system with potential to reduce amount of styrene used in fabrication.
Abstract ES6-2: Evolving Trends in Implant Breast Reconstruction

For women undergoing mastectomy, implant breast reconstruction is increasingly common. Over the past 5 years, new trends in implant reconstruction have been evolving. The use of ‘next-generation’ silicone implants, acellular dermal matrices and fat grafting have expanded the range of options available to patients. In addition, for women undergoing both skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies, there is growing experience with single-stage implant reconstruction (i.e. implant placement directly at the time of mastectomy without use of a tissue expander). Finally, indications for post-mastectomy radiation continue to increase and this has important implications for long-term patient satisfaction with implant reconstruction. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr ES6-2.
RecA acts in trans to allow replication of damaged DNA by DNA polymerase V

The DNA polymerase V (pol V) and RecA proteins are essential components of a mutagenic translesion synthesis pathway in Escherichia coli designed to cope with DNA damage. Previously, it has been assumed that RecA binds to the DNA template strand being copied. Here we show, however, that pol-V-catalysed translesion synthesis, in the presence or absence of the β-processivity-clamp, occurs only when RecA nucleoprotein filaments assemble or RecA protomers bind on separate single-stranded (ss)DNA molecules in trans. A 3′-proximal RecA filament end on trans DNA is essential for stimulation; however, synthesis is strengthened by further pol V–RecA interactions occurring elsewhere along a trans nucleoprotein filament. We suggest that trans-stimulation of pol V by RecA bound to ssDNA reflects a distinctive regulatory mechanism of mutation that resolves the paradox of RecA filaments assembled in cis on a damaged template strand obstructing translesion DNA synthesis despite the absolute requirement of RecA for SOS mutagenesis. A new model for the repair of damaged DNA in Escherichia coli could resolve earlier contradictory observations. Unrepaired DNA lesions can block genome replication, so the cell has defences to deal with such lesions when they are encountered by the replication machinery. In E. coli this involves pol V, a specialized DNA polymerase and RecA, a DNA repair protein. Previous work suggested that RecA binds to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) on the same strand as the lesion, stimulating pol V to synthesize DNA across the damaged template. Now Schlacher et al. show that in fact RecA binds to a different ssDNA, and activates pol V 'in trans', not on the strand being copied.
The quality mantra: proceed carefully.

President Obama's health care plan touts comparative effectiveness research as a means to undergird effective decision-making and the delivery of high-quality care. On the face of it, few can take issue with any measures that would improve the quality of care. However, I advise that we proceed carefully. In offering this recommendation, I draw upon my professional experience as a physician specializing in palliative and end-of-life care, the research and reports of other clinicians, and also my personal experience on the receiving end of care. Requiring physicians to make decisions through narrowly prescribed quality filters has consequences. There is an art to medical practice that extends beyond hard science and numbers and often requires swift, sound decision-making in an environment of incomplete evidence. Sometimes no formula or calculation based on quantified evidence and data can determine the appropriate action. A definition of "high-quality" medical care is too narrow when it relies only on empirical evidence gathered by randomized controlled clinical trials. Harvard clinicians Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband recently warned in the Wall Street Journal of the dangers of applying the quality mantra too quickly and aggressively. (1) They cited examples in which the overzealous use of quality metrics increased patient deaths, led to the intimidation of physicians, and may have made it more difficult for the sickest patients to see doctors. Furthermore, a recent study observed that pay-for-performance measures applied to orthopedic surgery actually bore no relationship to patient outcomes. (2) I raise another concern. How will we value clinical judgment and support the decisions of doctors who practice the art of medicine in the murky world of incomplete evidence and second-guessing? This challenge is illustrated by the example of my aunt, who has moderately severe Alzheimer disease. She has lived in a family rest home with three other elderly, cognitively impaired women for many years. She and the other patients in this home live socially with a family, which includes small children who call her Granny. She can dress and feed herself, and she often leaves the home for supervised recreational activities and church. When we visit her, she is clean, well groomed, seems happy, and sometimes remembers who we are. About five years ago, at the age of ninety-six, she was rushed to the emergency room of a local hospital with fever, severe abdominal pain, and vomiting. The surgeon informed us that she had an inflamed gall bladder and was in danger of dying from infection. …
Overexpression of the enzyme p-hydroxyphenolpyruvate dioxygenase in Arabidopsis and its relation to tocopherol biosynthesis

Abstract The enzyme p -hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) catalyzes the conversion of p -hydroxyphenylpyruvate to homogentisic acid (HGA), the aromatic precursor for the biosynthesis of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and plastoquinone. In order to determine if increased HPPD activity could positively impact tocopherol yields, transgenic plants were generated that overexpressed the gene encoding Arabidopsis HPPD. Transgenic plants exhibiting high levels of HPPD expression were identified by increased tolerance to a competitive inhibitor of HPPD, the herbicide sulcotrione. HPPD gene expression in these transgenic lines, as determined at the RNA, protein and activity levels, was at least 10-fold higher than that of wild-type plants. Subsequent tocopherol analysis of leaf and seed material revealed that the increased HPPD expression resulted in up to a 37% increase in leaf tocopherol levels and a 28% increase in seed tocopherol levels relative to control plants. These results demonstrate that HPPD activity, and likely HGA levels, are at least one factor limiting the production of tocopherols in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic plant tissues.
Earth science: rain on the parade.

An analysis of landforms in the Bolivian Andes suggests that surface uplift has shaped the climate and landscape. This contrasts with previous work suggesting that climate controls topography and deformation along the mountain range.
Technical efficiency analysis of information technology investments: a two-stage empirical investigation

Abstract One of the difficult challenges facing management and researchers today is how to justify costly investments in information technology (IT). This paper presents an approach to investigating the effects of IT on technical efficiency in a firm’s production process through a two-stage analytical study with a firm-level data set. In the first stage, a nonparametric frontier method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) is employed to measure technical efficiency scores for the firms. The second stage then utilizes the Tobit model to regress the efficiency scores upon the corresponding IT investments of the firms. Strong statistical evidence is presented to confirm that IT exerts a significant favorable impact on technical efficiency and in turn, gives rise to the productivity growth that was claimed by recent studies of IT economic value. Practical implications are then drawn from the empirical evidence.
Carbon structure and enzyme activities in alpine and forest ecosystems

Abstract The chemical structure of soil organic matter fractions and its relationship to biological processes remains uncertain. We used pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to analyze the molecular structure of light and heavy fraction C from soils in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado. The soil samples, each replicated three times, were from two elevations (alpine and low forest) within two geochemically distinct basins (igneous and sedimentary). We also analyzed whether variation in the activity of nine enzymes that mediate soil organic matter turnover and nutrient cycling could explain differences in C structure. We found that, across basins and elevation, light fraction and heavy fraction C had distinct chemistries. The light fraction was characterized by an abundance of plant lignin biomarkers, including phenol, 2-methoxy-4-vinyl-(vinylguaiacol) and phenol, 2-methoxy-(guaiacol); in contrast heavy fraction had very little unaltered lignin but an abundance of polysaccharides, such as furfural, and proteins such as pyrrole. In alpine sites, light fraction was less abundant (4.27 versus 31.79 g kg−1) and had a lower C/N ratio (17.25 versus 32.01) than in forests. The alpine sites also had higher activities of phosphatase, β- d -1,4-cellobiosidase, β-1,4-glucosidase, l -leucine aminopeptidase, and β-1,4-xylosidase. Protein abundance in the heavy fraction was correlated with peptidase, β-1,4-glucosidase, and phosphatase activities; in the light fraction, protein abundance was correlated with peptidase, xylosidase, and β- d -1,4-cellobiosidase activities. β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase was negatively correlated with polysaccharides in the light and heavy fractions and positively correlated with lignin in the light fraction. However, there were not always significant correlations between enzymes and substrates. We suggest that this is likely because soil organic matter chemistry reflects long-term decomposition processes while enzyme dynamics fluctuate with current conditions or due to the presence of a pool of sorbed enzymes in the heavy fraction. While alpine and forest ecosystem C distribution and enzyme activities varied, substantial depletion of lignin derivatives in the heavy fraction across sites suggest that these compounds do not persist in stable soil C pools.
An hypothesis concerning the molecular structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Abstract An hypothesis is presented concerning the molecular structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction based on the actual amino acid sequence of the N-terminal segment of the α-subunit and the Chou and Fasman prediction of secondary structure from the primary sequence. This is mainly in the form of two α-helices cross-linked by four ionically bound complementary amino acids (arg/lys to glu). This structure (R) is complementary to a wide range of ACh agonists and to the antagonist β-erythroidine. If the ionic cross-links are disrupted the two segments can separate by 2–3 A. This new conformation (Rl) is now complementary to antagonists of the type of histrionicotoxin. A further separation (∼8 A) gives a conformation complementary to antagonists of the type of decamethonium. Experiments to test the hypothesis are suggested.
Chronic Theophylline Administration Has No Apparent Effect on Theophylline Concentrations Required to Produce Seizures in Rats

Theophylline, the widely used antiasthmatic drug, can cause life-threatening, generalized seizures when administered in excessive doses. The plasma concentrations of theophylline associated with these seizures vary widely among patients, thereby complicating efforts to prevent seizures by timely initiation of appropriate treatment. Some investigators suspect that chronic administration increases the neurotoxicity of theophylline but others have suggested the opposite. We have studied this problem in an animal model of theophylline-induced seizures. Osmotic pumps containing theophylline solution or drug-free solvent (for the surgical control group) were implanted in adult female Lewis rats, yielding almost constant serum theophylline concentrations of about 14 mg/liter for 7 days in the treated group. On the seventh day, theophylline was administered by much more rapid iv infusion to the two groups of animals and to one nonimplanted (nonsurgical) control group until onset of maximal seizures. There were no statistically significant differences between the three groups with respect to the concentrations of theophylline in serum, serum water, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid at onset of seizures. The concentrations of theophylline metabolites were either very low or undetectable. Under the experimental conditions, preexposure of rats for 7 days to theophylline in the human therapeutic concentration range had no apparent effect on the acute neurotoxicity of the drug.
Modelling D″ structure beneath Central America with broadband seismic data

Deep South American events recorded at distances between 70° and 96° are used to constrain the lower mantle structure beneath Central America. Employing data from the TERRAscope, BDSN, IRIS and CNSN (Canadian National Seismic Network) broadband arrays, we obtain a 1-D shear model with a 200 km thick D″ layer with a 3% velocity jump at the top and a negative gradient within the layer from broadband waveform modelling of SH-polarized S, ScS, and Scd. The shear structure above D″ is similar to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM) (Dziewonski and Anderson, 1981. Preliminary Reference Earth Model. Physics of Earth & Planetary Interiors 25, 297–356) in terms of dT/dΔ and S-SKS differential times. SV synthetics for this model, assuming a PREM core, produce a satisfactory fit to the data, except at the larger ranges to the north, where the waveforms display rapid variation. This feature is indicative of lateral variation of the type suggested by Grand (1994), where the discontinuity becomes less well defined. Synthetics computed for a simplified 2-D cross-section through this structure produce the Scd phase and simple S at larger distances. While Scd is easily observed in the shear wave data, there is little evidence of its counterpart in the P data. By testing several models with different P-velocity jumps at the same depth as the D″ jump in shear structure, we conclude that the velocity jump must be less than 1%. In fact, PREM provides an excellent fit both in timing and waveform shapes and therefore we conclude that lower-mantle structure beneath Central America shows clear evidence for a discontinuity in S velocity but not in P.