cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mineral Species Frequency Distribution Conforms to a Large Number of Rare Events Model: Prediction of Earth's Missing Minerals

A population model is introduced to describe the mineral species frequency distribution. Mineral species coupled with their localities conform to a large number of rare events (LNRE) distribution: 100 common mineral species occur at more than 1,000 localities, whereas $$34 \,\%$$ of the approved 4,831 mineral species are found at only one or two localities. LNRE models formulated in terms of a structural type distribution allow the estimation of Earth’s undiscovered mineralogical diversity and the prediction of the percentage of observed mineral species that would differ if Earth’s history were replayed.
Average of the First Invariant Factor of the Reductions of Abelian Varieties of CM Type

For a field of definition k of an abelian variety &#x1d49c; and prime ideal &#x1d52d; of k which is of a good reduction for &#x1d49c;, the structure of &#x1d49c;(&#x1d53d;&#x1d52d;) as abelian group is: &#x1d49c;(&#x1d53d;&#x1d52d;) ≃ ℤ/d1(&#x1d52d;)ℤ ⊕⋯ ⊕ ℤ/dg(&#x1d52d;)ℤ ⊕ ℤ/e1(&#x1d52d;)ℤ ⊕⋯ ⊕ ℤ/eg(&#x1d52d;)ℤ, where di(&#x1d52d;)|di+1(&#x1d52d;), dg(&#x1d52d;)|e1(&#x1d52d;), and ei(&#x1d52d;)|ei+1(&#x1d52d;) for 1 ≤ i < g. We are interested in finding an asymptotic formula for the number of prime ideals &#x1d52d; with N&#x1d52d; < x, &#x1d49c; has a good reduction at &#x1d52d;, d1(&#x1d52d;) = 1. We succeed in proving this under the assumption of the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis (GRH). Unconditionally, we achieve a short range asymptotic for abelian varieties of CM type, and the full cyclicity theorem for elliptic curves over a number field containing the CM field.
Clinical importance of minimal residual disease in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

By using rapid flow cytometric techniques capable of detecting one leukemic cell in 10(4) normal cells, we prospectively studied minimal residual disease (MRD) in 195 children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in clinical remission. Bone marrow aspirates (n = 629) were collected at the end of remission induction therapy and at 3 intervals thereafter. Detectable MRD (ie, > or = 0.01% leukemic mononuclear cells) at each time point was associated with a higher relapse rate (P or = 1%) or at week 14 of continuation therapy (> or = 0.1%) had a particularly poor outcome. The predictive strength of MRD remained significant even after adjusting for adverse presenting features, excluding patients at very high or very low risk of relapse from the analysis, and considering levels of peripheral blood lymphoblasts at day 7 and day 10 of induction therapy. The incidence of relapse among patients with MRD at the end of the induction phase was 68% +/- 16% (SE) if they remained with MRD through week 14 of continuation therapy, compared with 7% +/- 7% if MRD became undetectable (P = .035). The persistence of MRD until week 32 was highly predictive of relapse (all 4 MRD(+) patients relapsed vs 2 of the 8 who converted to undetectable MRD status; P = .021). Sequential monitoring of MRD by the method described here provides highly significant, independent prognostic information in children with ALL. Recent improvements in this flow cytometric assay have made it applicable to more than 90% of all new patients. (Blood. 2000;96:2691-2696)
Toward a Unified Approach to Fitting Loss Models

Abstract There are four components to fitting models: selecting a set of candidate distributions, estimating parameters, evaluating the appropriateness of a model, and determining which member fits best. It is important to have the candidate set be small to avoid overfitting. Finite mixture models using a small number of base distributions provide an ideal set. Because actuaries fit models for a variety of situations, particularly with regard to data modifications, it is useful to have a single approach. Although not optimal or exact for a particular model or data structure, the method should be reasonable for most all settings. Such a method is proposed in this article.
Humanitarian Intervention and Fledgling Democracies

This essay discusses the lawfulness of humanitarian intervention in circumstances in which the lives of large numbers of a population are in danger and such government as is there is either non-existent, ineffective, or itself the threat to basic human rights. If the great democracies back up their insistence on respect for constitutional democracy in all other states with a claim of a customary right to unilateral humanitarian intervention for its violation, that norm, in itself, will act to deter coups. HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION AND FLEDGLING DEMOCRACIES
Public Opinion in the Collapse of the USSR: A Reassessment Twenty Years Later Using a New Rolling Cross-Section Data Set

This paper uses a new Unified Database of Soviet Public Opinion with more than 210,000 respondents to eighty-seven public opinion surveys undertaken in the Soviet Union between January 1989 and February 1992. Using these and other data, the paper considers the role of public opinion and political mobilization in the Soviet Union during the crucial transition period. We conclude that the Baltic Republics were different from every other Union Republic, even from the Republics in the Caucasus which shared some of the same trends in terms of demonstrations, but which diverged in important ways with respect to the goal of the demonstrations, trust in the Communist Party, and membership in the CPSU. Demonstrations in the Caucasus were more concerned with ethno-territorial issues than with secession, and respondents in the Caucasus were somewhat more trusting of the Communist Party. Perhaps most importantly, they did not leave the CPSU until much later than those in the Baltics. Although there was some political mobilization in Russia and Ukraine, it was much more modest than in the Baltics and the Caucasus (and Moldavia). The political outcomes in these places appear to have been much more affected by changes in public opinion than in the impacts of demonstrations and informal group activity. People in Russia and Ukraine became increasingly distrustful of the Communist Party from 1989 to 1991, but they lagged in this feeling compared to those in the Baltics and the Caucasus, and they did not start leaving the CPSU in appreciable numbers until 1991.
Legal framework and intellectual property : realizing the concept of indigenous cultural rights in the new millennium

Indigenous knowledge of underdeveloped countries or of underdeveloped peoples within developed nations is a sought-after commodity in the marketplace of the new millennium. The pressure of this commercialization is sure to increase in the globalized climate of the new world economic order. Knowledge is intangible, and legal protection of the intangible is minimal. When knowledge is expressed in tangible form, societies have seen fit to offer protection under the rubric of intellectual property law. However, these developments have emerged from a \'western\' or \'developed\' legal tradition and are often inadequate for dealing with the scenarios in which indigenous knowledge tends to reside. Several examples of the commercialization of indigenous knowledge (artifact or expression) demonstrate these shortcomings. In addition, the cultural differences between concepts of developed versus underdeveloped (or under-exploited in the commercial marketplace) indigenous property further highlight the problem of achieving a harmonized and universal set of legal protections. Critical for the purpose of the present discussion is a recognition of the inadequacy of existing intellectual property regimes to protect indigenous culture and knowledge from development and, often, from exploitation. A variety of existing legal concepts (including trademark, right of publicity, misappropriation and moral rights) are discussed in an effort to demonstrate how strands of these various concepts might be woven into a new protection scheme.
Determining shot assonance/dissonance via salience maps and the match frame principle of continuity editing

One of the ultimate challenges of computer vision is in video semantic understanding. Many efforts at detecting events in video have focused on structured sequences such as sports or news broadcasts. However even in seemingly freeform media such as feature films, there is an inherent structure and established production codes. Over the last century, film theorists have developed the principles of continuity editing. One tenet of continuity editing is known as match framing; in order for a shot boundary to appear seamless, the viewer's focus of attention should not have to move very far from one shot to the next. Filmmakers generally adhere to the continuity editing guidelines in order for audiences to maintain their suspension of disbelief. Often times, however, prudent violations of continuity can jar the viewer, for example during action scenes or moments of high intensity. By detecting violations of the continuity editing principles, it is possible to locate portions of a film that the filmmaker is interested in portraying as different from the rest of the film. We have developed a method for automatically detecting violations of the match framing principle that fuses film theory, psychophysical modeling, and image morphology and pattern recognition. First, shot detection is performed on the entire film. Next, we compute the saliency map on a frame before and after the shot boundary. We then treat each saliency map as a distribution, and estimate a 3-component Gaussian mixture model of the salient peaks. Finally, by comparing distributions we are able to estimate how active the viewer's eye needs to be from one shot to the next. Experiments demonstrate a correlation between match frame violations and plot in a small corpus of full-length movies.
Student empowerment by course structure

Summary form only given. The course structure suggested in this document places greater responsibility for performance in the hands of the students. The course has two exams, final and an encompassing extra credit project in a 16 week semester. No homework for grading or credit is given. Old exams and old extra credit projects are available for students. Three techniques for choices in the course are: (1) of (N) problems in an exam, students may do any (N-1) problems; (2) the exam has one extra credit problem, worth half of one of the first (N) problems; and (3) extra credit project, seeks to unify many course topics is worth 10% of the entire course grade. This structure has been used almost exclusively in a control systems course. Such a course necessarily draws from several disciplines and has techniques that can often seem unrelated. To unify these concepts, and to show relations and dependence between them, the course project was introduced. It is an extra credit element of the course, and a student can still have a high course grade without it. However, the worth and the need for the various techniques introduced in the controls course is amplified by this project. Students have five weeks to complete the project. Interestingly, it is the better students that recognize this and work on the project, rather than the other students who could gain the most from such a project. Students have many choices, but they also have more responsibility and motivation to perform the course tasks.
The origin of periodontal infections.

Periodontal diseases are recognized as bacterial infections, and some forms are associated with specific organisms, such as Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in juvenile periodontitis, and Bacteroides gingivalis and others in adult periodontitis. The source of the periodontal organisms, whether they are part of the indigenous or resident flora and overgrow to become opportunistic oral pathogens, or whether they are exogenous oral pathogens, is important to determine. The chain of periodontal infection, microbial agent(s) and their transmission, and host response are reviewed with respect to the role of A. actinomycetemcomitans in localized juvenile periodontitis and B. gingivalis in adult periodontitis. The present data lead us to hypothesize that some periodontal organisms may be exogenous pathogens.Prevention of periodontal diseases may be influenced by the knowledge of whether various forms are caused by opportunistic organisms or exogenous pathogens. If exogenous pathogens are responsible, preventi...
A perspective on the ultralight wheelchair revolution

Driven by a desire to improve their sports performance, a few wheelchair users began to challenge the rules for wheelchair sports. In so doing the flame of a revolution was lit. By producing their own wheelchairs, standard wheelchair technology was challenged. During the late 1970s, several companies arose out of the demand for custom sports chairs for daily use. The demand for improved performance and lighter weight was great enough to support an industry because the large wheelchair manufacturers at the time did not recognize this change in the market place, the door was left open for new players. Although there has been recent consolidation of many of the original ultralight wheelchair manufacturers, growth continues. This trend should produce some exciting technologies to reduce costs and improve quality. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
On the Axial Rotation and Spectra of Stars

Struve's remarkable relation between high observed axial rotations of stars and their bright line spectra is considered theoretically. It is shown that the two phenomena are closely related to the same electromagnetic effects that account for the anomalous solar rotation. High electromagnetic winds, resulting from crossed electric and magnetic fields, account for the high apparent rotational velocity and transfer sufficient momentum to the star in the course of stellar time to account for the high true rotations necessary to produce fission. The large electromagnetic wind velocities require the presence of comparatively large radial electric fields and it is shown that these can add sufficient additional excitation energy to the atmospheric ions to produce bright line spectra. Thus, high apparent axial rotations, high true rotations and bright line spectra in stars are intimately related and the existence of one, usually demands the presence of the others. An approximate expression is derived for the time rate of increase of angular momentum in a star.
Independent manifold analysis for subpixel tracking of local features and face recognition in video sequences

Effortless and robust recognition of human faces in video sequences is a practically important, but technically very challenging problem, especially in the presence of pose and lighting variability. Here we study the statistical structure of one such sequence and observe that images of both facial features and the full head lie on low-dimensional manifolds that are embedded in very high-dimensional spaces. We apply IndependentManifold Analysis (IMA) to learn these manifolds and use them to track local features to sub-pixel accuracy. We utilize sub-pixel resampling, which allows a very smooth estimate of head pose. In the process, we learn a manifold model of the head and use it to partially compensate for pose. Finally, in experiments on the standard FERET database, we report that this pose compensation results in more than an order of magnitude reduction of the equal error rate.
Positron annihilation spectroscopy of sputtered boron carbide films

Abstract Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) was carried out on boron carbide films deposited by sputtering and the results correlated to the bombardment conditions during film growth. Films were deposited with substrate bias voltages in the range of 0 to −200 V with a working pressure of 5 mTorr of Ar. Films deposited with bias voltages from −100 to −200 V present the same type of defect and the defect concentration increased linearly with the bias voltage. This defect was ascribed to vacancies in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations of Ar + bombardment of boron carbide. On the other hand, films deposited with 0 V bias presented a higher S parameter values, whose origin was tentatively attributed to a relatively more open nanosized columnar structure, as suggested by the structure zone model. Annealing up to 800 °C for 30 min did not change the defect content.
A multi-gene transcriptional profiling approach to the discovery of cell signature markers

A profile of transcript abundances from multiple genes constitutes a molecular signature if the expression pattern is unique to one cell type. Here we measure mRNA copy numbers per cell by normalizing per million copies of 18S rRNA and identify 6 genes (TIE1, KDR, CDH5, TIE2, EFNA1 and MYO5C) out of 79 genes tested as excellent molecular signature markers for endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro. The selected genes are uniformly expressed in ECs of 4 different origins but weakly or not expressed in 4 non-EC cell lines. A multi-gene transcriptional profile of these 6 genes clearly distinguishes ECs from non-ECs in vitro. We conclude that (i) a profile of mRNA copy numbers per cell from a well-chosen multi-gene panel can act as a sensitive and accurate cell type signature marker, and (ii) the method described here can be applied to in vivo cell fingerprinting and molecular diagnosis.
Defect structure in Sc2O3 doped with MgO

Abstract The defect structure of the Sc 2 O 3 MgO system was investigated at low MgO compositions. Based on a comparison of measured pycnometric densities and calculated X-ray densities, it was found that the generation of anion vacancies was the predominant mode of charge compensation accompanying substitution of Mg 2+ for Sc 3+ in the REOC structure.
Near-Bottom Geologic Studies of the East Pacific Rise Crest

A survey with near-bottom instruments was made over a 15 km by 25 km area of the East Pacific Rise crest at the mouth of the Gulf of California. The survey lines were positioned to an accuracy of about 10 m relative to three acoustic transponders on the sea floor. The abyssal hills that compose the rise crest are approximately 5 km wide, 200 m high, and are elongate parallel to the northeast trend of the rise. They have been formed by a combination of faulting and volcanism at the rise crest. In addition to producing relief, volcanism is also a means of smoothing relief in this region. A zone 22 km wide at the rise crest is essentially barren of sediment. Sediment is present on both sides of this bare zone and was measured to increase in thickness away from the rise crest on the western side. The sediment has been preferentially concentrated in local topographic lows by redistribution processes near the sea floor. The boundary between the Pacific and American plates at the rise crest is a very precise and narrow feature that lends itself to two definitions. The first is the center of intrusion which was about 100m wide during the last three magnetic field reversals and probably has been similarly as narrow for at least the past 1.2 m.y. The second definition of the plate boundary is a rift-defined zone of crustal extension at the axis of the rise crest. The plates behave rigidly beyond this zone that is presently about 5 km wide.
Assessing the effects of alternative setback channel constraint scenarios employing a river meander migration model.

River channel migration and cutoff events within large river riparian corridors create heterogeneous and biologically diverse landscapes. However, channel stabilization (riprap and levees) impede the formation and maintenance of riparian areas. These impacts can be mitigated by setting channel constraints away from the channel. Using a meander migration model to measure land affected, we examined the relationship between setback distance and riparian and off-channel aquatic habitat formation on a 28-km reach of the Sacramento River, California, USA. We simulated 100 years of channel migration and cutoff events using 11 setback scenarios: 1 with existing riprap and 10 assuming setback constraints from about 0.5 to 4 bankfull channel widths (bankfull width: 235 m) from the channel. The percentage of land reworked by the river in 100 years relative to current (riprap) conditions ranged from 172% for the 100-m constraint setback scenario to 790% for the 800-m scenario. Three basic patterns occur as the setback distance increases due to different migration and cutoff dynamics: complete restriction of cutoffs, partial restriction of cutoffs, and no restriction of cutoffs. Complete cutoff restriction occurred at distances less than about one bankfull channel width (235 m), and no cutoff restriction occurred at distances greater than about three bankfull widths (∼700 m). Managing for point bars alone allows the setbacks to be narrower than managing for cutoffs and aquatic habitat. Results suggest that site-specific “restriction of cutoff” thresholds can be identified to optimize habitat benefits versus cost of acquired land along rivers affected by migration processes.
Linguistic constructions of modernity: English mixing in Korean television commercials

This study investigates the construction of linguistic modernity via English mixing in the discourse of Korean television commercials. Specifically, it is concerned with Korean-English bilinguals' linguistic construction of modernity as realized in three domains of advertising: technology, gender roles, and taste as a cultural form. Four hours of commercials were video-taped in Seoul, South Korea, during weekend prime time from August through October 2002. A total of 720 advertising spots were analyzed. The findings suggest that mixing English with Korean is a linguistic mechanism for the construction of modernity in contemporary South Korea. It is argued that knowledge and use of English in South Korea is a defining linguistic expression of modernity, and the conspicuous total absence of English is linguistically disassociated from modernity.A preliminary version of the paper was presented at Sociolinguistic Symposium 15, April 1–4, 2004, at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. My sincere thanks to Rakesh Bhatt, Ingrid Piller, Elizabeth Martin and Tej Bhatia for their comments and suggestions on earlier versions. I would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their comments, and Alice Filmer for her assistance with copyediting.
The current role of angiogenesis inhibitors in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma

Over the last few years, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has become a model disease for targeted therapeutics based on the growing understanding of the underlying molecular pathways in this disease. Clear cell RCC is characterized by the inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor-suppressor gene, which results in the dysregulation of hypoxia response genes, including an overproduction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promotes tumor angiogenesis, growth, and metastasis. In advanced RCC, substantial clinical activity has been reported with VEGF blockade employing a variety of approaches including antibodies and small-molecule VEGF receptor inhibitors. Many trials are still in progress with the goal of defining the optimal utility of these agents as monotherapy or in combination. This review will describe the current clinical data with VEGF-targeted approaches in RCC and plans for future development.
Diagnostic ultrasound activation of contrast agent gas bodies induces capillary rupture in mice

Interaction of diagnostic ultrasound with gas bodies produces a useful contrast effect in medical images, but the same interaction also represents a mechanism for bioeffects. Anesthetized hairless mice were scanned by using a 2.5-MHz transducer (610-ns pulses with 3.6-kHz repetition frequency and 61-Hz frame rate) after injection of Optison and Evans blue dye. Petechial hemorrhages (PHs) in intestine and abdominal muscle were counted 15 min after exposure to characterize capillary rupture, and Evans blue extravasation was evaluated in samples of muscle tissue. For 5 ml⋅kg-1 contrast agent and exposure to 10 alternating 10-s on and off periods, PH counts in muscle were approximately proportional to the square of peak negative pressure amplitude and were statistically significant above 0.64 MPa. PH counts in intestine and Evans blue extravasation into muscle tissue were significant above 1.0 MPa. The PH effect in muscle was proportional to contrast dose and was statistically significant for the lowest dose of 0.05 ml⋅kg-1. The effects decreased nearly to sham levels if the exposure was delayed 5 min. The PH effect in abdominal muscle was significant and statistically indistinguishable for uninterrupted 100-s exposure, 10-s exposure, 100 scans repeated at 1 Hz, and even for a single scan. The results confirms a previous report of PH induction by diagnostic ultrasound with contrast agent in mammalian skeletal muscle [Skyba, D. M., Price, R. J., Linka, A. Z., Skalak, T. C. & Kaul, S. (1998) Circulation 98, 290–293].
Clinical and demographic predictors of long-term disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.

Objective To identify clinical and demographic factors associated with long-term disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Data sources We searched the MEDLINE (1966-May 2005), EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and PsycINFO computerized databases, and reviewed reference lists of retrieved articles. Study selection We included studies that examined predictors of long-term disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. We excluded studies that did not distinguish relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis from primary progressive multiple sclerosis, enrolled fewer than 40 subjects, observed subjects for less than 5 years, or collected follow-up information in less than 80% of the inception cohort. Data extraction Two reviewers assessed study quality in 4 domains: cohort assembly, definitions and assessments of prognostic factors and outcomes, and statistical methods. One reviewer extracted data on the direction, magnitude, precision, and statistical significance of the effect of each predictor on prognosis. Data synthesis Heterogeneity of study designs precluded us from pooling the results of 27 eligible studies. Study quality was limited by cross-sectional design, enrollment of prevalent cases from referral centers, and lack of multivariate adjustment. Sphincter symptoms at onset (hazard ratio, 1.1-3.1), incomplete recovery from the first attack (hazard ratio, 1.3-3.3), and a short interval between the first and second attack (hazard ratio, 1.6-1.9) were most strongly and consistently associated with poor prognosis. Other factors widely believed to be of prognostic importance, including sex and age at onset, demonstrated inconsistent or weak effects on prognosis. Conclusions The most robust predictors of long-term physical disability in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis are sphincter symptoms at onset and early disease course outcomes. These factors can be used to guide treatment decisions for drugs with significant toxicities.
Differentiation of foetal rat tongue homografts in the anterior chamber of the eye

Abstract Slices of foetal rat tongue were transplanted into the anterior chamber of the eye of adult rats and harvested 5–19 days later. Within a few days, the homografts became vascularized and encysted. Differentiation of filiform papillae, the lamina propria and the 3-dimensional arrangement of muscle fibers simulated the in-vivo pattern. Fungiform papillae and taste buds did not differentiate. The homografts were invaded by bundles of nerve fibres with and without myelin.
Peer Advising: Evaluating Effectiveness

Peer advising is a unique model for delivering advising services. The authors describe one such program at The University of Tennessee. A review of peer advising efforts and evaluation from the per...
Using Administrative Databases to Examine Factors Affecting Length of Stay in Substitute Care

Abstract The literature on factors affecting children living in substitute care is sparse. Few studies have examined the characteristics of children living in these situations. Philadelphia's Department of Human Services with its administrative Family and Child Tracking System (FACTS) database is an exception among many child welfare agencies. The purpose of this paper is twofold. It was an effort to demonstrate the research utility of such databases, and in doing so to examine predictors of length of stay in substitute care for a cohort of children. Cox regression was performed using race, age, gender, type of placement, and receipt of pre-placement in-home services to predict length of time in substitute care. Results indicated that age, gender, type of placement, and receiving services were significant predictors of length of stay. Specifically, children under 1 year of age, those in kinship-type placements, males, and those who received in-home services prior to placement had significantly longer stays in substitute care than their counterparts. Race was not a significant predictor of length of time in care.
The structure of schizophrenic symptoms: a meta-analytic confirmatory factor analysis

To quantitatively review all presently available evidence about the interrelations between positive and negative schizophrenic symptoms, we created an aggregate matrix of the intercorrelations among schizophrenic symptoms by combining data from 28 independent samples using meta-analytic procedures (net bivariate dfs ranging from 683 to 1657). Using confirmatory factor analyses, we then statistically compared four theoretically derived models of the structure of schizophrenic symptoms. Although a three-factor model (Liddle, 1987) best fit the data, results suggest that either more factors or different symptoms are required to account well for the latent structure underlying schizophrenic symptomatology. The nature of such augmented approaches, the opportunities and constraints inherent to multifactorial models, and the limitations of current instruments are discussed.
Energy separations for the electronic states of PH−2,PH2 and PH+2

Abstract All-electron complete-active space multi-configuration self-consistent field (CASSCF) followed by second-order configuration interaction (SOCI) calculations in conjunction with large P(13s10p3d2flg/7s6p3d2flg) and H (10s5p1d/8s5p1d) basis sets are made on the electronic states of PH − 2 , PH 2 and PH + 2 . We compute the adiabatic electron affinities of PH 2 and PH. The 3 B 1 −X 1 A 1 , 1 B 1 −X 1 A 1 energy separations of PH + 2 and the 2 A 1 −X 2 B 1 energy separation of PH 2 are computed.
Regulation and insurer competition: Did insurers use rate regulation to reduce competition?

This article examines rate regulation and the market share of insurers using exclusive agents, known as direct writers. Direct writers have lower market share in rate regulation states; however, the effect is observed in both the regulated automobile lines and the less regulated homeowners' insurance. This suggests that statute implementation and not the statue itself affects insurers' market shares. Including measures of the political influence of insurers using nonexclusive agents and that of their agents on regulators in estimation removes the association between regulation and direct writers' market share. Combined with the different parties' support for regulation, the results indicate that nonexclusive agents used political influence to slow direct writers' growth.
Analysis of X-ray spectral data with genetic algorithms

An algorithmic method for the analysis of X-ray line spectra using genetic algorithms is presented. This technique permits the extraction of diagnostic information on the emitting medium from the spectral data. As an example of the method, plasma electron number density and temperature are extracted from the analysis of X-ray spectral data recorded in an Ar-doped inertial-confinement-fusion core. For the study of a sequence of gradually changing spectra, a combination of genetic algorithms and case-based reasoning that learns from experience is used to accelerate the analysis. The technique is general and can be applied to other plasma spectroscopy studies including analysis of spatially and temporally resolved line absorption or emission data.
A Europe of the Regions: Rhetoric or Reality?

Regional Institutions and Governance in the European Union. Edited by Jose M. Magone. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. 264 pp., $65.95 (ISBN: 0-275-97617-3). In the mid-1990s, scholarly interest in “federalism” surged, prompted both by globalization and by a push by subnational regions for greater autonomy. These developments seemed to threaten the future of the traditional nation-state by questioning whether it was the optimal unit of political organization. In Europe, this question attained greater salience because the process of European integration already held the potential for weakening nation-states in favor of other levels of government. Not only was the European Union (EU) gaining power at the expense of national capitals, but European regions were pressing for greater power as well. Western Europe's stateless peoples—such as the Scots, Basques, and Catalans—saw political opportunity in the European Union's often-stated goal of “subsidiarity,” which is the principle that governmental tasks should be executed at the lowest level of government possible. Many of Europe's regions created lobbying offices in Brussels, and much ink was spilled proclaiming the new era of a “Europe of the Regions” in which government could be smaller, more innovative, and closer to its citizens, and in which regional governments could wield real power at home and in Brussels. A decade later, this optimism appears to have been unfounded. European regions have indeed gained significantly more power in some countries, but largely as a result of domestic political reform. In Brussels, regions remain marginal players. The European Union's much-touted “Committee of the Regions” is only an advisory body, having no legislative authority. Although federalism remains an influential political development, its impact on European integration appears to have been overemphasized. The contributors to Jose Magone's Regional Institutions and Governance in the European Union , however, remain boldly convinced that we are witnessing nothing short of a political revolution in the role of regionalism in the European Union. Using the important work of Liesbet Hooghe and Gary …
The sequential attack against power grid networks

The vulnerability analysis is vital for safely running power grids. The simultaneous attack, which applies multiple failures simultaneously, does not consider the time domain in applying failures, and is limited to find unknown vulnerabilities of power grid networks. In this paper, we discover a new attack scenario, called the sequential attack, in which the failures of multiple network components (i.e., links/nodes) occur at different time. The sequence of such failures can be carefully arranged by attackers in order to maximize attack performances. This attack scenario leads to a new angle to analyze and discover vulnerabilities of grid networks. The IEEE 39 bus system is adopted as test benchmark to compare the proposed attack scenario with the existing simultaneous attack scenario. New vulnerabilities are found. For example, the sequential failure of two links, e.g., links 26 and 39 in the test benchmark, can cause 80% power loss, whereas the simultaneous failure of them causes less than 10% power loss. In addition, the sequential attack is demonstrated to be statistically stronger than the simultaneous attack. Finally, several metrics are compared and discussed in terms of whether they can be used to sharply reduce the search space for identifying strong sequential attacks.
The impact of outliers and leverage points for technical efficiency measurement using high breakdown procedures

Given that most data used for production studies have not been accumulated for such purposes, it is important that the quantitative tools for messy data which can affect the accuracy of computed technical efficiency measures be found. In this study, high breakdown robust methods are used in conjunction with a robust distance measure defined relative to the minimum volume ellipsoid estimator. The standardized robust residuals from the high breakdown estimators and the robust distance measures are used to statistically and graphically depict both multivariate outliers and leverage points. Once these points are found, their relationship to those observations that exhibit strong technically efficient or inefficient behavior, scale inefficiency and/or unusual production characteristics is analyzed for three linerboard manufacturing facilities. Additionally, the impact of the outliers and leverage points on the estimated least squares coefficients which are used by the corrected ordinary least squares methodology to compute the full-frontier technical efficiency measures is explored. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the impact of outliers and leverage points on the computed linear programming based technical efficiency measures is presented.
Photon enzyme activation.

The electromagnetic molecular electronic resonance (EMER) frequencies of the molecular chains of α-chymotrypsin are calculated. The chain length relations and coupling positions suggest a possible energy transfer, at the EMER frequencies, from one chain to the other. Photon enzyme activation data indicate that the energy corresponding to the EMER frequencies of its molecular chains is used by α-chymotrypsin for its enzyme function.
A radiographic and clinical comparison of reamer-irrigator-aspirator versus iliac crest bone graft in ankle arthrodesis.

Purpose We evaluated radiographic fusion at follow-up and complication rates in patients who had either iliac crest (ICBG) or femoral reamer–irrigator–aspirator (RIA) bone graft for tibiotalar fusion.
Avascular necrosis of the scaphoid following a scapholunate screw: a case report

The reduction and association of the scaphoid and lunate (RASL) is a procedure to treat chronic static scapholunate (SL) dissociation which involves open excision of the SL ligament, debridement of the joint surfaces to facilitate fibrous union, reduction of the SL, and fixation with a headless compression screw to allow for independent rotation of the two bones along the screw axis [11, 15, 16]. Several variations with temporary or permanent SL screw fixation have been described [1, 5, 6, 13]. Although complications have been reported, there have been no reports of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the scaphoid related to SL screw fixation.
Hydrodesulphurization of thiophene by transition metal sulphides. A molecular orbital topology study

Abstract Transition metal sulphides have the ability to catalyze the hydrodesulphurization (HDS) process of thiophene and related compounds in the presence of hydrogen. We present the results of scattered-wave calculations on model catalyst clusters and catalyst—thiophene complexes, which indicate that pπ bonding, between the sulphur atoms in the catalyst and the sulphur and carbon atoms in the thiophene ring, is responsible for binding the thiophene molecule to the catalyst in the initial stages of the HDS process.
Sex and Sexuality in Entertainment Media Popular With Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents

Media may serve as important sexual socialization agents for lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adolescents who often have limited interpersonal resources from which to garner sexual information. A content analysis was conducted on a sample of television programs, films, magazines, and music popular with LGB youth to quantify the sexual messages LGB youth encounter in the media. Results suggest that heterosexuality is overrepresented and LGB sexualities are underrepresented in media popular with LGB adolescents. When depicted, LGB sexual talk was often talk about stereotypes or insults/jokes related to sexuality and rarely about relationships or sex. LGB sexual behaviors were nearly nonexistent. LGB sexual talk seems to be increasing in entertainment television, but LGB sexual behaviors have remained relatively rare over time. Findings are discussed in terms of the possible effects of exposure on LGB youth relying on media for information about sex and sexuality during sexual socialization.
Numbers of solutions of congruences: Poincare series for algebraic curves

Abstract Let p be a fixed prime; f(x1,…,xk) a polynomial over Z p, the p-adic integers; cn the number of solutions in Z /pn Z ; and Pf(t) = Σciti the Poincare series. An elementary algebraic-combinatorial approach is used to study the cn and pf(t) for algebraic curves all of whose singularities are “locally” of the form αxa = βyb. Polynomials in one variable are discussed as a corollary to the treatment of algebraic curves.
Effects of hormonal pretreatment of cardiac necrosis in the Japanese quail.

SummaryMale Japanese quail castrated and treated with β-estradiol-3-benzoate for 3 wk were more resistant than sham-operated males to the necrogenic effects of massive doses of isoproterenol.The estrogen-treated castrate also weighed significantly more and had significantly lower hematocrit ratios than either the sham-operated male or the intact male. These results indicate that there is a definite sex-related protective effect against this type of cardiac necrosis which cannot be explained on the basis of differences in body weight.
Continuity of care in the 80-hour workweek era?

urgical residency training is undergoing a forced metamorhosis in the 80-hour workweek era. Prior surgical residents ained knowledge, technical skill, and judgment through an immersion model,” working 100 to 120 hours per week in a uccessful but unstructured educational model. Newer trainng models like the “mentorship model,” “case-based model,” nd “night float model” offer new ideas aimed at improving fficacy of surgical residency training to accommodate the 80our workweek. In developing new models, care must be aken not to optimize resident training at the expense of patient are. Continuity of care has been recognized by the Surgery esidency Review Committee (SRRC) as an “essential” part of urgical residency training. The literature lends support to he idea of continuity of care improving patient care through ecreased complications in hospitalized patients. The SRRC has taken the poorly defined term continuity of are and defined 6 elements in which the same surgery resident ust be involved: (1) Determine or confirm a diagnosis, (2) rovide preoperative care, (3) discuss the case with the attendng physician, (4) select and accomplish the appropriate proceure, (5) direct postoperative care, and (6) follow up after disharge. Compliance with continuity of care is important at ll levels of training, especially for senior-level residents. To ur knowledge Anderson and Sidhu are the only other 2 roups closely analyzing compliance rates of surgical residents ith each of the 6 elements of patient care defined by the RRC. The goals of surgical training should strive for “perfect ontinuity,” in which the same resident maintains involvement ith the same patient through all 6 elements of care. Anderon and Sidhu attained perfect continuity rates of 23.7% and 0%, respectively. Our objective is to provide updated data on
Effect of partial outlet obstruction of the rat urinary bladder on the response to alterations in the concentrations of potassium and calcium

Abstract 1. 1. The contractile response of the 7 day obstructed bladder to field stimulation was significantly increased from that of the control bladder. 2. 2. In the presence of 1.8 mM calcium (normal Tyrode's solution) the contractile response of control bladders to low-frequency field stimulation was significantly enhanced by increasing the potassium concentration from 2.5 to 7.5 or 12.5 mM. 3. 3. Increasing the potassium concentration had no effect on the response of the obstructed bladder to low-frequency field stimulation. 4. 4. Increasing the extracellular calcium concentration enhanced detrusor contractility in a dose-dependent manner in both control and obstructed bladders. 5. 5. The magnitude of the effect of increasing the extracellular calcium concentration were greater in the obstructed bladder than in the control bladder. 6. 6. These results suggest that calcium transporting mechanisms of the cell membrane and intracellular calcium storage and mobilization may be significantly affected by partial outflow obstruction.
Tubular structures in endoplasmic reticulum of cultured broccoli

Tubular structures were found within the cisternae of smooth-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of root tip cells of broccoli pith tissues in culture. The straight, unbranched tubules were 26–34 nm in diameter and more than 1 μm in length. They were found only within parenchyma and differentiating sieve tube cells, but not in fully differentiated cells. No tubules were found in root-ER of germinated seeds. A scheme for the development of these tubules is presented.
Carcinogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene in rainbow trout resulting from embryo microinjection

Abstract Rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) embryos were exposed in ovo to benzo[ a ]pyrene (BaP) by a single transchorionic injection. Injected BaP was retained in the yolk sac of larval trout and was only slowly metabolized until swim-up. One year post-exposure, BaP-treated fish had an elevated incidence of liver neoplasms which ranged from small basophilic microfoci of altered hepatocytes to large hepatocellular carcinomas. These results demonstrate carcinogenesis in rainbow trout from single dose exposure to BaP, a widely distributed environmental pollutant that has been implicated as the cause of liver neoplasia in wild fish and some human cancers.
Substrate specificity of human plasma phospholipid transfer protein.

Abstract The ability of human plasma phospholipid transfer protein to transfer l -α-[ 14 C]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) from donor vesicles to acceptor high-density lipoproteins (HDL) was examined, using vesicles of different compositions and sizes, and native or chemically modified HDL. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) transfer was inhibited by both cholesterol and sphingomyelin incorporation into egg-PC vesicles. On a molar basis, choiesterol inhibited transfer about 5-fold more than sphingomyelin; however, the effects of both lipids on the fluidity of the vesicle membrane (measured by fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene), were closely correlated with their effects on PC transfer activity. Increase in vesicle size, and decrease in bilayer curvature, also reduced transfer the largest vesicles had no transfer activity at all. Addition of phosphatidic acid up to 17 mol% had no effect on PC transfer. HDL apolipoprotein lysyl residues were chemically modified by reductive methylation, citraconylation, or acetoacetylation. The effects of modification on the apolipoprotein structure and on the HDL particle were assessed by intrinsic fluorescence measurements, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns, and gel chromatography. Only acetoacetylation significantly affected any of these parameters. The ability of HDL to accept PC in the absence of phospholipid transfer protein decreased with an increase in apolipoprotein negative charge while, in the presence of phospholipid transfer protein, the acceptor ability of HDL increased up to 1.7-fold with an initial increase in negative charge and then decreased, ultimately to zero, upon extensive modification.
The Use of Androgen Deprivation in Conjunction with Radiation in Localized Prostate Cancer

Background: In prostate carcinoma, there is controversy about optimal use of hormonal therapy with external beam radiotherapy: who will benefit, for how long, neo-adjuvant versus concurrent versus adjuvant. Patients and Methods: Evidence from randomized studies in the light of recent published articles and updates were reviewed in order to address these issues. Results and Conclusions: From this review it was concluded that the benefit of long-term hormonal therapy in combina- tion with conventional-dose radiotherapy (<74 Gy) in high-risk prostate cancer is evident. For the intermediate risk, the evidence is still weak and studies are awaited to clarify this matter.