cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Audit tenure, auditor specialization and audit report lag

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the association between audit firm tenure and audit report lag (ARL) and the impact of auditor industry specialization on the association between audit firm tenure and ARL. Design/Methodology/Approach – Using Habib and Bhuiyan’s (2011) method of measuring auditor industry specialization, the authors examine the sample of 7,291 firm-year observations from 2008 to 2010. Findings – The authors find that auditor industry specialization (regardless of city-level, national-level and joint city- and national-level industry specialization) weakens the positive association between ARL and short audit firm tenure, suggesting that auditor industry specialization complements the negative effect of short audit firm tenure on ARL. Originality/value – First, the authors add to the literature by answering the question of whether hiring industry auditor specialists is an effective way to shorten ARL created by short audit tenure. The authors provide some evidence that the concern of short audit tenure leading to longer ARL is reduced by hiring an industry-specialized auditor. Prior research mainly focuses on identifying the determinants of ARL without going further to find out which are the effective ways to reduce the audit delay. Second, their findings can somehow resolve the debate on whether audit firm rotation should be mandatory. A new auditor’s lack of knowledge of clients’ business operations during the early years of audit engagements results in longer ARL, which eventually influences the clients’ financial performance. The authors' result suggests the firms can reduce this adverse consequence by hiring an industry-specialized auditor. Finally, their findings may provide helpful information to firms in selecting external auditors, public accounting firms in selecting a differentiation strategy and regulators in mandating audit firm rotation.
Toward a General Theory of Alienation

In this paper, the author arranges some of the major treatments of alienation within a coherent framework. He introduces a distinction between disassociation (certain specified objective conditions) and alienation (a specified experience) and articulates the relationship between these two by presenting a series of intervening psychological issues. A typology of human association is presented; and it is argued that especially two types of disassociation (i.e., marginality and subordination) and, to some extent, another (i.e., privilege) may be productive of alienation. These conditions are considered at the cultural, social, and psychological levels of analysis. Variables connecting these conditions and alienation include the perception of the condition, evaluation, integration, blame, and response.
Budget deficits, short-term real interest rates and the specification of expected inflation: an empirical investigation

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate whether empirical estimates of the effects of budget deficits on short-term real interest rates are sensitive to the choice of the expected inflation variable. Survey data on expected inflation and the rational expectations method described by Mishkin (1981) are used to construct two measures of the short-term real interest rate. Results for two previous studies on this deficit-interest rate relationship are re-estimated using these measures of expected inflation and the interest rate variables. Additional results reported in this paper further indicate that empirical estimates of the interest rate effects of budget deficits are sensitive to the choice of the expected inflation variable. In addition to the choice of the inflation variable, a number of other robustness tests are included. We are able to conclude that (1) increases in budget deficits do not generally raise short-term real interest rates and (2) short-term real interest rates are not independent of ...
The influence of growth speed, orientation and environment on fracture of aligned AlCuAl2

There has been considerable interest in the mechanical properties of aligned eutectics as functions of microstructure, orientation between reinforcement and stress axis, and temperature of testing. However, little is known about the behavior of these alloys in aggressive environments, such as liquid metals, with the exception of a recent paper on embrittlement of several eutectic alloys in gallium and gallium-indium alloys. This paper is concerned with the effects of a liquid Ga-16%In solution on tensile behavior of an aligned Al-CuAl2 eutectic.
Work Goals and Work-related Beliefs among Managers and Professionals in the United States and the People's Republic of China

The impact of cultural differences and similarities on the work goals and work-related beliefs of managers and professionals in the United States of America (US) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) were assessed. Seventy-one managers and professionals from the PRC and 51 managers and professionals from the US were surveyed. Consistent with cultural differences in uncertainty avoidance, results showed that Chinese managers and professionals were less interested in variety and adventure on the job, and valued a well-defined job more than their counterparts in the US. Consistent with cultural differences in individualism/collectivism, Chinese managers and professionals were more con cerned about collective welfare and harmonious relations compared to Americans, and personal accomplishment and opportunity for advancement were less important for the Chinese. Cultural differences in attitudes towards authority produced mixed results, suggesting that Chinese managers and professionals are sometimes, but not always, more accepting of hierarchical authority than those in the US. Consistent with recent increases in materialism in China, the Chinese and American managers were equally interested in material rewards. Measures of variance explained showed that the two groups differed most in their beliefs that conflict should be eliminated from organizations, that rules should not be broken, that quietly doing one's duty is a great asset to the organization, that two bosses should be avoided, that serving one's country is important (PRC > US), and the value of personal and family time (US > PRC). The implications of these differences for the design of US-Chinese joint ventures were discussed.
A Novel Problem for a Vintage Technique: Using Mixed-Integer Programming to Match Wineries and Distributors

Wineries must find distributors to represent their wines, and distributors seek interesting wines to sell to clients. Wineries and distributors often form partnerships at trade shows. I created a system to qualify potential partnerships for one such trade show, the World Wine Market, by formulating a mixed-integer program that is an embellished transportation model. I based its parameters on answers to a questionnaire I obtained from a subset of trade-show attendees who were seeking partners. Of 675 possible matches between wineries and distributors, the program recommended 31 as the optimal set of matches. This resulted in an allocation of just over 50,000 cases of wine. Participants provided positive feedback. In addition, the program introduced at least one winery and a corresponding distributor who have formed a profitable, long-term partnership.
Russian Libraries, an Indestructible Part of National Memory: A Study Guide for Librarians.

The Russian poet, Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilev (1886–1921), was arrested in 1921 on the false charge of conspiracy and was shot. The Soviet Union's existence ended as abruptly and unexpectedly as did Gumilev's. No major political structure in modern history has collapsed so rapidly. Left is the scarred memory of an enormously rich history. Libraries are the souls of memory. Russian libraries face an extremely important role as the skins of the past are shed for a new soul.
When do people benefit from gratitude practice

Accumulating research shows that gratitude exercises are effective for improving well-being, but the pattern of results also suggests that moderators are likely at play. Researchers have begun investigating moderators of gratitude exercise impact, but it remains unclear which are most important. To help clarify this issue, the present study investigated trait gratitude, baseline depressive symptoms, and inclusion of a rationale as moderators of the efficacy of a two-week gratitude list exercise compared to a daily events list control condition. Results revealed that the gratitude exercise decreased depressive symptoms among participants high in such symptoms at baseline and eliminated the negative effect of low baseline trait gratitude on later happiness, positive emotions, and depressive symptoms. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Charge transport and magnetic properties in perovskites of the system La-Mn-O

Abstract Charge transport and magnetic properties of the perovskites LaMnO 3+δ , as well as La 1−y MnO 3−( 3y 2 )+δ with 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.15 and LaMn 1−z O 3−( 3z 2 )+δ with 0 ≤ z ≤ 0.10, have been studied as a function of the nonstoichiometry, δ, and a tentative magnetic phase diagram of the system LaMnO 3+δ is proposed. Depending on δ, magnetically inhomogeneous phases with either an antiferromagnetic or a ferromagnetic matrix phase are formed below the magnetic ordering temperature. For δ ≤ 0.14, a transition from localized to itinerant charge carriers is observed below T c .
Improved common-mode feedback circuit suitable for operational transconductance amplifiers with tuning

A simple modification is proposed for a popular common-mode feedback circuit used in operational amplifiers, such that it can be used in an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) without leading to significant DC offset caused by the unavoidable tuning of the OTA. Simulation results show that the improved circuit has nearly zero DC offset for the whole tuning range.
A Method to Improve the Illumination Effect in an Underwater Environment

There are some innate shortcomings for traditional underwater observation system due to camera/light’s rigid-fixed connection with carrier vehicle such as ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)/AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle). One of these is that the clearance of video image is seriously corrupted since the backscatter of water/particles is not overcome using fixed light source. To make up the deficiency, multi-light sources have to be adopted as a traditional approach. In this paper, a Master-Slave coordinated architecture was created and developed to provide a solvable scheme for improving illumination consequence. The illumination geometry between a camera and a light can dynamically be coordinated so that the backscatter which is the culprit blurring the target observed can be greatly decreased. The light source can follow up the moving target which the camera captures based on the numerical simulation results. The proposed observation system is especially suitable for our research purpose, where an agile system is needed for the observation of small range in Lake Michigan. The dynamic and hydrodynamic models used in this paper can be found in [1]. The control algorithms to be employed to evaluate this proposed method in this paper can be referred to [2–3].Copyright © 2010 by ASME
BELIEF REVISION IN GAMES : FORWARD AND BACKWARD INDUCTION

Abstract The rationality of choices in a game depend not only on what players believe, but also on their policies for revising their beliefs in response to surprising information. A general descriptive framework for representing belief revision policies in game situations is sketched, and the consequences of some assumptions about such policies are explored. Assumptions about epistemic independence and a rationalization principle are considered. It is argued that while such assumptions may be appropriate in some contexts, no substantive constraints on belief revision policies can be justified on the basis of the assumption of common knowledge of rationality.
RESEARCH NOTE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OBJECTIVE TEST FORMATS

(1974). RESEARCH NOTE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OBJECTIVE TEST FORMATS. Educational Review: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 150-151.
The relation between stock returns and short-term interest rates

This study examines the relation between the expected returns on common stocks and short-term interest rates. Using a two-factor model of stock returns, we show that the expected returns on common stocks are systematically related to the market risk and the interest-rate risk, which are estimated as the sensitivity of common-stock excess returns to the excess return on the equally weighted market index and to the federal fund premium, respectively. We find that the interest-rate risk for small firms is a significant source of investors' portfolio risk, but is not properly reflected in the single-factor market risk. We also find that the interest-rate risk for large firms is “negative” in the sense that the market risk estimated from the single-factor model overstates the true risk of large firms. An application of the Fama-MacBeth methodology indicates that the interest-rate risk premium as well as the market's risk premium are significant, implying that both the market risk and the interest-rate risk are priced. We show that the interest-rate risk premium explains a significant portion of the difference in expected returns between the top quintile and the bottom quintile of the NYSE and AMEX firms. We also show that the turn-of-the-year seasonal is observed for the interest-rate risk premium; however, the risk premium for the rest of the year is still significant, although small in mangitude.
Separation and Detection of Submicrogram Quantities of Pesticides by an Improved TLC Technique

In the last few years thin-layer chromatography has developed into one of the most important techniques available for the separation and identification of components of a mixture. It has paralleled gas chromatography in importance and period of development.
Oxygen-induced vasodilation is blunted in pulmonary arterioles from fetal rats with nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Persistent pulmonary hypertension contributes to the high mortality rate associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Oxygen is an important stimulus for pulmonary vasodilation in the perinatal period. The authors have investigated the responses of isolated pulmonary arterioles from fetal rats with and without CDH to an increase in oxygen tension. Methods: CDHs were induced in fetal rats by feeding nitrofen to timed-pregnant rats at midgestation. A third-generation pulmonary arteriole was isolated from the right lung at term. Isolated arterioles were pressurized at their "optimal distending pressure." Diameter changes in response to an increase in oxygen tension from 25 to 40 mm Hg ("hypoxic" conditions) to 90 to 150 mm Hg ("normoxic" conditions) were recorded for K + preconstricted arterioles from control rats, from rats with nitrofen-induced CDH, and from rats that were nitrofen exposed but did not have a CDH. Results: "Normoxic" exposure reversed the K + preconstriction in control arterioles by 124 ± 26%. In contrast, arterioles from rats with nitrofen-induced CDH dilated significantly less than controls (20 ± 15% of the K + preconstriction). The responses of arterioles from rats that were nitrofen exposed but did not get a CDH were not different ( P >.05) from controls. Conclusions: Oxygen-induced vasodilation is blunted in pulmonary arterioles from rats with nitrofen-induced CDH. Blunted oxygen-induced vasodilation may contribute to persistent pulmonary hypertension in CDH. J Pediatr Surg 36:593-597. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Extraction and characterization of tetrapyrroe pigments rom intestinal cells of Ascaris lumbricoides

Abstract 1. 1. Tetrapyrrole pigments were extracted from washed guts of Ascaris lumbricoides with 5 per cent HC1 methanoi and investigated by spectrophotometric and qualitative chemical methods. 2. 2. Dark brown guts contain primarily protoheme IX, while yellow guts contain bilirubin and an unidentified metalloporphyrin.
Top management teams and the performance of entrepreneurial firms

This article examines why some entrepreneurial firms succeed while others do not. The focal explanation is top management teams, including several studies that address when and how top management teams are likely to influence entrepreneurial firm performance. There are several insights. First, large and diverse teams with a history of working together are more likely to succeed. This effect is particularly large when they launch in growth markets. Second, teams are effective in making strategic decisions when they are fast, highly conflictual, and still get along. Third, they are also effective when they rely on “simple rules” heuristics to perform significant activities like new product development and internationalization that nonetheless happens often. A further insight is that these “simple rules” can become the strategy of their firms. Fourth, more effective teams continuously organize the structures of their firms at the “edge of chaos”. Overall, top management teams emerge as central to the success (or lack thereof) of entrepreneurial firms.
Effect of Beta-aminopropionitrile on Calcium Metabolism in the Developing Chick Embryo

Abstract INTRODUCTION PREVIOUS studies by Naber and Blackwood (1962) have shown that calcium provides partial protection against the bone deformities and mortality induced by the lathyrogenic agent beta-aminopropionitrile in the growing chick and developing chick embryo. On the other hand, Blackwood and Naber (1963) demonstrated that while calcium protects the early chick embryo against the toxic effects of beta-aminopropionitrile when administered simultaneously with the lathyrogen, it increases embryonic mortality when given 6 days prior to the lathyrogen. In addition, copper and zinc were found to reduce toxicity when given simultaneously with beta-aminopropionitrile while magnesium and manganese had no effect on toxicity of the lathyrogen. It is apparent from these studies that calcium and certain other divalent cations can protect the developing chick embryo against experimental lathyrism but not all divalent cations possess this property. The normal calcium metabolism of the chick embryo has been studied by Johnston and Comar (1955). Using…
Individual differences in the behavior of juvenile yellow-bellied marmots

Yellow-bellied marmots express considerable individuality as measured by behavior in a maze, mirror-image stimulation (MIS), and social behavior in the field. Maze behavior discriminated between residents and dispersers; residents explored the maze more widely than did dispersers. Males could not be distinguished from females nor survivors from non-survivors by their maze behavior. A group of six yearling females was established to examine the relationship between individual behavioral phenotypes (as determined by MIS) and social behavior in the field. This experiment provided a situation in which social behavior was not influenced by age, sex, or reproduction (female yearlings are non-reproductive). The number of social interactions per individual ranged from 25 to 69. The number of observed interactions per individual differend significantly from the expected for greeting, allogrooming, total amicable, play, and total social interactions. Rankings of greeting, total amicable, and total interactions were directly correlated with rankings on the “avoidance” axis; play was inversely correlated with the “approach” axis. These results suggest that marmots have individual behavioral phenotypes that are expressed in their social interactions with their conspecifics.
725-1 Long-term Impact of a Patent Infarct-related Artery: 1-Year Survival In the GUSTO Trial

The “open-artery” hypothesis has been validated in the acute phase of coronary occlusion. Controversy remains regarding long-term survival and the need for revascularization. To examine the long-term impact of a patent infarct-related artery in the GUSTO trial, we evaluated prospectively collected data on 41,021 patients treated with thrombolytic therapy for acute infarction. Patency data were available in 12,864 patients undergoing their first post-infarction angiogram who had no prior history of PTCA or CABG and who were not enrolled in the angiographic substudy. The infarct-related artery was open in 8,810 and closed in 4,054 patients. In the open artery cohort, 50% were treated medically, 38% with PTCA, and 12% with CABG. The corresponding percentages in the closed artery cohort were 45, 41 and 14, respectively. Baseline demographics, risk factor profiles, extent of disease and time to treatment were similar for both groups. Patients with a closed artery had a slightly higher incidence of Killip Class III and IV than the open artery cohort (2% vs 1%). As expected, patients treated medically and with PTCA in both groups had a preponderance of 1 and 2 vessel disease and patients treated with CABG had a preponderance of 2 and 3 vessel disease. 1-Year Mortality Open Artery Closed Artery P-value - Medical Therapy (%) 3.3 8.5 l0.001 - PTCA(%) 2.5 88 l0.001 - CABG(%) 4.2 9.6 l0.001 Conclusion Infarct-related artery patency confers a survival advantage at 1-year across all thrombolytic treatment strategies in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Functional circuitry of the avian basal ganglia: implications for basal ganglia organization in stem amniotes.

Abstract Histochemical, pathway tracing, and neuropeptide/neurotransmitter localization studies in birds, reptiles and mammals during the 1970s and 80s clearly showed that the telencephalon in all amniotes consists of a prominent ventrally situated subpallial region termed the basal ganglia, and a large overlying region involved in higher order information processing termed the pallium or cortex. These studies also showed that the basal ganglia in all extant amniote groups possessed neurochemically and hodologically distinct striatal and pallidal territories. More recently, studies of the localization of genes controlling regional brain development have confirmed the homology of the basal ganglia among amniotes. In our ongoing studies, we have identified several aspects of the functional organization of the basal ganglia that birds also share with mammals. These include: (1) an extensive glutamatergic “cortico”-striatal input and distinctive, cell-type specific localization of glutamate receptor subtypes; (2) an extensive, presumptively glutamatergic intralaminar thalamic input to striatal neurons; (3) an extensive dopaminergic input from the midbrain targeting both substance P (SP) type and enkephalin (ENK) type striatal projection neurons, with SP-type striatal neurons seemingly richer in the D-1 type dopamine receptor; and (4) SP+ and ENK+ striatal outputs giving rise to functionally distinct so-called direct and indirect motor output pathways, with the direct pathway having a pallido-thalamo-motor cortex loop and the indirect pathway relaying back to the direct circuit via the subthalamic nucleus. These findings suggest that the major aspects of the cellular organization and functional circuitry of the basal ganglia in stem amniotes were already as observed in living amniotes, as therefore presumably was its key role in movement control. Because the organization of the basal ganglia of anamniotes is clearly less elaborate than in amniotes, and because the basal ganglia and cortex in amniotes are clearly extensively interconnected structures, it seems likely that stem amniotes were characterized by a major step forward in the grade of telencephalic organization of both the basal ganglia and the pallium.
Hyperarousal and insomnia

Primary or psychophysiological insomnia has alternatively been viewed as either a predominantly psychological problem or as a predominantly physiological problem. Several early studies of patients were not able to document physiological differences, but more recent studies have found that many patients with primary insomnia take longer than control subjects to fall asleep on daytime nap tests despite feeling fatigued and they have elevated metabolic rate throughout both night and day. Other recent studies have found that increasing physiological arousal level for a week in normal sleepers produced the major secondary symptoms reported by insomniacs. In contrast, producing the disturbed sleep of insomniacs in a group of normal sleepers did not produce the typical pattern of secondary symptoms. Taken together, evidence is presented which supports the contention that primary insomniacs suffer from a disorder of hyperarousal and that the elevated arousal produces the poor sleep and other symptoms reported by patients. It is therefore suggested that new treatment strategies directed at reduction of arousal level be considered in these patients.
Examples when nonlinear model predictive control is nonrobust

We consider nominal robustness of model predictive control for discrete-time nonlinear systems. We show, by examples, that when the optimization problem involves state constraints, or terminal constraints coupled with short optimization horizons, the asymptotic stability of the closed loop may have absolutely no robustness. That is to say, it is possible for arbitrarily small disturbances to keep the closed loop strictly inside the interior of the feasibility region of the optimization problem and, at the same time, far from the desired set point. This phenomenon does not occur when using model predictive control for linear systems with convex constraint sets. We emphasize that a necessary condition for the absence of nominal robustness in nonlinear model predictive control is that the value function and feedback law are discontinuous at some point(s) in the interior of the feasibility region.
Long-range transport of Asian outflow to the equatorial Pacific

[1] The second Pacific Exploratory Mission to the Tropics (PEM T-B) was conducted as part of NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) from 25 February through 19 April 1999. Long-range pollution signatures are examined during four PEM T-B flights that ranged as far northeast as California and as far southwest as coastal New Guinea. The signatures are studied to determine their ages and chemical evolution during transport. The chemical species examined include nonmethane hydrocarbons, halocarbons, and carbon monoxide. Wind data from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are used to calculate backward trajectories along the four flight tracks. Results show that some pollutants originating from the Asian continent, and even farther west, are transported across the Pacific by the middle latitude westerly winds and reach the subtropical Pacific anticyclone where they subside and turn southwestward under the influence of the low level trade winds. The parcels ultimately reach the western Pacific near coastal New Guinea after 20–25 days of transit.
A psychosocial self-management program for epilepsy: A randomized pilot study in adults

Abstract Objective The goal of the work described here was to develop and pilot a theoretically based self-management intervention in adults with epilepsy. Methods A randomized, controlled trial examined intervention effectiveness of a 6-week psychosocial intervention designed to improve self-efficacy and quality of life for 61 adults with diagnosed epilepsy. Measures included the Quality of Life in Epilepsy–89 inventory (QOLIE-89), the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (WPSI), a locus of control scale (LOC), and the Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale–2000 (ESES). Group differences were examined between groups using analysis of covariance. Results There was a significant improvement in the QOLIE-89 Role Limitations—Emotional score in the treatment group at follow-up, but no significant differences in overall quality of life. Strong and significant correlations were observed between outcome measures. Conclusion Although the intervention had little effect on improving overall quality of life, we observed promising trends in postintervention group comparisons linking self-efficacy and other psychosocial factors with quality of life. Intervention material can be modified for stage-based behavior change and retested in another study.
The effects of a moisture-wicking fabric shirt on the physiological and perceptual responses during acute exercise in the heat.

This study investigated the effects that a form fitted, moisture-wicking fabric shirt, promoted to have improved evaporative and ventilation properties, has on the physiological and perceptual responses during exercise in the heat. Ten healthy male participants completed two heat stress tests consisting of 45 min of exercise (50% VO2peak) in a hot environment (33 °C, 60% RH). One heat stress test was conducted with the participant wearing a 100% cotton short sleeved t-shirt and the other heat stress test was conducted with the participant wearing a short sleeved synthetic shirt (81% polyester and 19% elastane). Rectal temperature was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the synthetic condition during the last 15 min of exercise. Furthermore, the synthetic polyester shirt retained less sweat (P < 0.05). As exercise duration increases, the ventilation and evaporation properties of the synthetic garment may prove beneficial in the preservation of body temperature during exercise in the heat.
Tools for diagnosis of leukodystrophies and other disorders presenting with white matter disease

Advances in biochemical techniques, molecular genetics, and neuroimaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging, have made possible the diagnosis of a significant proportion of leukodystrophies. A specific diagnosis allows the physician to give prognostic information, monitor for known complications, and ultimately may allow disease specific therapeutics. The purpose of this review is to familiarize the reader with pertinent tools in the diagnosis of leukodystrophies and other white matter disorders that may present with white matter disease. The first section discusses conditions that may mimic leukodystrophy and how to exclude them. Although not meant to be an exhaustive summary, several key disorders and their clinical, biochemical, and neuroimaging features are presented. The second section focuses on classically described leukodystrophies and their diagnosis. Finally, a third section provides a diagnostic algorithm to help the clinician in the diagnosis of the patient with leukodystrophy.
A Role for Gz in Pancreatic Islet β-Cell Biology

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and beta-cell growth are important facets of pancreatic islet beta-cell biology. As a result, factors that modulate these processes are of great interest for the potential treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Here, we present evidence that the heterotrimeric G protein G(z) and its effectors, including some previously thought to be confined in expression to neuronal cells, are present in pancreatic beta-cells, the largest cellular constituent of the islets of Langerhans. Furthermore, signaling pathways upon which G alpha(z) impacts are intact in beta-cells, and G alpha(z) activation inhibits both cAMP production and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the Ins-1(832/13) beta-cell-derived line. Inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by prostaglandin E (PGE1) is pertussis-toxin insensitive, indicating that other G alpha(i) family members are not involved in this process in this beta-cell line. Indeed, overexpression of a selective deactivator of G alpha(z), the RGS domain of RGSZ1, blocks the inhibitory effect of PGE1 on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Finally, the inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by PGE1 is substantially blunted by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of G alpha(z) expression. Taken together, these data strongly imply that the endogenous E prostanoid receptor in the Ins-1(832/13) beta-cell line couples to G(z) predominantly and perhaps even exclusively. These data provide the first evidence for G(z) signaling in pancreatic beta-cells, and identify an endogenous receptor-mediated signaling process in beta-cells that is dependent on G alpha(z) function.
Accessibility patterns and community integration among previously homeless adults: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach

Although a desired rehabilitation goal, research continues to document that community integration significantly lags behind housing stability success rates for people of a variety of ages who used to be homeless. While accessibility to resources is an environmental factor that may promote or impede integration activity, there has been little empirical investigation into the impact of proximity of community features on resource use and integration. Using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach, the current study examines how accessibility or proximity to community features in Boston, United States related to the types of locations used and the size of an individual's "activity space," or spatial presence in the community. Significant findings include an inverse relationship between activity space size and proximity to the number and type of community features in one's immediate area. Specifically, larger activity spaces were associated with neighborhoods with less community features, and smaller activity spaces corresponded with greater availability of resources within one's immediate area. Activity space size also varied, however, based on proximity to different types of resources, namely transportation and health care. Greater community function, or the ability to navigate and use community resources, was associated with better accessibility and feeling part of the community. Finally, proximity to a greater number of individual identified preferred community features was associated with better social integration. The current study suggests the ongoing challenges of successful integration may vary not just based on accessibility to, but relative importance of, specific community features and affinity with one's surroundings. Community integration researchers and housing providers may need to attend to the meaning attached to resources, not just presence or use in the community.
Further Characterization of Forebrain Serotonin Receptors Mediating Tachycardia in Conscious Rats

It has been shown recently that activation of forebrain serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptors, likely within the preoptic area, elicits a slight increase in blood pressure and a substantial tachycardia. The present studies were designed to characterize: (1) the requirement of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist R(+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin [R(+)8-OH-DPAT]-induced tachycardia on the integrity of serotonergic innervation of the preoptic area, (2) the ability of the 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist buspirone to elicit cardiovascular responses when microinjected into the preoptic area, (3) the role of 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors in the preoptic area in cardiovascular regulation, and (4) the site specificity of the tachycardia produced by R(+)8-OH-DPAT. The data suggest that activation of 5-HT1A receptors, but not 5-HT2 or 5-HT3 receptors, within or very near the preoptic area increases blood pressure and heart rate in conscious rats. Furthermore, the full response is dependent on afferent serotonergic innervation, suggesting a presynaptic modulatory role for 5-HT in the preoptic area.
Integrating temporal, real-time, an active databases

To meet the needs of many real-world control applications, concepts from Temporal, Real-Time, and Active Databases must be integrated: Since the system's data is supposed to reflect the environment being controlled, they must be updated frequently to maintain temporal validity;Many activities, including those that perform the updates, work under time constraints;The occurrence of events, for example, emergency events, trigger actions.In these systems, meeting timeliness, predictability, and QoS guarantee requirements — through appropriate resource and overload management — become very important. So, algorithms and protocols for concurrency control, recovery, and scheduling are needed. These algorithms must exploit semantics of the data and the transactions to be responsive and efficient. Whereas time cognizant scheduling, concurrency control and conflict resolution have been studied in the literature, recovery issues have not. We have developed strategies for data placement at the appropriate level of memory hierarchy, for avoiding undoing/redoing by exploiting data/transaction characteristics, and for placing logs at the appropriate level in the memory hierarchy. Another issue that we have studied deals with the assignment of priority to transactions in active real-time database systems. We are also studying concurrency control for temporal and multi-media data. We have built RADEx, a simulation environment to evaluate our solutions.
Tuberculoma of the brain with unknown primary infection in an immunocompetent host.

Abstract Isolated cerebral tubercular abscess is uncommon in immunocompetent hosts. Our patient had a tuberculoma with no known primary and an atypical MRI appearance. We present a 67-year-old African–American male with complex partial seizures. A CT scan of the brain revealed a new right frontal mass which was not found on imaging two years prior. In view of the patient’s age and absence of any known primary malignancy, a primary brain tumor was considered to be the likely diagnosis. On MRI, the mass did not display ring enhancement or necrosis. Rather, the mass was lobulated, with near-uniform enhancement of the lesion with a surrounding high fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal predominantly in the right frontal region, which extended inferiorly to the parietal region. The lesion showed a few punctate foci of low signal intensity on gradient echo MRI sequences, suggestive of hemorrhage. The mode of infection is unknown. However, it is important to include tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis, especially if the lesion appears to be non-primary, if a primary neoplasm or other metastases are not identified on further investigation, and in a patient of African–American ethnicity. To our knowledge, this is the first record of an isolated tubercular abscess of the brain in a developed country.
Profile Based Routing and Billing Multimedia Content Delivery Network

This paper presents the design and implementation of a decentralized subscription based multimedia content delivery network. Content providers targeting specific customers advertise the types of content they will deliver to a Profile Based Router (PRoB). A PRoB router is an intelligent network device located at the edge of a network close to the targeted end-users. Endusers subscribe to data services and pay to receive multimedia data. The PRoB router distributes data from the providers to end users. The PRoB router ensures that end-users only receive traffic they have subscribed to. The PRoB router creates a profile for each customer which is accessible to content providers. Content providers can use this information to analyze and characterize different customers. Content providers save bandwidth by redistributing data locally and gain information that helps to better market their content. The system is scalable and reconfigurable at relatively low cost due to our design.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR GRADUATE COURSES IN FLIGHT DYNAMICS, STABILITY, AND CONTROL

This paper proposes topics for a graduate level course in flight dynamics, stability, and control. Seven specific topics and some math pre/co-requisites are suggested.
Induced Changes in Solvent Structure by Phospholipid Monolayer Formation at a Liquid–Liquid Interface

Abstract Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy has been used in conjunction with dynamic surface tension measurements to study formation of a 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) monolayer at a water–carbon tetrachloride interface. Surface tension measurements show that an aqueous solution of liquid crystalline phosphocholine vesicles (4.5 μM DLPC) requires several hours to form a tightly packed, fully equilibrated monolayer of DLPC monomers. Vibrational spectra of the interfacial region at different stages in the monolayer formation process indicate that the solvent structure undergoes dramatic re-organization as the monolayer forms. Initial adsorption of DLPC monomers severely disrupts the interfacial hydrogen bonding. Intensity in the OH stretching region oscillates in a systematic fashion during the first 2 h of monolayer formation before finally settling to a level characteristic of the fully equilibrated monolayer. Frequency shifts of the OH stretching vibration show that water molecules with their C2 axes aligned parallel to the interface experience a markedly different environment than those water molecules aligned perpendicular to the interface. This difference is attributed to the effect of the adsorbed, zwitterionic DLPC head-groups which, if aligned parallel to the interface, can stabilize in-plane water molecules.
Data extraction for effective non-intrusive identification of residential power loads

A completely effective technology for monitoring energy consumption and switching patterns of multiple electrical loads is desired yet not available. While parallel metering of multiple loads is possible, it is rarely cost effective and requires several installations and maintenance checks that disrupt a monitored business or residence. This report describes how non-intrusive monitoring methods for residences have been extended with several novel techniques to identify electrical loads and measure energy consumed by each.
Erbium-doped amorphous- Si-C-O matrix (a-SiCxOy:Er) - A novel silicon-based material for near-infrared optoelectronic applications

We have synthesized amorphous- SiC x O y (a-SiC x O y ) (x, y: 0 - 1.65) materials via thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) at 800°C using a single source oligomer, 2,4,6-trimethyl-2,4,6-trisila-heptane (C 7 H 22 Si 3 ) and ultra-high purity oxygen (O 2 ). The Er-doped SiC x O y materials exhibited a strong room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) at ∼1540 nm at an excitation wavelength of 496.5 nm. Furthermore, the infrared PL intensity was found to be highly dependent on the compositions of carbon and oxygen, with the maximum PL intensity obtained for an Er-doped SiC 0.50 O 1.00 thin film, which exhibited a ∼20-times enhancement in the PL intensity as opposed to the Er-doped SiO 2 control samples. The PL intensity decreased significantly as the matrix evolves into either the SiC-like or SiO 2 -like material. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the local elemental electronic environment in a-SiC x O y . Our work indicates a strong correlation between the emission of Er luminescence and the formation of Si-C-O bonding in materials.
The Teacher, the Learner, the Teacher, the Learner: And the Cycle Continues:

This article attempts to capture the educational gifts passed from one generation to the next. The authors tell of how role play and classroom simulations were first employed by one mentor and passed to the next generation. The role plays and simulations are but a disposition to the love affair, passion, commitment, and ideals that the authors call education, with simulations as a benchmark to the process.
Spinal Epidural Abscess in a Young Child

This is a case report of a spinal epidural abscess, caused by Staphylococcus aureus, in a 3-year-old girl. The child presented with fever and hip pain, but without any neurologic deficit. After normal plain films and a normal bone scan were obtained, the diagnosis was made via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The neurosurgery and pediatric infectious disease teams evaluated the patient, and the decision was made to forgo surgical drainage and to treat medically with appropriate intravenous and then oral antibiotics. Several months later, the child was doing well without any signs of neurologic sequelae. Because of the rarity of this disease in children, the treatment guidelines are controversial. Many suggest that a spinal epidural abscess must be drained surgically. Our experience adds to the literature a case of a child successfully treated with antibiotics alone. We believe that this success is related to the fact that the child was diagnosed by MRI early in the course of the disease and that she never displayed any neurologic deficits.
Recent Advances in Ultrasound Technology

Technical improvements have made profound changes in diagnostic ultrasound imaging. Some of these changes, such as encoded pulses and receive focusing, occur in the background and are essentially nonadjustable. Others, including harmonics and compounding, are real-time options and are adjustable by the imager. New technologies that offer great promise for improved characterization of lesions include contrast ultrasound and elastography. This article will attempt to update the small animal imager on the clinical applications of these newer technologies.
What's Next for Shopbots?

BargainFinder, one of the earliest shopbot projects to receive media and public attention, debuted on 30 June 1995. Now, on the project's 15th anniversary, the authors review its progress and the many applications it's influenced.
Robust and efficient detection of non-lint material in cotton fiber samples

This paper describes the design of an automated image segmentation system that provides high-resolution measurements of non-lint material, or trash, in cotton samples. Unlike previous trash analysis systems, this platform is able to accurately and precisely quantify the amount of foreign matter present in a sample in the presence of both illuminant degradation and fiber color variations by employing a new Bayesian Weighted K-Means (BWKM) approach to image segmentation. The design of the BWKM algorithm is presented in detail and its performance is verified and compared with other clustering techniques using both synthetic and real imagery.
Coherent terahertz cyclotron oscillations in a two-dimensional electron gas

Time-domain THz spectroscopy of a GaAs 2D electron gas in magnetic fields reveals long-lived (~50 ps) coherent oscillations. From the field-dependent oscillation frequency, we attribute these oscillations to the free induction decay of cyclotron resonance.
Correlating ETD fragment ion intensities with peptide ion conformational and electronic structure

Abstract Amino acid residues affect the formation of backbone fragments upon electron transfer dissociation of doubly charged peptide ions of the AAXAR type. Peptide ions having non-polar residues (X = A, V, L, M, W) undergo backbone dissociations near the protonated N- and C-termini, forming mainly z 1 and z 4 fragment ions. Polar residues (X = H, D) prefer backbone dissociations occurring next to the polar residue, forming z 2 and z 3 fragment ions. Computational analysis, combining molecular dynamics, semi-empirical, density functional theory, and Moller–Plesset theory of precursor ion conformational space, identified the thermodynamically most stable tautomers and conformers for (AAVAR + 2H) 2+ , (AAHAR + 2H) 2+ , and (AADAR + 2H) 2+ precursor ions. Analysis of electronic states and potential energy surfaces for charge-reduced cation-radicals was used to interpret the ETD fragmentations. Electron attachment to (AAVAR + 2H) 2+ and (AAHAR + 2H) 2+ forms zwitterionic tautomers of charge-reduced cation-radicals as local energy minima in the ground electronic state. These are dynamically unstable with respect to exothermic ammonium proton migration forming aminoketyl intermediates. Direct N C α bond cleavage in the zwitterion requires an energy barrier which makes it noncompetitive with the proton migration. This bears on the long-standing chicken-and-egg problem of the ExD dissociation mechanisms according to the Utah–Washington model. Migration of a proton from a proximate neutral amide group was found to form a dynamically unstable enolimidate intermediate that cannot undergo N C α bond cleavage according to the Murrell–Laidler rule of reaction dynamics. According to electronic structure analysis in a conformationally defined peptide ion, the non-polar side chain in charge-reduced (AAVAR + 2H) + has only a spectator role in isomerizations and backbone dissociations. This casts doubt on the “hydrophobic” effect of amino acid residues on electron-based fragmentations proposed previously.