cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Issues concerning adoption and use of sales force automation in the agricultural input supply sector

In this article, major issues concerning the adoption and use of sales force automation (SFA) are examined via a survey of agribusiness salespeople. Basic objectives include determining the extent of adoption of SFA by salespeople employed in the agricultural input supply sector, the impact of SFA on field sales, and barriers that inhibit the adoption and effective use of SFA. Respondents' replies suggest that while salespeople in the agricultural input supply sector are basically happy with the benefits of SFA, they are discovering that increased selling time may be a myth. Managerial implications are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Global safety and efficacy of more than 5 years of etanercept therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: The use of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is increasing because of their safety and efficacy when compared with corticosteroids or conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate. Because RA is a chronic condition, the long-term safety and efficacy of treatments are a concern. This analysis examines the safety and efficacy of the TNF antagonist etanercept in patients with RA.
RS-T Segment elevation in mid- and left precordial leads as a normal variant

1. 1. Elevation of 2 to 4 mm. of the RS-T segment in Leads V3 through V6 may occur as a normal variant. 2. 2. This pattern occurs more commonly in young Negroes. 3. 3. This pattern can be confused with the pattern of acute pericarditis or early myocardial infarction. 4. 4. After exercise the RS-T segment becomes isoelectric.
Relation of the normal-deviate vision receiver operating characteristic curve slope to d′

Past studies have shown that vision receiver operating characteristic curves plotted on normal-deviate coordinates fit straight lines for which the inverse of the slope is proportional to the index of detectability d′. This Communication offers a theoretical interpretation of that empirical relationship.
Studies of NiO metal interfaces

Transmission electron microscopy techniques were applied to investigate the structure of interfaces between noble metals and NiO. Interfaces between NiO and Pt or Cu were formed by diffusion bonding. NiO and Cu form aligned lattices, while no unique topotactical relationship was found for the NiO-Pt interfaces. Internal reduction of (Ni,Cu)O was also used to investigate NiO-Cu interfaces at polyhedral Cu precipitates in a NiO matrix. The morphology and compositions of precipitates was studied for several reduction treatments. The formation of largely (111) interfaces during solid state reduction suggests that these planes of densest packing are associated with the lowest interfacial free energy. The quite large lattice mismatch is accommodated by misfit dislocations as observed by HREM.
Effect of processing and particulate fillers on the rheology of a nematic polymer melt

Processing of a nematic HBA/HNA polymer melt increases the capillary diameter dependence of the viscosity and induces structural changes which are evident in oscillatory shear, but cannot be characterized by DSC. The effect of 6-μm calcium carbonate particulate fillers is to increase the viscosity uniformly. Low concentrations of sub-micron carbon black particles cause an unexplained viscosity minimum in a large (30-mil) capillary.
Implementing the Viterbi algorithm on general-purpose parallel computers

The Viterbi algorithm (VA) for decoding convolutionally encoded data has historically been implemented on special-purpose digital electronic hardware. For short/moderate (K equals 3 to 9) constraint length codes, a primary design goal is to maximize the decoded bit rate while minimizing circuit area. In recent years, a number of special-purpose architectures based upon shuffle-exchange networks, cube-connected cycles, ring-based networks, systolic arrays, or programmable processors have been designed for efficient implementation of the VA at these and longer constraint lengths. However, at the same time, the performance:cost ratio of high- end general-purpose computing machines has been improving dramatically. Recognizing the substantial investment in time and resources required to design and build an ASIC-based decoder for long (K equals 10 to 15) constraint length codes, the feasibility of implementation of the VA as a background process on a readily available general-purpose parallel processing machine deserves exploration. We consider the limitations and benefits of a Viterbi decoder for long constraint length codes implemented in software on a general-purpose parallel processing machine.
All Puerto Rico with Vieques: Mobilizing Support Through Social Skills and Field Dynamics

This article explains the success of All Puerto Rico with Vieques (TPRCV) in coordinating a broad-based coalition in support of the movement to remove the US Navy from Vieques. Considering the literatures on organizations, strategic fields and social movements, the analysis looks at how environmental conditions and the attributes of the leadership become relevant in the formation and sustainability of coalition work. The article argues that under the conditions of a vibrant political activist sector and a dynamic political field, TPRCV used accumulated social skills to take advantage of network intersection and frame adaptation. Though environmental dynamics may produce favorable conditions for coalition building, these will be limited to the capacity of the social actors to identify them, assimilate their potential and translate them into opportunities.
Development of the Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire to assess pain in cancer and other diseases

This paper reports the development of a self-report instrument designed to assess pain in cancer and other diseases. It is argued that issues of reliability and validity should be considered for every pain questionnaire. Most research on measures of pain examine reliability to the relative neglect of validity concerns. The Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire (BPQ) is evaluated with regard to both reliability and validity. Data from patients with cancer at 4 primary sites and from patients with rheumatoid arthritis suggest that the BPQ is sufficiently reliable and valid for research purposes. Additional methodological and theoretical issues related to validity are discussed, and the need for continuing evaluation of the BPQ and other measures of clinical pain is stressed.
Social Context and Video Game Play: Impact on Cardiovascular and Affective Responses

We examined if cardiovascular and affective responding to video game play changed across social context or with game content. Male participants (13–22 years old) played a violent or nonviolent video game. Each participant played the game individually, competitively against a male partner, and cooperatively with the partner. There was no effect of social condition on heart rate (HR) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Participants had significantly higher systolic BP (SBP) when playing individually and competitively than when playing cooperatively, probably because play was more continuous. There was no impact of game type for HR or SBP. DBP was significantly higher for participants who played the violent game, perhaps because participants found the violent game more exciting and enjoyable. Participants who played the violent game rated the experimenters more positively than those who played the nonviolent game. Participants found game play more exciting, enjoyable, stressful, and frustrating, but less bori...
Shared Decision‐Making in the Selection of Outpatient Analgesics for Older Individuals in the Emergency Department

Objectives: To assess the relationship between older adults' perceptions of shared decision-making in the selection of an analgesic to take at home for acute musculoskeletal pain and (1) patient satisfaction with the analgesic and (2) changes in pain scores at 1 week. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Single academic emergency department. Participants: Individuals aged 65 and older with acute musculoskeletal pain. Measurements: Two components of shared decision-making were assessed: information provided to the patient about the medication choice and patient participation in the selection of the analgesic. Optimal satisfaction with the analgesic was defined as being �a lot� satisfied. Pain scores were assessed in the ED and at 1 week using a 0-to-10 scale. Results: Of 159 individuals reached by telephone, 111 met all eligibility criteria and completed the survey. Fifty-two percent of participants reported receiving information about pain medication options, and 31% reported participating in analgesic selection. Participants who received information were more likely to report optimal satisfaction with the pain medication than those who did not (67% vs 34%; P < .001). Participants who participated in the decision were also more likely to report optimal satisfaction with the analgesic (71% vs 43%; P = .008) and had a greater average decrease in pain score (4.1 vs 2.9; P = .05). After adjusting for measured confounders, participants who reported receiving information remained more likely to report optimal satisfaction with the analgesic (63% vs 38%; P = .04). Conclusion: Shared decision-making in analgesic selection for older adults with acute musculoskeletal pain may improve outcomes.
Apoptosis-associated proteins and the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Expression of apoptosis-associated proteins was evaluated in premalignant and malignant oral epithelial lesions, to test the hypothesis that protein regulation of apoptosis may be altered in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Ninety archived paraffin-embedded specimens from 25 patients (two or more sequential biopsies each) and eight control specimens were evaluated in immunohistochemically stained sections for tumor suppressor protein p53, p53 binding protein mdm-2, and apoptosis regulatory proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-X, Bax, and Bak. The initial histologic diagnosis for 17/25 patients was either focal keratosis, mild dysplasia, or moderate dysplasia; the initial diagnosis for the remaining eight patients ranged from severe dysplasia to moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Thirty of 90 specimens showed positive p53 expression, nine of which were dysplasias. In patients with one or more lesions displaying p53 expression, there was increased intensity of staining with disease progression. Bak was expressed in 57/90 specimens, including 27 dysplasias of various grades. There was also a significantly increased intensity of Bak staining with disease progression, which did not appear to be dependent upon p53 status. Bcl-X was expressed in 73/90 specimens, with staining displayed earlier in premalignant lesions than either p53 or Bak. Ten of 90 specimens were positive for Bcl-2 (all were dysplasias or carcinomas), and only 2/90 specimens were positive for Bax. Eleven of 90 specimens were positive for mdm-2; six of which were also positive for p53. These data show that apoptosis-associated proteins are altered in variable patterns in both premalignant and malignant oral epithelial lesions. p53 and especially Bak and Bcl-X are expressed early; Bax is largely absent; and Bcl-2 and mdm-2 show sporadic expression in the development of oral premalignant and malignant disease.
Microvariations of water vapor in the lower troposphere with applications to long-range radio communications

Variations of water vapor in the troposphere are calculated from simultaneous airborne measurements of radio refractive index and temperature obtained respectively with a microwave refractometer and an aerograph employing a sensitive bead thermistor. The partial pressure of water vapor is calculated from the well-known equation Figure 1. where n is the refractive index; T is temperature, °K; and P is total atmospheric pressure mb. The method is applied to the investigation of the horizontal and vertical structure of water vapor associated with a thin inversion layer found near 9800 ft pressure altitude. Evidence is offered for the vertical stability and absence of turbulent mixing of the air in the region of the inversion. When the reflection coefficient of the observed layer at radio wave lengths of 600 and 72 cm is computed at a range of 200 mi beyond the horizon, better than an order of magnitude agreement is obtained between the calculated and observed path losses at this range.
Neuropsychological aspects of disorientation.

Patients were asked twelve orientation questions before ECT and during the recovery period (the postictal confusional state) following ECT. Disorientation was more severe in the elderly. The different orientation items did not recover simultaneously; different recovery times may enable patients to give responses that are logical contradictions. While certain models (e.g., "person" versus "place" versus "time") may be useful in describing the differential recovery of orientation items, other models based on memory will probably prove more useful in delineating what causes this differential recovery. Patients gave responses to age and current year that were displaced backwards in years from the correct response. It is suggested that this displacement represents retrograde amnesia. As the postictal confusional state cleared, however, these backwardly displaced responses decreased in years of remoteness, thus showing a pattern of "shrinkage" that is similar to shrinking retrograde amnesia following head-injury. It is suggested that this result supports Ribot's law of regression.
The Growth of H II Regions During Reionization

Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in understanding the reionization of hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM). One of the major outstanding questions is how this event proceeds on large scales. Motivated by numerical simulations, we develop a model for the growth of H II regions during the reionization era. We associate ionized regions with large-scale density fluctuations and use the excursion set formalism to model the resulting size distribution. We then consider ways in which to characterize the morphology of ionized regions. We show how to construct the power spectrum of fluctuations in the neutral hydrogen field. The power spectrum contains definite features from the H II regions that should be observable with the next generation of low-frequency radio telescopes through surveys of redshifted 21 cm emission from the reionization era. Finally, we also consider statistical descriptions beyond the power spectrum and show that our model of reionization qualitatively changes the distribution of neutral gas in the IGM.
Modification of Precipitation by Coastal Orography in Storms Crossing Northern California

Abstract This study compiles and interprets three-dimensional Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) data during a 2.5-yr period and examines the typical orographic effects on precipitation mainly associated with winter storms passing over coastal northern California. The three-dimensional mean reflectivity patterns show echo structure that was generally stratiform from over the ocean to inland over the mountains. The flow above the 1-km level was strong enough to be unblocked by the terrain, and the mean echo pattern over land had certain characteristics normally associated with an unblocked cross-barrier flow, both on the broad scale of the windward slopes of the coastal mountains and on the scale of individual peaks of the terrain on the windward side. Upward-sloping echo contours on the scale of the overall region of coastal mountains indicated broadscale upslope orographic enhancement. On a smaller scale, the mean stratiform echo pattern over the mountains contained a strong embedded core ...
Geochemical consequences of melt transport in 2-D: The sensitivity of trace elements to mantle dynamics

Abstract Dynamic models are presented to investigate the consequences of melting and melt transport for stable trace element geochemistry in open systems. These models show that including explicit melt transport in 2-D adds non-trivial behaviour because melts and residues can travel and mix along very different trajectories. Calculations are presented for both equilibrium and disequilibrium transport, and passive and active mid-ocean ridge flows. These calculations demonstrate that trace elements are sensitive to mantle dynamics and can readily distinguish between different end-member flow fields. Passive, plate-driven flow with strong melt focusing produces enrichments of incompatible elements. Active small-scale solid convection within the partially molten region, however, can lead to extreme dilution of incompatible elements, suggesting that this form of convection may not be significant beneath normal ridges. These calculations provide additional predictions about across-axis trends of geochemical variability and estimate the variation in concentrations that can occur even for a constant source. Many of these results are not seen in geochemical models that neglect melt transport and we discuss how this new behaviour affects the inferences drawn from simpler models.
Evidence for the existence of [Gln9] ‐β‐lipotropin in human pituitary glands

The isolation of two peptides similar in amino acid composition to that of human beta-lipotropin is presented. Peptide patterns after enzymatic digestions of these two peptides by Staphylococcus aureus protease and by trypsin were nearly identical. Paper electrophoresis and amino acid analyses of acidic peptides generated from the enzymatic digestions of these two peptides indicate that there is an amide difference between the two peptides. It is proposed that this amide difference is in amino acid residue number nine, and that one is the human beta-lipotropin and the other its [Gln9] analog.
What Allows Therapy to Be Brief? Introduction to the Special Series

This article introduces the field of brief therapy and the special series on six varieties of it. The orientations covered are psychodynamic, behavioral, experiential, family/couples systems, strategic, and integrative. Most therapy conducted in the United States always has been and continues to be brief despite many clinicians' perceptions to the contrary. What allows a therapy to be time efficient, however, differs as a function of each therapy's theoretical orientation. The articles in this series focus on what features allow each therapeutic model to be short term, the techniques and theory of change it encompasses, relevant research, and likely future trends.
Long-Term Population Cycles in Human Societies

Human population dynamics are usually conceptualized as either boundless growth or growth to an equilibrium. The implicit assumption underlying these paradigms is that any feedback processes regulating population density, if they exist, operate on a fast-time-scale, and therefore we do not expect to observe population oscillations in human population numbers. This review asks, are population processes in historical and prehistorical human populations characterized by second-order feedback loops, that is, regulation involving lags? If yes, then the implications for forecasting future population change are obvious--what may appear as inexplicable, exogenously driven reverses in population trends may actually be a result of feedbacks operating with substantial time lags. This survey of a variety of historical and archeological data indicates that slow oscillations in population numbers, with periods of roughly two to three centuries, are observed in a number of world regions and historical periods. Next, a potential explanation for this pattern, the demographic-structural theory, is discussed. Finally, the implications of these results for global population forecasts is discussed.
Opportunistic log: efficient installation reads in a reliable storage server

In a distributed storage system, client caches managed on the basis of small granularity objects can provide better memory utilization then page-based caches. However, object servers, unlike page servers, must perform additional disk reads. These installation reads are required to install modified objects onto their corresponding disk pages. The opportunistic log is a new technique that significantly reduces the cost of installation reads. It defers the installation reads, removing them from the modification commit path, and manages a large pool of pending installation reads that can be scheduled efficiently.Using simulations, we show that the opportunistic log substantially enhances the I/O performance of reliable storage servers. An object server without the opportunistic log requires much better client caching to outperform a page server. With an opportunistic log, only a small client cache improvement suffices.Our results imply that efficient scheduling of installation reads can substantially improve the performance of large-scale storage systems and therefore introduces a new performance tradeoff between page-based and object-based architectures.
Direct observation of the participation of flavin in product formation by thyX-encoded thymidylate synthase.

The synthesis of thymine for DNA is catalyzed by the enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS). A family of flavin-dependent TSs encoded by the thyX gene has been discovered recently. These newly discovered TSs require a reducing substrate in addition to 2‘-deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2THF), suggesting that the enzyme-bound flavin is a redox intermediary in catalysis. The oxidation of the reduced flavin of the TS from Campylobacter jejuni has been observed directly upon mixing with dUMP and CH2THF under anaerobic conditions, thus providing the first direct demonstration of its redox role in catalysis. Product analysis showed that the one mole of 2‘-deoxythymidine monophosphate is formed along with one mole of tetrahydrofolate for each mole of reduced enzyme-bound flavin. The classic TS inactivator 5-fluoro-2‘-deoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP) was able to bind to the reduced enzyme but was unable to oxidize the flavin, even in the presence of CH2THF. Furthermore, the nuc...
AutoGen: Easing model management through two levels of abstraction

Due to its extensive potential applications, model management has attracted many research interests and gained great progress. To provide easy-to-use interfaces, we have proposed a graph transformation-based model management approach that provides intuitive interfaces for manipulation of graphical data models. The approach consists of two levels of graphical operators: low-level customizable operators and high-level generic operators, both of which consist of a set of graph transformation rules. Users need to program or tune the low-level operators for desirable results. To further improve the ease-of-use of the graphical model management, automatic generation of low level of operators is highly desirable. The paper formalizes specifications of low- and high-level operators and proposes a generator to automatically transform high-level operators into low-level operators upon specific input data models. Based on graph transformation theoretical foundation, we design an algorithm for the generator to automatically produce low-level operators from input data models and mappings according to a high-level operator. The generator, called AutoGen, therefore eliminates many tedious specifications and thus eases the use of the graphical model management system.
Relationship between ethinylestradiol‐mediated changes in endocrine function and reproductive impairment in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Many biochemical endpoints currently are used to describe endocrine function in fish; however, the sensitivity of these parameters as biomarkers of impaired reproduction or sexual development is not well understood. In the present study, adult Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were assessed for reproductive output and endocrine function, including circulating steroid concentrations, ex vivo steroidogenesis from the gonads, aromatase activity, hepatic estrogen receptor (ER), and plasma vitellogenin (VTG) after exposure to 0, 0.2, 5, 500, and 2,000 ng/L of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE) for 14 d. The EE altered these biochemical responses at various sites along the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis at concentrations as low as 0.2 ng/L, but it only depressed reproductive function at concentrations of 500 ng/L or greater. Offspring also had reduced ability to hatch at 500 ng/L of EE, but this concentration did not produce any other observed changes in development or sexual phenotype. The reproductive parameters correlated well with VTG, ER, and gonadosomatic index (GSI) in both sexes of adult medaka, which could be indicative of the ER-mediated mode of action for EE. Vitellogenin and ER were elevated at higher concentrations of EE in both sexes, whereas GSI was decreased. Overall, most biochemical endpoints were more sensitive than reproduction or development to exposure, indicating that reproductive function may be relatively protected.
Electron nuclear dynamics of proton collisions with DNA/RNA bases at E Lab = 80 keV: A contribution to proton cancer therapy research

Abstract The reactions: H + + B, B = adenine, cytosine, thymine and uracil, at E Lab = 80 keV, relevant in proton cancer therapy, are investigated with the simplest-level electron nuclear dynamics (SLEND) and SLEND/Kohn-Sham-density-functional-theory (SLEND/KSDFT) methods. These time-dependent, direct, and non-adiabatic methods utilize nuclear classical mechanics and electronic single-determinantal wavefunctions. Results from this study include snapshots of the simulated reactions depicting base-to-proton electron transfers, base-to-proton total electron-transfer probabilities from various reactants’ initial conditions, and base-to-proton 1-electron-transfer total integral cross sections. The last properties are compared with results from the only available experiment on these systems and from three alternative theories.
Spin dependent recombination study of the atomic-scale effects of fluorine on the negative bias temperature instability

Recent work has shown that the negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) can be significantly suppressed through the incorporation of fluorine in the gate oxide of pure SiO 2 pMOSFETs. In this study, we use spin dependent recombination and standard gated diode current measurements to investigate the atomic-scale processes involved in fluorine's suppression of NBTI. We find that fluorine can effectively passivate Si/SiO 2 P b0 center defect precursors, but is much less effective at passivating Si/SiO 2 P b1 center defect precursors. Since these two defects have significantly different densities of states, our results may be useful in modeling NBTI response in fluorinated oxide devices. Our results also provide a fundamental explanation for the observation that fluorination has a strong effect on NBTI in “pure” SiO 2 MOS devices, but is ineffective at reducing NBTI in nitrided oxide devices.
Diffusion approximations for models of congestion control in high-speed networks

We consider simple models of congestion control in high-speed networks and develop diffusion approximations which could be useful for resource allocation. We first show that, if the arrival process is Poisson and the service times are exponential, then, under a certain scaling, the steady-state distribution of the number of sources in the system consists of appropriately normalized and truncated Gaussian and exponential distributions. We then consider the case where the arrival process is a general renewal process with finite coefficient of variation and service-time distributions that are phase-type, and show the impact of these distributions on the steady-state distribution. We use these results to relate the capacity of a bottleneck node to performance measures of interest for best-effort traffic, such as the mean file transfer time or probability of congestion.
Live time and pile-up correction for multichannel analyzer spectra☆

Abstract For a non-varying count rate it is shown that the live time and pile-up correction can be determined without the purchase of additional equipment. The analyzer live time (TL) can be measured with the analyzer live time clock after a small modification is made. The pile-up correction is given by 1 −τpuN/TL, where τpu is the pile-up inspection time and N is the total counts received by the analyzer while it is live. No other term is needed for the pile-up correction.
INTEREST RATES ON MORTGAGES AND DIVIDEND RATES ON SAVINGS AND LOAN SHARES

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP between higher yields on a financial institution's earning assets and consequent increases in its dividend or deposit rates? Recent literature dealing with the behavior of savings institutions (primarily savings and loan associations) has contained numerous references to the insensitivity of their dividend rates in response to increases in interest rates on their long-term earning assets (mainly mortgages).' A primary explanation of this insensitivity is that the interest rate only rises on the additional mortgages purchased, while the higher dividend rate applies to all shares. Since the additional mortgages are a relatively small proportion of total mortgage holdings, it is pointed out that the average rate of return on an S & L's portfolio will only increase by a small percentage of the increase in the mortgage interest rate, so that there will be little incentive for the S & L to raise its dividend rate.2
Alpaca: extensible authorization for distributed services

Traditional Public Key Infrastructures (PKI) have not lived up to their promise because there are too many ways to define PKIs, too many cryptographic primitives to build them with, and too many administrative domains with incompatible roots of trust. Alpaca is an authentication and authorization framework that embraces PKI diversity by enabling one PKI to "plug in" another PKI's credentials and cryptographic algorithms, allowing users of the latter to authenticate themselves to services using the former using their existing, unmodified certificates. Alpaca builds on Proof-Carrying Authorization (PCA), expressing a credential as an explicit proof of a logical claim. Alpaca generalizes PCA to express not only delegation policies but also the cryptographic primitives, credential formats, and namespace structures needed to use foreign credentials directly. To achieve this goal, Alpaca introduces a method of creating and naming new principals which behave according to arbitrary rules, a modular approach to logical axioms, and a domain-specific language specialized for reasoning about authentication. We have implemented Alpaca as a Python module that assists applications in generating proofs (e.g., in a client requesting access to a resource), and in verifying those proofs via a compact 800-line TCB (e.g., in a server providing that resource). We present examples demonstrating Alpaca's extensibility in scenarios involving inter-organization PKI interoperability and secure remote PKI upgrade.
Influence of rheological parameters on polymer induced turbulent drag reduction

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of polymer induced drag reduction in turbulent channel flows up to the maximum drag reduction (MDR) limit have been performed using a fully spectral method in conjunction with kinetic theory based elastic dumbbell models for the description of polymer chain dynamics. It is shown that to obtain significant levels of drag reduction large polymer chain extensibility and high Weissenberg numbers are required. In addition, it is demonstrated that to capture flow dynamics in the high drag reduction (HDR) and MDR regimes, very long computational domain lengths of the order of 10 4 wall units are required. The simulation results in turn have been used to develop a scaling that describes the interplay between rheological parameters (i.e., maximum chain extension and relaxation time) and the extent of drag reduction as a function of Reynolds number. In addition, turbulence statistics are analyzed and correlations between the polymer body force and velocity fluctuations have been developed with particular emphasis on the HDR and MDR regimes. These observations have been used to decipher the effect of polymer additives on the dynamics of the flow and drag reduction.
CRAFT: a framework for integration facilitation in cross-organisational distributed systems

The increasing proliferation of complex electronic services, particularly in the business-to-business area, entails the creation and management of complex, cross-organisational distributed systems. An important challenge with such systems concerns the integration of different core and administrative services into a consistent whole. Furthermore, there is a need for extra functionality to facilitate the provision and consumption of the resulting service inside as well as outside the organisation. This functionality may have to deal with a host of issues such as: facilitating co-operation while maintaining autonomy, remuneration, monitoring, auditing and management of the integrated service, and the translation between internal and external models, processes and information. All the above are aimed at ensuring that the contractual obligations of the business relationship are met. We need a component that supports the integration of the core and administrative services while providing added functionality concerned with crossing the organisational boundary. This component is termed an "integration facilitator". The CrossFlow project dealt with the dynamic establishment of cross-organisational business relationships. CRAFT (CrossFlow Runtime Framework Technology) provides a framework to build integration facilitators. By using this framework, the core and administrative services of an organisation can be quickly integrated and extended to create different business level services to suit the changing needs of organisations and their dynamic business partnerships.
Coupled Inverter Ring I/Q Oscillator for Low Power Frequency Synthesis

A novel 12-stage VCO with in-phase and quadrature outputs at the 3rd harmonic of the oscillating frequency is presented. It employs coupled inverter rings. A new linear model of coupled inverter rings is developed to identify all possible oscillating modes and their frequencies using the Barkhausen criterion. A frequency synthesizer implemented in 0.18mum CMOS with such a VCO has wide tuning range, and consumes only 2.8mA from a 1.5V supply to generate 2.4GHz differential I/Q outputs
Improving information access to digital botanical collection by allowing users to search with domain knowledge

In the field of biological science, correct field identification of species is of critical importance and requires effective access to and use of specialized biological information. Field guides, floras and faunas, and other publications are written to provide critical information for identification. However, full-text retrieval systems are ineffective at providing access to the very specific information needed for species identification. In this study, dichotomous key-like information that is often used in species identification is automatically generated from botanical documents and used to enhance full-text botanical document retrieval. Such information is used to describe document content and is also used to provide a form-based search that allows users to apply their domain knowledge to define various plant characteristics in their queries. Information extraction techniques were used to generate the key-like information from semi-structured botanical documents. Experimental results indicate that this approach improved search performance as well as user's satisfaction.
An efficient database storage structure for large dynamic objects

The author presents storage structures and algorithms for the efficient manipulation of general-purpose large unstructured objects in a database system. The large object is stored in a sequence of variable-size segments, each of which consists of a large number of physically contiguous disk blocks. A tree structure indexes byte positions within the object. Disk space management is based on the binary buddy system. The scheme supports operations that replace, insert, delete bytes at arbitrary positions within the object, and append bytes at the end of the object. >
Differences Between Condom Users and Condom Nonusers in Their Multidimensional Condom Attitudes

In two studies, we examined multidimensional condom attitudes of college students separately for (a) condom users vs. condom nonusers, (b) women vs. men, and (c) partnered individuals vs. single individuals (Study 1). Almost all single people (97%) expected to use condoms during each incident of sexual intercourse during the next 2 months. Across both studies, condom users were distinguished from nonusers by the attitude that condom use would interfere with sexual pleasure, and by skepticism that they would be able to use condoms in the face of obstacles (i.e., the action-maintenance dimension of condom attitudes). These effects held for expected future condom use, as well as current condom use. One gender difference also emerged across both studies: Men were more concerned about condoms interfering with sexual pleasure than were women. Implications for condom-use promotion are discussed.
Palm‐Pitviper (Bothriechis) Phylogeny, mtDNA, and Consilience

The phylogeny of the neotropical palm-pitviper genus Bothriechis has been previously inferred from morphology and allozymes. These nuclear-based data sets were found to be congruent and also consilient with the geologic history of the region. We present mtDNA sequence data as an additional data set in the inference of Bothriechis phylogeny and analyze it separately and combined with previous data. The mtDNA phylogeny is incongruent with the nuclear data sets. Based on a number of factors, we hypothesize that the incongruence is due to both mtDNA introgression and lineage sorting. We argue that mtDNA represents extrinsic data and as such should be used as a consilient data set.
Designing a reorder buffer in Bluespec

Production capabilities for complex VLSI chips have outpaced the ability of current generation CAD tools to design and verify such chips effectively. Bluespec is designed to synthesize high-level descriptions in the form of guarded atomic actions into high quality structural RTL. While much work has been done on verifying both the correctness and synthesizability of Bluespec descriptions, the work on realistic large scale designs is in early stages. This paper explores the design of the reorder buffer for an out-of-order superscalar processor with a MIPS I ISA. We discuss the design methodologies which are suited for large scale Bluespec design and discuss some of the difficulties we encountered. Even though the work is still in progress, we show what level of performance is achievable under the current Bluespec compiler and what problems need to be solved to make the tool viable for commercial production environments.
"That Spirit, That Thing Inside": Using Qualitative Research Techniques To Produce a Recruitment Film for Hispanic/Latino and American Indian Students.

Abstract This article reports on the use of qualitative research methodology in producing a 23-minute recruitment film to attract Hispanic/Latino and American Indian students into a baccalaureate nursing program. The research question addressed in this pilot project was, “What is the meaning of the educational experience to Hispanic/Latino and American Indian nurses in the Yakima Valley of south central Washington State?” The conceptual development of the project, recruitment of interview participants, generation of interview protocol, data collection, and analysis are described and correlated to accepted qualitative research elements. Themes and patterns identified in participant interviews, the “findings” of the project, were used during the postproduction phase as guides for the story that unfolds in the film, which addresses the experience of being a nurse of color.
Gene Duplication and Loss in a MADS Box Gene Transcription Factor Circuit

Although many models have been proposed that could lead to the maintenance of gene duplicates, the ways in which interacting gene duplicates influence each other's evolution and function remain poorly understood. Here, we focus on duplication and loss of the B class MADS box transcription factor genes in the euasterids I and the ramifications of such changes on paralog evolution and their encoded functions. In core eudicots, the B class genes belong to two paralogous lineages whose products form obligate heterodimers. Based on comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses, we show that five stepwise B class MADS box gene gain or loss events occurred during the radiation of the euasterids I within core eudicots. Gene loss in one sublineage was correlated with a deficit of other sublineage genes. We also show that the gain or loss of B class MADS box gene paralogs were associated with altered protein-protein interactions among the remaining copies. These altered protein interactions were correlated with asymmetric patterns of sequence diversification and selection, suggesting that compensatory changes were driving the evolution of such genes. Furthermore, these B class MADS box gene gain or loss events were associated with the evolutionary divergence of floral morphology in the euasterids I. Together, these observations point to a cooperative strategy by which gene networks evolve, with selection maintaining the overall logic of a network despite changes in individual components.
Extracellular Arginine Aminopeptidase from Streptococcus gordonii FSS2

Streptococcus gordonii is a primary etiological agent in the development of subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE), producing thrombus formation and tissue damage on the surfaces of heart valves. This is ironic, considering its normal role as a benign inhabitant of the oral microflora. However, strain FSS2 of S. gordonii has been found to produce several extracellular aminopeptidase- and fibrinogen-degrading activities during growth in a pH-controlled batch culture. In this report, we describe the purification, characterization, and partial cloning of a predicted serine class arginine aminopeptidase (RAP) with some cysteine class characteristics. Isolation of this enzyme by anion-exchange, gel filtration, and isoelectric focusing chromatography yielded a protein monomer of approximately 70 kDa, as shown by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, gel filtration, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Nested-PCR cloning enabled the isolation of a 324-bp-long DNA fragment encoding the 108-amino-acid N terminus of RAP. Culture activity profiles and N-terminal sequence analysis indicated the export of this protein from the cell surface. Homology was found with a putative dipeptidase from Streptococcus pyogenes and nonspecific dipeptidases from Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactococcus lactis. We believe that RAP may serve as a critical factor for arginine acquisition during nutrient stress in vivo and also in the proteolysis of host proteins and peptides during SBE pathology.
The Oxidation of Toluene Perturbed by NO2

Abstract The use of NO2 for chemical kinetic analysis has been extended to the simplest of the alkylbenzenes—toluene. The results of a series of toluene oxidation experiments performed with and without NO2 and over a range of initial oxygen concentrations have not only confirmed the conclusions of a prior series of benzene oxidation experiments but also added to the understanding of the toluene oxidation mechanism. Specifically, comparison of carbon monoxide. C4and CH4/C2 profiles as a function of extent of reaction for conditions with and without NO2 addition as well as the large decrease in phenol and cresols concentrations indicate that oxygen atom addition to the aromatic ring is not a significant consumption route and that the dominant fuel consumption route involves phenyl radical reaction with oxygen molecule: φ = O2 → φO = O When NO2 was added to toluene oxidation experiments, not only was the consumption of the toluene accelerated but also the concentration of bcnzaidehydc increased. However, the...
STATUS POLITICS AND ECONOMIC CLASS INTERESTS

The status politics paradigm has been utilized to examine many social movements, including prohibition and anti-pornography. The model assumes that economic and non-economic factors can be disassociated in such studies. This article disputes this and examines county-level 1918 prohibition referendum voting data from California. California is examined because it had a large wine industry, many breweries, and regionally separated religious and ethnic communities, with Germans and ethnic Catholics in the North and white Anglo-Saxon Protestants in the South. Multivariate analysis shows that status factors influenced referendum voting patterns: evangelical Protestants supported the measure, and ethnic Germans and Irish opposed it. However, economic forces were also instrumental in determining the referendum outcome.
A solution to the problem of touching and broken characters

A segmentation-free approach to OCR is presented as part of a knowledge based word interpretation model. This method is based on the recognition of subgraphs homeomorphic to previously defined prototypes of characters. Gaps are identified as potential part of characters by implementing a variant of the notion of relative neighborhood used in computational perception. In the system, each subgraph of features that matches a previously defined character prototype is recognized anywhere in the word even if it corresponds to a broken character or to a character touching another one. Each subgraph that is recognized is introduced as a node in a direct net that compiles different alternatives of interpretation of the features in the feature graph. A final search for the optimal path under certain criteria gives the best interpretation of the word features. >
A Unified Computational Framework for Deconvolution to Reconstruct Multiple Fibers From Diffusion Weighted MRI

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a relatively new imaging modality which is capable of measuring the diffusion of water molecules in biological systems noninvasively. The measurements from diffusion MRI provide unique clues for extracting orientation information of brain white matter fibers and can be potentially used to infer the brain connectivity in vivo using tractography techniques. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), currently the most widely used technique, fails to extract multiple fiber orientations in regions with complex microstructure. In order to overcome this limitation of DTI, a variety of reconstruction algorithms have been introduced in the recent past. One of the key ingredients in several model-based approaches is deconvolution operation which is presented in a unified deconvolution framework in this paper. Additionally, some important computational issues in solving the deconvolution problem that are not addressed adequately in previous studies are described in detail here. Further, we investigate several deconvolution schemes towards achieving stable, sparse, and accurate solutions. Experimental results on both simulations and real data are presented. The comparisons empirically suggest that nonnegative least squares method is the technique of choice for the multifiber reconstruction problem in the presence of intravoxel orientational heterogeneity.