cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Broken Bond Market

Valued at $11.2 trillion – equivalent in size to half the U.S. economy – the corporate bond market is opaque, illiquid and inefficient. This Article argues that the bond market – premised on contract – rests on a fundamentally flawed regulatory design that delivers neither investor protection nor market quality. It makes three contributions. First, it shows that bondholders face a conflict between securing creditor control using a tailorable contact – and the tradability of their bond claim. By tailoring a contract to match the riskiness of an issuer, bondholders end up holding a less standard claim that becomes harder and costlier to trade. Secondly, the Article develops the implications of this conflict for investor protection. Bondholders assume transaction costs that do not exist in equity markets. Activism is more difficult as investors cannot use the threat of exit cheaply to pressure managers. Monitoring costs are high as prices lack a credible surveillance function. Seen through the lens of this conflict, this Article refines the traditional notion of bondholders as being passive actors. Rather, the impossibility of achieving both control and tradability limits bondholders in their ability to push back against managerial and shareholder agency costs. In concluding, this Article sets out a three-part solution designed to create choice, control and liquidity. It proposes: (i) standardization through the creation of tiers of form contracts that can enhance liquidity while offering tailorability in the choice of model contract; (ii) a stronger role for trading platforms in monitoring and enforcing contract terms; and (iii) retaining features of the status quo as part of the new market to accommodate those that need full tailorabilty even at the cost to tradability. This solution seeks to repair the broken bond market and assure that bondholders enjoy both investor protection and market quality as a part of their claim.
Reducing Violence?: Examining the Impact of Gun Control Legislation in Massachusetts

Over the last decade, high-profile mass shootings in the United States have brought gun policies back to the front of the public policy debate. While Americans remain divided on a number of gun pol...
Choral Fantasies: Music, Festivity, and Nationhood in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Introduction 1. Choral fantasies from Beethoven to the Vormarz 2. Memory and multiplicity in Felix Mendelssohn's 'Gutenberg' works 3. Prophet and populace in Liszt's 'Beethoven' cantatas 4. Songs and states in Brahms's Triumphlied and Wagner's Kaisermarsch 5. Occasions and nations in Brahms's Fest- und Gedenkspruche.
Supporting and Motivating Supervisors and Staff

Once employees have been selected and trained, they need support on the job to thrive. This chapter discusses the means by which security employees are developed and supported on the job. The safety of security personnel is also considered. Further, this chapter discusses classic psychological studies concerning workplace performance.
Neuromorphic CMOL circuits

This is a brief review of the recent work on the development of neuromorphic architectures for future hybrid CMOS/nanowire/MOLecular ("CMOL") circuits. Such circuits may provide the first chance for the implementation of advanced information processing systems with areal density of (beyond 10/sup 12/ active functions per cm/sup 2/) comparable to that of the human cerebral cortex, while operating at much higher speed (up to 10/sup 20/ operations per second per cm/sup 2/), at acceptable power consumption. Our group has suggested a family of distributed crosspoint networks ("CrossNets") that are natural for implementation in CMOL technology, and has shown that such networks may be trained to perform at least the effective pattern recognition in the Hopfield mode. Work on CrossNet training to perform more complex tasks in under way.
Fechtner syndrome--a variant of Alport's syndrome with leukocyte inclusions and macrothrombocytopenia.

This study reports a family comprising four generations in whom nephritis, deafness, congenital cataracts, macrothrombocytopenia, and leukocyte inclusions were observed in varying combinations in eight of 17 members. The family differs from others reported in that their hematologic abnormalities include not only macrothrombocytopenia, but also small, pale blue cytoplasmic inclusions in the neutrophils and eosinophils. Light microscopic appearance of the inclusions resembled that of toxic Dohle bodies and inclusions of May-Hegglin anomaly, but their ultrastructural appearance was unique. The inclusions consisted of clusters of ribosomes and small segments of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). They lacked the parallel 10-nm filaments characteristic of May-Hegglin anomaly and the parallel strands of RER seen in toxic Dohle bodies. Platelets were large, but their light and ultrastructural appearance was not significantly different from normal platelets. Platelet aggregation in response to epinephrine, arachidonate, thrombin, adenosine diphosphate, collagen, and ristocetin was normal. Levels of nucleotides and serotonin were elevated in proportion to cell volume. The concentration of adenosine triphosphate secreted and the percentage of arachidonic acid converted to thromboxane B2 were proportional to cell number. Deafness was high-tone sensorineural. Renal disease ranged from microscopic hematuria to end- stage renal failure necessitating dialysis and kidney transplantation. All affected adults had cataracts. This family represents a variant of Alport's syndrome with cataracts and leukocyte inclusions that, because of the associated macrothrombocytopenia, may be confused with May- Hegglin anomaly.
Challenges with Deploying and Integrating Environmental Control and Life Support Functions in a Lunar Architecture with High Degrees of Mobility

Visions of lunar outposts often depict a collection of fixed elements such as pressurized habitats, in and around which human inhabitants spend the large majority of their surface stay time. In such an outpost, an efficient deployment of environmental control and life support equipment can be achieved by centralizing certain functions within one or a minimum number of habitable elements and relying on the exchange of gases and liquids between elements via atmosphere ventilation and plumbed interfaces. However, a rigidly fixed outpost can constrain the degree to which the total lunar landscape can be explored. The capability to enable widespread access across the landscape makes a lunar architecture with a high degree of surface mobility attractive. Such mobility presents unique challenges to the efficient deployment of environmental control and life support functions in multiple elements that may for long periods of time be operated independently. This paper describes some of those anticipated challenges.
Economic Factors Influencing the Level of Economic Development of Multicounty Areas

Economic development is an elusive, multidimensional concept. Identification of the interdependencies and interactions underlying the development process seem to call for appropriate multivariate analysis. Principal component and factor analyses were used in a study of socioeconomic interdependencies associated with economic development in multicounty areas in the 48 contiguous States. This paper summarizes some results from that study and explains the use of a mathematical identity relating factor analysis to principal component analysis. This identity explains the level of economic development in terms of alternative levels of factors.
Inclusion of gender in emergency medicine research.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:e1–e4 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Background: Emergency physicians as front-line clinical specialists can directly advance patient care by understanding how gender-specific approaches may affect evaluation and management of diseases in the acute setting. Yet, it is unclear whether the role of gender is systematically examined in research focusing on emergency care. Objectives: The objective was to determine if the effect of gender on health outcomes is examined in published studies targeting emergency medicine (EM). Methods: Using MEDLINE, the term “emergency” was used to identify all English-language, EM-related studies of adult human subjects published between January 2006 and April 2009 in which the first, second, or last author belonged to an EM section, division, center, or institution functioning as an emergency department (ED). The alternative chance-corrected statistic was used for intercoder reliability, and chi-square was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Articles were coded for gender composition, as well as use of gender as a control variable, independent variable, or part of the primary hypothesis. Results: The search revealed 2,487 articles using the selected “emergency” terms, and 750 original studies coded as EM-related publications were reviewed. The five topics contributing the most articles (44%) were administration/crowding, cardiovascular disease, emergency medical services, trauma, and sepsis. Seventy-nine percent of articles reported the gender composition of the sample, with 11% including gender as a control variable, 18% including gender as an independent variable, and 2% including gender in the primary hypothesis. The alternative chance-corrected statistic for evaluating gender composition was 0.90 (95% CI = 0.75 to 1.00). Use of gender in the analysis did not differ between federally funded studies versus non–federally funded studies (OR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.5 to 1.4). The number of articles analyzing the effect of gender on a health outcome increased by 5% over the study period (27%–32%). Conclusions: The majority of research articles targeted EM report gender as a demographic variable; however, few studies examined the effect of gender on health outcome. As the specialty advances into the next decade, the authors recommend that EM researchers 1) include both men and women in their study designs for appropriate gender comparisons; 2) report gender composition of study subjects and gender-specific comparisons study findings; and 3) report prognoses, outcomes, and interventions using gender as an independent variable in the study model.
Predictors of Treatment Noncompletion in a Sample of Inpatient Sex Offenders With Serious Mental Illness

Objective:Very little is known regarding noncompletion of sex offender treatment among sex offenders with serious psychiatric illness. The purpose of the study was to identify factors predictive of treatment noncompletion in a forensic psychiatric sample of 156 adult male sex offenders.Methods:All data were coded from archival client medical records. Variables of interest, including indicators of historical risk and clinical diagnoses made by hospital psychiatrists, were entered into both a linear regression equation with percentage of groups attended over two years as a continuous variable and a logistic regression equation for predicting more or less than 50% sex offender treatment group attendance.Results:Significant predictors of treatment noncompletion included number of arrests, recent physical aggression, length of admission, and diagnoses of borderline personality disorder, psychosis, and intellectual impairments.Conclusions:The resulting predictors indicate a combination of relevant variables for...
Automated measurement of mouse apolipoprotein B: convenient screening tool for mouse models of atherosclerosis

Although mice are commonly used for studies of atherosclerosis, investigators have had no convenient way to quantify apolipoprotein (apo) B, the major protein of atherogenic lipoproteins, in this model. We now report an automated immunoturbidimetric assay for mouse apo B with an NCCLS imprecision study CV <5%. Added hemoglobin up to 50 g/L did not interfere with the assay, nor did one freeze–thaw cycle of serum samples. Assay linearity extends to apo B concentrations of 325 mg/L. We have used the assay to determine serum apo B concentrations under several atherogenic conditions, including the apo E “knock-out” genotype and treatment with a high-cholesterol diet. Our assay can be used to survey inbred mouse strains for variants in apo B concentration or regulation. Moreover, the mouse can now be used as a convenient small-animal model to screen compounds that may lower apo B concentrations.
The Press & pressure: a critical discourse analysis of the promotion of “responsibility to protect” or “sovereignty” narratives in the ongoing Syrian crisis

The popular concept that journalism is a moderating check on an aggressive state – one that operates in a world dictated by Realism’s demands for power and survival – is solace both for society and individual journalists who believe in the peaceful calling of the profession and the power of the Fourth Estate. But what happens when data and a discursive analysis of news organizations indicates that rather than favoring diplomatic solutions and peaceful resolutions, journalism is both fueling the flames of fear and fostering aggressive military postures that may favor confrontational nationalist rather that peaceful internationalist outcomes? This paper analyzes news and opinion production in both the Chinese and American press to conclude that in the case of the on-going conflict in Syria, the states themselves, while in conflict on the promotion of policies that reflect either the “Responsibility to Protect” (United States) or that of “Sovereignty” (China), are more aligned with diplomatic resolution than the press.
Model for vibrational relaxation of diatomic molecules in simple monatomic liquids

Abstract A simple quantum-mechanical model for the nonradiative vibrational relaxation of a diatomic molecule in a monatomic liquid is developed. The rotation of the diatomic is neglected and it is assumed that only collinear collisions are responsible for the relaxation. The many-body states of the liquid are determined using a cell model and the cell potential is approximated as an infinite square well. The Fermi golden rule for the rate of vibrational relaxation is simplified to obtain a closed expression exhibiting explicit dependences upon the temperature and upon microscopic properties of the system. This expression is then used to predict the vibrational relaxation rates of some selected diatomic molecules (H 2 , D 2 , O 2 , N 2 , CO) in liquid rare gases (Ne and Ar).
On a novel Monte Carlo scheme for simulating water and aqueous solutions

Abstract The usual Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm, when applied to highly associated liquids like ST-2 water is shown to be very slow in establishing equilibrium, and often leads to bottlenecks in configuration space. A new algorithm is presented in which the Monte Carlo moves are biased in the direction of the forces and torques acting on the individual molecule. Comparison with the Metropolis shows that this new method is much more rapidly convergent.
Vasoconstrictor hyperresponsiveness: An early pathogenic mechanism in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

Factors which play a primary role in the initiation and development of hypertension in sponstaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are incompletely defined. To test the possibility that early changes in vascular function play a primary etiologic role, hindquarters of 3-week-old SHR and Wistar-Kyoto normotensive rats (WKY)_were perfused at constant flow with plasma substitute. The vasculature of SHR exhibited higher resistance to flow than that of WKY. The threshold constrictor response to norepinephrine (NE) was elicited at a significantly lower concentration (6×) than required in WKY, while threshold to BaCl2 was not different. At concentrations of BaCl2 above threshold, SHR exhibited marked hyperresponsiveness compared to WKY. This resulted in a greater maximum response and thus a steeper slope. The ED50 for BaCl2 was not different. A similar does—response relationship (greater maximu, steeper slope) was observed with NE except that the ED50 as well as threshold was significantly lower in SHR than in WKY. These data show that vasoconstrictor hyperresponsiveness and increased vascular resistance are present at the time when the hypertension is first detectable. This hyperresponsiveness includes two distinct components: (1) A specific hypersensitivity to NE and (2) non-specific hyperresponsiveness which could derive from altered excitation—contraction coupling and/or from a structural mechanism already present when pressure difference begin to appear.
Rapid Oil Extraction from Potato Chips

Sir: Total or crude fat determination is a common analytical technique in proximal analysis and lipid chemistry. This is done traditionally by Soxhlet or Goldfisch extraction. Both are solvent extraction methods which require hours of solvent reflux extraction. A long extraction may be necessary when lipids are well embedded into tissues and the surface area to weight ratio is low. However, many food materials may have oil that can be readily extracted without such exhaustive solvent extraction. Development of simple, practical, rapid extraction techniques would be more cost effective, particularly when dealing with large numbers of samples. Such techniques have been developed for small particle lipid bearing materials. Clark and Snyder [1] developed a rapid 1 min equilibrium extraction method of a 1‐2 g sample to determine total oil content in soy flour with hexane at ambient temperature that produced results similar to those obtained by Goldfisch extraction. This allowed the rapid screening of a large number of soybean cultivars. Similarly, total oil in 2 g of rice bran samples was obtained by a rapid 1 min hexane or isopropanol extraction that produced the same results as Goldfisch extraction [2]. This method allowed large number of rice bran samples to be quickly extracted for free fatty acid determination by wet chemistry to obtain a diffuse reflectance FTIR chemometric model of the free fatty content [3]. Similarly, the total surface oil on milled rice was determined by rapid solvent
Design, Synthesis, and SAR Studies of 4-Substituted Methoxylbenzoyl-aryl-thiazoles Analogues as Potent and Orally Bioavailable Anticancer Agents

In a continued effort to improve upon the previously published 4-substituted methoxybenzoyl-aryl-thiazole (SMART) template, we explored chemodiverse "B" rings and "B" to "C" ring linkage. Further, to overcome the poor aqueous solubility of this series of agents, we introduced polar and ionizable hydrophilic groups to obtain water-soluble compounds. For instance, based on in vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, an orally bioavailable phenyl-amino-thiazole (PAT) template was designed and synthesized in which an amino linkage was inserted between "A" and "B" rings of compound 1. The PAT template maintained nanomolar (nM) range potency against cancer cell lines via inhibiting tubulin polymerization and was not susceptible to P-glycoprotein mediated multidrug resistance in vitro, and markedly improved solubility and bioavailability compared with the SMART template (45a-c (PAT) vs 1 (SMART)).
Romantic Relationships, Individualism and the Possibility of Togetherness: Seeing Durkheim in Theories of Contemporary Intimacy

A parallel is drawn in this article between influential theoretical perspectives on the contemporary culture of romantic intimacy, and Durkheimian interpretations of modernity, individualism and so...
Modality-specific imagery and associative learning in the deaf and hearing

Previous research has shown that recall performance of blind Ss is affected by auditory, but not visual word imagery, whereas the reverse is true for sighted Ss. The present study explored the possibility of a parallel effect with deaf Ss. Both deaf and hearing Ss learned lists of paired associates that were either high visual and low auditory imagery words or vice versa. It was predicted that deaf Ss would perform similar to hearing Ss with pairs of high visual imagery, but worse with materials of high auditory imagery. The results failed to demonstrate the expected interaction. Instead, performance was uniformly superior for the visual materials, and there was no significant difference between deaf and hearing Ss. Possible reasons for this outcome are discussed.
SU‐E‐T‐267: Proton Pencil Beam Scanning for Mediastinal Lymphoma: 4‐Dimensional Feasibility Study

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) for the treatment of mediastinal lymphoma. Methods: A group of 6 patients were planned using an anterior field with PBS. Spots with ∼5 mm σ were used for all patients, while large spots (∼10 mm σ) were employed for patients with motion perpendicular to the beam (≥5 mm). We considered volumetric repainting such that, in each fraction, the same field would be delivered twice. Four-dimensional dose was calculated on initial and verification 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) scans (2—3) based on respiratory trace and beam delivery sequence. This was implemented by binning the spots into separate plans on each 4D-CT phase respectively. Four starting phases were sampled for each painting and 4 energy switching times (0.5 s, 1 s, 3 s, and 5 s) were tested, resulting in 2560 dose distributions for the cohort. Plan robustness was measured for target and critical structures in terms of the percentage difference between delivered dose and planned dose. Results: For 5 of the 6 patients, the ITV (internal target volume) D98% was degraded by <3% (standard deviations ∼ 0.1%) when averaged over the whole course (up to 5% per fraction). Deviations of meanmore » lung dose, heart maximum dose, and cord maximum dose were within 5% of prescribed dose. For one patient with motion perpendicular to the beam (up to 5 mm), the degradation of ITV D98% was 9% over the whole course (12% per fraction), which was mitigated to 1% (3% per fraction) by employing large spots and repainting. No significant difference in coverage was observed for different energy switching times. Conclusion: This feasibility study demonstrates that, for mediastinal lymphoma, the PBS plan robustness can be maintained during delivery when target motion is measured and volumetric repainting and/or large spots are employed. This work was supported by Ion Beam Application.« less
Fibrosarcoma of bone: a study of 114 cases

A study conducted at the Mayo Clinic affirms that fibrosarcoma is a distinctive lesion of bone, although it may be difficult to differentiate from some other tumors, notably fibroblastic osteogenic sarcoma. The 5-year survival rate of 28.7% in fibrosarcoma is better than that in osteogenic sarcoma (even of the fibroblastic type), so the distinction should probably be maintained. Well-differentiated fibrosarcomas are associated with an appreciably better prognosis than are the more anaplastic ones. The principles for treatment in fibrosarcoma are similar to those in osteogenic sarcoma because both tumors are radioresistant. When applicable, amputation is usually the preferred treatment. Wide local resection may be successful for some of the smaller and less anaplastic fibrosarcomas of bones of the extremities and has been successful in eradicating tumors at selected other sites, notably the mandible. Radiation therapy is sometimes beneficial. No less than 30% of this total series of fibrosarcomas were secondary to other tumors or related to prior radiation, and the chance of survival after adequate therapy in this group was not significantly different from that of the remainder.
Monte Carlo simulation of spin-polarized transport in GaAs nanostructures

An ensemble Monte Carlo program, in conjunction with an 8-band k.p self-consistent solver, is used to simulate the temporal and spatial evolution of the spin polarization of current through a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with a source and drain defined as quantum point contacts that spin-polarize the current. Results relate the effect of an applied gate voltage on both the Dresselhaus and Rashba contributions of the D'yakanov-Perel spin-flip scattering mechanism, the predominant spin scattering mechanism in AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures at 300 K. Results are presented on the simulation of a spin-FET structure using quantum point contacts (QPCs) as a spin polarizer and spin detector.
In search of Galactic company [SETI/CETI]

The author briefly discusses the possibility of interstellar travel and then goes on to consider communication with an extraterrestrial civilization using radio. Various means by which extraterrestrial civilizations may be detected are discussed. The author gives an idea of the work being carried out today for SETI/CETI.
The Sword and the Prayerbook: Ideals of Authentic Irish Manliness

As the Catholic Church responded to secular models of the nineteenth-century hero by refurbishing its saints, the Irish Church promoted its native saint, Colmcill, as the sole authentic positive stereotype deserving of the Irishman's emulation. At a time when the concepts of Irishness and manliness were being contested, the League of St. Columba proposed that the physical, psychological, and spiritual characteristics of Colmcill be materialized in the new Irish youth. By folding the mystical rhetoric of Catholicism into the search for national identity, the League altered the course of Irish nationalism and inflected the trajectory of Irish masculine development. While Colmcill's ascendance as an emulatory type was brief, the qualities he was shaped to embody were reinscribed in the Catholic priest, who became installed as the aspirational model for the youth of Ireland.
An Exploration of the “Reflex” in Reflexive Modernity The Rational and Prerational Social Causes of the Affinity for Ecological Consciousness

An increasingly larger portion of the environmental movement claims that environmental destruction can only be stopped when our concern about environmental destruction is coupled with an “ecological consciousness,” that is, a wholistic understanding of the relationship between self, society, and nature. The author offers three interconnected theses to explain the increasing affinity for ecological consciousness: (a) Ecological consciousness, as opposed to traditional environmental consciousness, has prerational social causes that challenge modern rationality and, as such, is less reliant on knowledge and experience of environmental degradation for its spread; (b) the prerational dimension of social order links our affective responses and our most basic ontological presuppositions into a cognitive framework in which material and ideal interests are perceived as such; and (c) the experience of powerlessness can, under the right conditions, lead to a change in selfunderstanding such that individuals are left...
Protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of RKIP regulates inhibition of Na-alanine cotransport by leukotriene D(4) in intestinal epithelial cells.

Leukotriene D4 (LTD4) is an important immune inflammatory mediator that is known to be elevated in the mucosa of chronically inflamed intestine and alter nutrient absorption. LTD4 inhibits Na-alani...
Review of toxicity of gases emitted from combustion, pyrolysis of municipal and industrial wastes

Many components of typical wastes produce a variety of toxic or potentially toxic compounds when subjected to combustion. Plastics particularly can yield CO, CO/sub 2/, HCL, NH/sub 3/, cyanides, aldehydes, NO/sub X/, and miscellaneous short-chain carbon compounds. The presence of fluorine-containing compounds leads to the emission of many other C-F and C-F-Cl compounds, especially carbonyl fluoride (COF). Studies indicate that CO, HCL, HCN, as well as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons are potentially the most physiologically damaging. Other significantly toxic compounds include CO, formaldehyde, formic acid, phenol, methyl alcohol, and acetic acid. In general it is not carbon particles, CO, or CO/sub 2/ that are responsible for death upon inhalation, but low molecular weight carbon chain compounds such as aldehydes. Workers in pyrolysis combustion plants can be expected to be exposed to higher concentrations of toxic compounds than residents in surrounding areas. A comprehensive list of the compounds and elements that can be produced in combustion pyrolysis, including threshold limit values, is presented. These compounds cause serious environmental pollution but can be found wherever incinerators, small power plants, and even back yard leaf-burning fires exist. 49 references.
Mentoring Latina Nurses: A Multicultural Perspective.

Abstract The purpose of this article is to explore the meaning and significance of mentoring for Latinas/os in nursing. Based on qualitative, in-depth phenomenological interviews, the primary purpose of the study was to understand the experiences of Latina nursing students in order to identify conditions that affect their educational experiences. Seventeen Latina nursing students or recently graduated nurses in Massachusetts and Connecticut were interviewed. Implications for nursing schools and for other professional schools are discussed, including the development of partnerships with public schools and the creation of policies that support the recruitment and retention of both Latina/o nursing students and faculty.
Real-Time UAV Video Processing for Quick- Response to Natural Disaster

Video image matching to find tie points is one of important steps for merging dynamic, narrow field-of-view aerial video into a mosaic orthoimage. Because of its high data sampling rates and inherent characteristics of inconsistent and unstable flying of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), automatically matching of video data is still a big challenge and ongoing effort. This paper presents a self-adaptive image matching technique to automatically and effectively seek the conjugate points. The basic steps involves: (1) automatically extracting frame from video stream at real-time according to any given location or time slot, in order to save the post-processing time; (2) self-adaptively adjusting parallax of two neighbor frames to predict conjugate points to reduce searching space; and (3) the accuracy of image matching result is self-estimated using the technique of two-view co-planar geometry constructed by conjugated points and baseline. Based on the estimated accuracy value, the iteration for increasing or decreasing sample time slice to obtain new image pair is determined. The experimental results demonstrated that this proposed method can achieve high automation and real-time processing purpose for response to time-critical disaster applications.
Mechanisms, kinetics, impurities and defects: consequences in macromolecular crystallization

The nucleation and growth of protein, nucleic acid and virus crystals from solution are functions of underlying kinetic and thermodynamic parameters that govern the process, and these are all supersaturation-dependent. While the mechanisms of macromolecular crystal growth are essentially the same as for conventional crystals, the underlying parameters are vastly different, in some cases orders of magnitude lower, and this produces very different crystallization processes. Numerous physical features of macromolecular crystals are of serious interest to X-ray diffractionists; the resolution limit and mosaicity, for example, reflect the degree of molecular and lattice order. The defect structure of crystals has an impact on their response to flash-cooling, and terminal crystal size is dependent on impurity absorption and incorporation. The variety and extent of these issues are further unique to crystals of biological macromolecules. All of these features are amenable to study using atomic force microscopy, which provides direct images at the nanoscale level. Some of those images are presented here.
Causes and Consequences of Selective Exposure Among Political Blog Readers: The Role of Hostile Media Perception in Motivated Media Use and Expressive Participation

ABSTRACTConcerns about selective exposure to partisan information have become a mainstay for scholars of political communication in the changing media environment. This study draws on a survey of a unique population—readers of political blogs—to explore the relationship between perceptions of mainstream media bias (as hostile media perception) and selective exposure to media sources that provide like-minded information as well as social support. We find that hostile media perception is an important motivator for partisan selective exposure among this audience, and also that such perceptions can lead indirectly to expressive political participation by encouraging visits to politically homogeneous online spaces.
Designing Experiments When Run Order is Important

Whenever the observations in an experimrnt must be made in somr time order sequence, there is a substantial likelihood that there may bc somo time order dcpendency in the results. In addition, it is frequently cxprnsivr to change levels for one or more of the factors in thr study. In this paper these two facts are documcntcd with personal case histories and a general method is proposed for taking these difficulties into consideration when planning an expcrimrnt. The method introduces Monte Carlo like techniques into the design of cxperimcnts.
Comment on Craven

On commente un article de John Craven (1982) dans lequel il proposait une solution au paradoxe liberal en restreignant le domaine de la regle de decision collective aux preferences individuelles
HOMOGAMY AMONG DATING, COHABITING, AND MARRIED COUPLES

The winnowing hypothesis posits that transitions from dating to cohabiting to marital unions are marked by increasing selectivity in the mate selection or matching process. In this paper, we provid...
Beta‐mapping and beta‐regression for changes of ordinal‐rating measurements on Likert scales: A comparison of the change scores among multiple treatment groups

Patient reported outcome and observer evaluative studies in clinical trials and post-hoc analyses often use instruments that measure responses on ordinal-rating or Likert scales. We propose a flexible distributional approach by modeling the change scores from the baseline to the end of the study using independent beta distributions. The two shape parameters of the fitted beta distributions are estimated by matching-moments. Covariates and the interaction terms are included in multivariate beta-regression analyses under generalized linear mixed models. These methods are illustrated on the treatment satisfaction data in an overactive bladder drug study with four treatment arms. Monte-Carlo simulations were conducted to compare the Type 1 errors and statistical powers using a beta likelihood ratio test of the proposed method against its fully nonparametric or parametric alternatives.
Frontal scale air-sea interaction in high-resolution coupled climate models

Abstract The emerging picture of frontal scale air–sea interaction derived from high-resolution satellite observations of surface winds and sea surface temperature (SST) provides a unique opportunity to test the fidelity of high-resolution coupled climate simulations. Initial analysis of the output of a suite of Community Climate System Model (CCSM) experiments indicates that characteristics of frontal scale ocean–atmosphere interaction, such as the positive correlation between SST and surface wind stress, are realistically captured only when the ocean component is eddy resolving. The strength of the coupling between SST and surface stress is weaker than observed, however, as has been found previously for numerical weather prediction models and other coupled climate models. The results are similar when the atmospheric component model grid resolution is doubled from 0.5° to 0.25°, an indication that shortcomings in the representation of subgrid scale atmospheric planetary boundary layer processes, rather t...
Anisotropy of the quasiparticle damping in the high- T c superconductors Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.9 as seen from angle-resolved photoemission experiments

Angle-resolved photoemission experiments have shown that the quasiparticle damping in the normal state of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6.9}$ is quite anisotropic while in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ it is only slightly anisotropic. However, both possess Fermi surfaces which are similar in shape. Here I show that the anisotropy of the damping can be understood within a simple picture, if one assumes a momentum-dependent interaction of the spin fluctuation exchange type and takes into account the Fermi surfaces of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ and ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6.9}$. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
INTERSECTIONS OF SELF-SIMILAR SETS

We study sets of the form T ∩ g(T), where T is self-similar and g is a bijection. Under certain assumptions, this intersection may be described using a digraph IFS.
Nonlinear response of type-II superconductors in the mixed state in slab geometry.

The nonlinear response of a type-II superconductor of finite thickness arising from vortex motion is investigated. The results of the phenomenological theory extend the complex rf magnetic permeability and conductivity to a specific regime of nonlinear response. Explicit expressions for the complex penetration depths, amplitudes, fields, and densities for the second-harmonic response with various boundary conditions are presented.
Convergence behavior of multireference perturbation theory: Forced degeneracy and optimization partitioning applied to the beryllium atom.

High-order multireference perturbation theory is applied to the $^{1}$S states of the beryllium atom using a reference (model) space composed of the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2${\mathit{s}}^{2}$〉 and the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2${\mathit{p}}^{2}$〉 configuration-state functions (CSF's), a system that is known to yield divergent expansions using Mo/ller-Plesset and Epstein-Nesbet partitioning methods. Computations of the eigenvalues are made through 40th order using forced degeneracy (FD) partitioning and the recently introduced optimization (OPT) partitioning. The former forces the 2s and 2p orbitals to be degenerate in zeroth order, while the latter chooses optimal zeroth-order energies of the (few) most important states. Our methodology employs simple models for understanding and suggesting remedies for unsuitable choices of reference spaces and partitioning methods. By examining a two-state model composed of only the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2${\mathit{p}}^{2}$〉 and |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2s3s〉 states of the beryllium atom, it is demonstrated that the full computation with 1323 CSF's can converge only if the zeroth-order energy of the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2s3s〉 Rydberg state from the orthogonal space lies below the zeroth-order energy of the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2${\mathit{p}}^{2}$〉 CSF from the reference space. Thus convergence in this case requires a zeroth-order spectral overlap between the orthogonal and reference spaces. The FD partitioning is not capable of generating this type of spectral overlap and thus yields a divergent expansion. However, the expansion is actually asymptotically convergent, with divergent behavior not displayed until the 11th order because the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2s3s〉 Rydberg state is only weakly coupled with the |1${\mathit{s}}^{2}$2${\mathit{p}}^{2}$〉 CSF and because these states are energetically well separated in zeroth order. The OPT partitioning chooses the correct zeroth-order energy ordering and thus yields a convergent expansion that is also very accurate in low orders compared to the exact solution within the basis. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Teaching Social Skills in a Virtual Environment: An Exploratory Study

This article reports on an exploratory study which examines the use of virtual environment technology as a tool to teach elementary school children social skills. Small group interventions were assessed to determine how the participants were measurably different on 7 different dependent variables: problem behaviors, academic competence, cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. The group intervention created measurable positive changes on 4 of the 7 dependent variables, including problem behaviors, cooperation, responsibility, and self-control.
Peridynamic thermal diffusion

This study presents the derivation of ordinary state-based peridynamic heat conduction equation based on the Lagrangian formalism. The peridynamic heat conduction parameters are related to those of the classical theory. An explicit time stepping scheme is adopted for numerical solution of various benchmark problems with known solutions. It paves the way for applying the peridynamic theory to other physical fields such as neutronic diffusion and electrical potential distribution.
Spanish textbooks in the US: enduring traditions and emerging trends

The importance of textbooks in the shaping of world-language instruction in the US is undeniable: for better or for worse, published materials tend to define the content, pace, and pedagogical orientation of language courses at all levels in this country. As educators continue to confront the challenge of selecting and/or adapting published materials for their language courses (particularly for Spanish, which represents 69% of the total language textbook market at the high school level, and 52% at the college level), the need for information on the origin and evolution of our teaching materials becomes apparent. Following a diachronic perspective, this article traces the historical evolution of Spanish textbooks in the US, and examines the current state of affairs of language materials for learners K-16. In addition, this article provides a comparative analysis of the leading Spanish textbooks in the United States (US) (for both the high school and college markets) and reviews the most prominent recent ti...
Cancer causes & control.

We would like to submit this brief manuscript as a letter for publication in CCC. Lowery et al. [1] sought to document the incidence of breast cancer during the year following a negative mammogram so as to "facilitate identification of high-risk women who may benefit from increased surveillance." For women as a whole and for subgroups defined by demographic and clinical characteristics, they wished to accomplish the important goal of providing "information about the true burden of breast cancer."
Municipal Mobility Manager: New Transportation Funding Stream from Carbon Trading?

This paper analyzes five different options for incorporating the transportation sector into a carbon cap-and-trade program. An upstream system at the refinery or importer level would be administratively simple but would lead to minimal reductions in transportation emissions as a result of inelastic demand for driving. In effect, emissions reductions would be "exported" to the electricity generation and industrial sectors. A downstream system at the household level would lead to similar changes in emissions but would raise major administrative and privacy issues. Greater changes in behavior might result from a vehicle manufacturer—based scheme, but there are complex administrative issues. Tailpipe standards appear to be achieving the same result. An offset system would provide financial incentives for a wider range of abatement measures, including those undertaken by local governments such as smart growth zoning, parking pricing, and transit improvements. Empirical experience with the Clean Development Mec...
Cosmological considerations regarding Uranus

The cosmogony of Uranus is discussed within the context of a picture in which solid condensed materials accumulate to form a large body, which then acquires significant amounts of gas from the primitive solar nebula. Of prime cosmogonical importance is the tilt of the equatorial plane of the planet and of the plane of the satellite orbits by 98 deg with respect to the plane of the planetary orbit. The tilt of the planet can easily occur as a result of a major collision during the formation process; it seems most likely that the tilt of the satellite orbits requires that they were formed from a gaseous disk rotating about the planet after the tilt of the planetary rotational axis had occurred. Possible methods for tilting this gaseous disk are discussed. A strong early magnetic field may have helped in this and may have played an essential role in slowing down the spin of the planet to the present observed value. These processes may have produced significant compositional differences between the satellites of Uranus and those of Jupiter and Saturn.
1H NMR studies on the CuA center of nitrous oxide reductase from Pseudomonas stutzeri.

1H NMR spectra of the CuA center of N2OR from Pseudomonas stutzeri, and a mutant enzyme that contains only CuA, were recorded in both H2O- and D2O-buffered solution at pH 7.5. Several sharp, well-r...
Amino acid sequence in the vicinity of the reactive serine residue in shrimp trypsin.

Abstract The amino acid sequence in the vicinity of the DFP-sensitive serine residue in shrimp trypsin has been determined. Homologies with the serine active centers of proteases from the pancreas of several other species were noted. The results indicate a strong tendency to conserve certain portions of the sequence around the reactive serine residue despite the fact that mammals and crustaceans diverged at least 500 million years ago.
ENTROPICALLY FAVORABLE MACROLACTAMIZATION. SYNTHESIS OF ISODITYROSINE PEPTIDE ANALOGUES BY TANDEM ERLENMEYER CONDENSATION-MACROLACTAMIZATION

Macrolactams containing a modified isodityrosine moiety were assembled by direct addition of a bis-4-aryliden-5(4H)-oxazolone, derived by double Erlenmeyer condensation of diaryl ether dicarboxaldehydes and an α,ω-diamine, derived from the same precursor. Tandem acylation of diamines with the bis-Erlenmeyer oxazolone gave macrolactams in yields of up to 30%. TECM demonstrates an entropically controlled 28-membered ring closure and allows rapid access to a variety of cyclic isodityrosine peptide analogues of the biologically active natural product bastadin-5.
Performance of carbon nanofiber-cement composites subjected to accelerated decalcification

The effect of decalcification on the chemo-mechanical behavior of carbon nanofiber (CNF)-cement composites was studied. Portland cement pastes with and without 0.2% CNFs were subjected to accelerated decalcification by exposure to ammonium nitrate solutions. The influence of microstructural alterations during decalcification on the physical and mechanical properties of the composites was examined. The presence of CNF agglomerates influenced the chemo-mechanical behavior of the composite during decalcification. Precipitation of secondary hydrates within the agglomerates during decalcification resulted in a decrease in local porosity, which strengthened the composite and slowed the loss of flexural strength.
Echocardiographic diagnosis of left anterior descending coronary artery disease

To determine the usefulness of the standard echocardiogram in the diagnosis of left anterior descending coronary artery disease proximal or distal to the first septal branch, coronary arteriograms and echocardiograms were performed in 77 patients with a chest pain syndrome. Seventy-nine percent of patients with proximal disease (15 of 19) had an abnormal septal motion measured as a posterior wall/interventricular septal (PW/IVS) excursion ratio greater than or equal to 2.5 compared with 10% of patients with distal disease (2 of 20) who had abnormal septal motion. Only 5% of patients without obstructive disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery (2 of 38) had abnormal septal motion. Proximal disease was found in 79% with abnormal septal motion in the echocardiogram (15 of 19) but in only 7% of patients with normal septal motion (4 of 58). Therefore, abnormal septal motion as measured by the PW/IVS excursion ratio in the echocardiogram is a useful index for the diagnosis of disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery when that disease is proximal to the first septal branch.