cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of Carbon Based Films in the System C‐N

Carbon based films including nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) was successfully deposited on Si (100) from methane-hydrogen-nitrogen gas microwave plasmas. Effects of nitrogen and methane concentration on the growth rate, andfilm morphology are studied. In-situ mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy of the gaseous phase was used to identify chemical reactants and products during the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). The films were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, XRD, and SEM.
Towards a New Model of Consumer Protection: The Problem of Inflated Transaction Costs

Contrary to the predictions of conventional economic theory, firms often benefit by increasing consumer transaction costs. Firms do so by, for example, obscuring contract terms in a variety of ways, such as providing them after the contract is agreed to, enclosing them with other more interesting information, using small print, and omitting important terms from the written contract, such as fees for arbitration. Firms also take advantage of predictable consumer behaviors, such as the tendency of consumers not to seek rebates, to overload when provided with too much information, and to ignore dull information when overshadowed by vivid information. Using the approach of behavioral law and economics, the article provides examples of practices that inflate consumer transaction costs, explains why firms benefit from such practices, and describes the conditions giving rise to the practices. The piece also explains why inflated transaction costs are objectionable and explores the law's response to the problem of increased transaction costs. Finally, the article argues that law-makers should adopt a norm barring the unnecessary inflation of transaction costs and describes tests that law-makers can employ to implement such a norm.
Access to Justice for Unrepresented Litigants: A Comparative Perspective

In the United States, individuals of ordinary means commonly cannot access the legal system because they (1) cannot afford to hire private counsel but (2) make too much money to qualify for assistance from legal service organizations. Attempts to solve this problem - self-help centers, unbundling of legal services and alternative dispute resolution - are generally perceived to have been only partially successful. This paper explores why the problem remains widespread in the United States and looks to other countries for possible solutions. In particular, the paper compares access to justice for individuals of ordinary means under the U.S. adversarial system with access under the civil law inquisitorial system, examining the different role of judges in the two systems and their ability, training, and inclination to handle cases involving unrepresented litigants in ways more likely to produce justice for all.
Exact solutions for interacting rules using conjunctive logic

In this paper, I derive an exact solution for the membership function of the output of a fuzzy system consisting of n Mamdani-type rules. The consequents of the rules are triangular fuzzy sets that are evenly spaced on a univariate universe of discourse. All the consequents have the same support width, /spl delta/, which determines the degree to which the consequents overlap. The derivation makes no assumptions about the rule antecedents, since the fuzzy output is expressed as a function of the degree to which each rule is satisfied. Using this function, I derive an exact solution for the defuzzified output of the system using the centroid defuzzification procedure. Finally, a numerical example involving four rules with two input variables illustrates a preliminary investigation into the effect of varying the support width of the consequent fuzzy sets.
Contextual conditioning enhances the psychostimulant and incentive properties of d‐amphetamine in humans

Learned associations between drugs and the places they are used are critical to the development of drug addiction. Contextual conditioning has long been studied in animals as an indirect measure of drug reward, but little is known about the process in humans. Here, we investigated de novo contextual conditioning with d-amphetamine in healthy humans (n = 34). Volunteers underwent four conditioning sessions conducted in two testing rooms with double-blind, alternating d-amphetamine (20 mg) and placebo administration. Before conditioning procedures began, they rated the two rooms to examine pre-existing preferences. One group (Paired, n = 19) always received d-amphetamine in their least preferred room and placebo in the other during conditioning sessions. Another group (Unpaired, n = 15) received d-amphetamine and placebo in both rooms. Subjective drug effects were monitored at repeated times. At a separate re-exposure test, preference ratings for the drug-associated room were increased among the Paired group only, and more subjects in the Paired than the Unpaired group switched their preference to their initially least preferred room. Also, ratings of d-amphetamine drug liking independently predicted room liking at test among the Paired group only. Further, Paired group subjects reported greater stimulation and drug craving after d-amphetamine on the second administration, relative to the first. This study supports preliminary findings that humans, like animals, develop a preference for a place associated with d-amphetamine that is related to its subjective effects. These findings also suggest that experiencing d-amphetamine in a consistent environment produces context-dependent changes in its subjective effects, including an enhanced rewarding efficacy and abuse potential.
Background clutter models for scene simulation

Geographic background models constitute an important component in scene simulations as they provide one component of clutter observed through IR sensors. Accurate modeling of the spatially-varying features and signatures of the background presents a significant challenge to the developer of a scene simulation; especially for tactical applications. The approach employed within the Georgia Tech Research Institute is outlined in this paper. Emphasis is placed on the methodology for creating the spatial structure of the background, the underlying signature prediction model, and the relationship between the geographic features and the signature model.
Hadron polarization in heavy-lepton decays

In the decay of the $\ensuremath{\tau}$ lepton into a spin-one meson and a neutrino, the meson state with helicity opposite its charge is forbidden by angular momentum conservation if the decay is mediated by the conventional $V\ensuremath{-}A$ current. The laboratory momentum distribution of pions in the decay chain $\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\nu}$, $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ reflects the polarization of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ meson and provides an experimental check of the nature of the decay current. This method requires the identification of the decay mode $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\nu}$ but does not depend on finding the $\ensuremath{\tau}$ laboratory direction.
Centroid tracking of range-Doppler images

This paper deals with the theory of centroid tracking of range-Doppler images created with a heterodyne-detection laser radar. A brief description of the system model is presented and the noise statistics of the image pixels are characterized. A center-of-mass centroid algorithm is used to determine the object's image location within the range-Doppler window. The effects of thresholding and frame averaging upon the performance of the centroid estimator are investigated. An analytical approach for setting the threshold is developed which is based on the criterion of making the estimator unbiased. A constant probability of detection algorithm in conjunction with an acceptable bias condition is described. Performance curves and simulation results are presented which support the theory. Center-of-mass centroid tracking performance, using simulated image data and data collected at the Firepond site in Westford, MA, is shown to be in agreement with the theoretical performance.
Recent trends in the management of combined pancreatoduodenal injuries.

In an effort to better characterize the natural history of pancreatoduodenal injuries, we present a review of clinical experiences in the treatment of combined traumatic pancreatoduodenal injuries, focusing on patients in extremis. Records of patients with abdominal trauma admitted to a level 1 trauma center from 1997 to 2001 were reviewed. Of 240 patients who sustained a pancreatic or duodenal injury, 33 had combined pancreatoduodenal injuries. Eighty-two per cent of the patients (27/33) in this series had penetrating injuries, 72 per cent (24) sustained gunshot wounds (GSW). Thirty-one patients were male, and the mean age was 33 years (range, 7-74). These patients presented with an average Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 22 ± 12 and an average Glasgow Coma Score of 14 ± 2. Overall length of stay was 39 ± 59 days (range, 0-351 days). These 33 patients underwent a total of 57 laparotomies with an average of 1.7 operations per patient (range, 1 to 5 operations). Eighty-four per cent of the patients had an associated gastrointestinal injury and 45 per cent had a major vascular injury. Thirteen of the 33 (39%) patients presented in extremis, all 13 underwent an abbreviated laparotomy. The complication rate was 36 per cent, including fistula, abscess, pancreatitis, and organ dysfunction. There were 6 hospital deaths for a mortality rate of 18 per cent. Pancreatoduodenal injuries are associated with a variety of other serious injuries, which add to the overall complexity of these patients. Abbreviated laparotomy may be helpful when managing combined pancreatoduodenal injuries in patients who are in extremis.
Application of constrained least-squares techniques to IMRT treatment planning.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this work was to apply the method of constrained least-squares to inverse treatment planning and to explore its potential for providing a fast interactive planning environment for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials: The description of the dose inside a patient is a linear matrix transformation of beamlet weights. The constrained least-squares method adds additional matrix operators and produces beamlet weights by a direct linear transformation. These matrix operators contain a priori knowledge about the radiation distribution. The constrained least-squares technique was applied to obtain IMRT plans for prostate and paraspinal cancer patients and compared with the corresponding plans optimized using the CORVUS inverse planning system. Results: It was demonstrated that a constrained least-squares technique is suitable for IMRT plan optimization with significantly increased computing speed. For the two cases we have tested, the constrained least-squares method was an order of magnitude faster than conventional iterative techniques because of the avoidance of the iterative calculations. We also found that the constrained least-squares method is capable of generating clinically acceptable treatment plans with less trial-and-error adjustments of system variables, and with improved target volume coverage as well as sensitive structure sparing in comparison with that obtained using CORVUS. Conclusions: The constrained least-squares method has the advantage that it does not require iterative calculation and thus significantly speeds up the therapeutic plan optimization process. Besides shedding important insight into the inverse planning problem, the technique has strong potential to provide a fast and interactive environment for IMRT treatment planning.
Partially decarbonylated tetrairidium clusters on MgO: structural characterization and catalysis of toluene hydrogenation

Abstract Supported [HIr 4 (CO) 11 ] − , prepared by adsorption of [Ir 4 (CO) 12 ] from n -pentane solution onto MgO powder that had been partially dehydroxylated in vacuum at 400°C, was identified by infrared and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies. The clusters were decarbonylated to various degrees by treatment in He or H 2 and characterized by infrared and EXAFS spectroscopies. When the decarbonylation was carried out in H 2 , the iridium aggregated; infrared data show that the CO ligands reacted with H 2 , resulting in the formation of water and hydrocarbons. When the decarbonylation was carried out in He, the tetrahedral cluster frame remained unchanged; the fully decarbonylated clusters, modeled as Ir 4 tetrahedra, had an Ir–Ir first-shell coordination number of 3.0±0.1 at a distance of 2.67±0.01 A. The partially decarbonylated tetrairidium clusters chemisorbed hydrogen. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) data show that the strength of bonding of hydrogen to the clusters increased with increasing cluster decarbonylation. The completely decarbonylated clusters were characterized by low chemisorption capacities (H/Ir and CO/Ir values, e.g. 0.27 and 0.39, respectively). Chemisorption and EXAFS data show that the amount of hydrogen or CO chemisorbed on Ir 4 increases with increasing size of the iridium clusters and aggregates, consistent with a support effect that is maximized for the smallest clusters, Ir 4 . Data representing the catalytic hydrogenation of toluene show that the rate depends on the amount of hydrogen on the clusters — and not just on the degree of decarbonylation — consistent with the suggestion that iridium atoms free of CO ligands are not sufficient for catalysis to proceed. Toluene adsorbed on the support is implicated in the catalysis.
A Comparison of Cottonseed Meal, Alfalfa Meal, and Hominy Feed Diets for Rearing the Cabbage Looper , ,

Cabbage loopers, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), reared on a low-agar cottonseed meal diet developed faster, yielded more larvae, produced more normal moths, and oviposited more eggs than cabbage loopers reared on an alfalfa meal diet or a low-agar hominy feed diet. Also, egg viability was significantly higher when females were reared on cottonseed meal and hominy feed diets than when they were reared on alfalfa meal diet. The lesser amounts of agar used in the cottonseed meal and hominy feed diets, the elimination of several ingredients (KOH, alphacel, choline chloride, and ethanol), and the low-cost nutritive base ingredients (cottonseed meal and hominy feed) reduce production costs compared with the alfalfa meal diet.
High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the anticancer drug oxantrazole in rat whole blood and tissues.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was developed for the antitumor anthrapyrazole analogue, oxantrazole (OX), in rat whole blood and tissues. Blood samples were mixed with equal volumes of a 25% (w/v) aqueous solution of l-ascorbic acid, whereas tissue samples were homogenized with 1.5–3 volumes of an l-ascorbic acid—methanol—water (1:10:1, w/v/v) mixture to prevent oxidative degradation of OX. Samples were then treated with 60% (v/v) perchloric acid (25–30 μl/ml of stabilized sample) to precipitate proteins, and centrifuged, with the resultant supernatants analyzed on HPLC utilizing a C8 column. The mobile phase for blood and urine samples consisted of 8% (v/v) glacial acetic acid, 13% (v/v) acetonitrile, 79% (v/v) water, 0.16% (w/v) sodium acetate, and 0.05% (w/v) l-ascorbic acid (final pH 2.7), and was pumped at 1.8 ml/min. Tissue samples were eluted at 2 ml/min with a mobile phase consisting of 8% (v/v) glacial acetic acid, 12% (v/v) acetonitrile, 80% (v/v) water, 0.16% (w/v) sodium acetate, and 0.0:5% (w/v) l-ascorbic acid. OX and internal standard were detected at 514 nm and had retention times of 2.3 and 3.1 min, respectively. The limit of quantitation of OX was 25–50 ng/g. Recovery of OX from biological samples ranged from 50 ± 0.9% in spleen to 102.8 ± 1.8% in RG-2 glioma. The analytical method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats.
The role of spatial attention during spatial encoding

In the present fMRI study, we aimed to assess whether spatial encoding is mediated by spatial attention. During encoding, participants were presented with abstract shapes to the left or right of fixation. During retrieval, old and new shapes were presented at fixation and participants classified each shape as "old-left", "old-right", or "new". Subsequently remembered items were assumed to have been attended during encoding, while subsequently forgotten items were assumed to have been unattended during encoding. Mirroring classic spatial attention contralateral extrastriate effects, contralateral subsequent memory effects were observed in extrastriate cortical regions BA18 and BA19 (e.g., encoding-left-hits>encoding-left-misses activated the right extrastriate cortex). An additional individual-trial modeling procedure revealed that 79.35% and 100% of accurately encoded items in the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere, respectively, reflected spatial processing. These results suggest that spatial encoding is largely, but not completely, mediated by spatial attention.
Segmental vasodilatory effectiveness of inhaled NO in lungs from chronically hypoxic rats

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is being used to treat pulmonary hypertension in a variety of chronic lung diseases associated with pulmonary vascular remodeling. We hypothesized that chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced vascular remodeling decreases the vasodilatory effectiveness of iNO due to a thickened diffusional barrier. We therefore examined segmental vasodilatory responses to iNO in U-46619-constricted lungs isolated from control and CH (4 weeks at 0.5 atm) rats using double occlusion technique. We further measured lung fluid flux and vascular wall thickness in lungs from each group to provide an index of vascular permeability and vascular remodeling, respectively. CH was associated with decreased venous, but not arterial, responsiveness to iNO in saline-perfused lungs. In addition, the presence of red blood cells (RBC) within the perfusate greatly reduced venodilation in both groups of lungs, indicating that venous responsiveness to iNO in saline-perfused lungs is largely dependent upon transport of NO from an upstream site. In contrast, RBC had no effect on arterial dilation in control lungs, but attenuated arterial dilation to iNO in lungs from CH rats. Finally, fluid flux and arterial wall thickness were greater in lungs from CH rats. We conclude that arterial remodeling associated with CH may limit venous dilation to iNO. Furthermore, the decreased arterial responsiveness to iNO following CH is consistent with extravasation of hemoglobin within the arterial vasculature.
Optical OFDM transmission in metro/access networks

We survey the state-of-the-art in optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) transmission with direct detection (DD), highlighting cost-effective solutions for OFDM/DD metro/long-haul systems and OFDM-based multiple access passive optical networks (OFDMA PON).
The relation of geographical variation in song to habitat characteristics and body size in north American Tanagers (Thraupinae: Piranga)

Summer Tanagers have different habitats in the southeastern and southwestern parts of the USA. One of the main vegetational features that can be used to discriminate between the two regions is tree density, which is significantly higher in the east than in the west. The songs of eastern Summer Tanagers have significantly lower maximum frequencies, somewhat lower minimum frequencies, and therefore, a narrower frequency range than western populations. Tree density is significantly negatively correlated with the songs' maximum frequency, average maximum frequency and frequency range. This finding supports predictions based on sound propagation tests, since higher frequencies are affected more in dense vegetation than in open areas. Using narrower frequency range in denser habitats allows birds to broadcast greater power per Hz bandwidth. Scarlet Tanagers live in more homogeneous habitats than Summer Tanagers, and their songs do not show relations between frequency characteristics and the tree density. Unlike the Summer Tanager, the Scarlet Tanager often sings from the canopy. Canopy cover is significantly correlated with four major song variables in this species; positively to song duration and average interval between figures, and negatively to mean maximum and minimum frequencies (as lower frequencies are less affected in denser vegetation). Scarlet Tanagers have songs with higher maximum and minimum frequencies and a wider frequency range than Summer Tanagers. Summer Tanagers have songs with purer tones than Scarlet Tanagers. The differences between the two species cannot be explained by differences in habitat characteristics in relation to sound propagation considerations. In the Summer Tanager, the differences in song frequencies between eastern and western populations do not seem to be related to differences in body size. Therefore, I suggest that the habitat, rather than body size, imposes direct selection on some song features in this species.
The Religion in Globalization

Economic globalization has always required ideological legitimation. In the first instance this legitimation was explicitly theological; today in Roman Catholic circles it continues to be. The first modern legitimations of what would become economic globalization were made on the universalist bases of the "law of nations," a derivation from "natural law" as it was conceptualized in the thirteenth century by Thomas Aquinas and interpreted by his sixteenth-century Scholastic successors, the Spanish Dominican and Jesuit jurists of the so-called School of Salamanca. The work of the Spanish jurists was both continued a century later and adapted to Protestant theological exigencies by the Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius and others. These early, theologically informed justifications of economic globalization are the bases for what has come to be known as "the law of nations" and hence our traditions of international law. Even today under conditions of the so-called secularization of international law, legitimations of globalization retain traces of reliance on natural law and, thus, of their original religious bases.
Special Section: The Problem of Psychology and the Integration of Human Knowledge: Contrasting Wilson's Consilience with the Tree of Knowledge System

The central thesis of this essay is that the problem of psychology lies at the very heart of the difficulties associated with integrating human knowledge. The startling consequence of this insight ...
Combined time domain reflectometry and AC-impedance spectroscopy of fiber-reinforced fresh-cement composites

Abstract Time domain reflectometry and conventional AC-impedance spectroscopy were combined to investigate the impedance response of fiber-reinforced fresh-cement composites over a broad frequency range (0.1 Hz to 1 GHz). With proper attention to inductive effects at high frequency, conventional AC-IS can be employed to evaluate important fiber dispersion issues (fiber orientation, segregation, and clumping) in fresh-cement matrix composites.
An Approach to Integrating Interprofessional Education in Collaborative Mental Health Care

Objective This article describes an evaluation of a curriculum approach to integrating interprofessional education (IPE) in collaborative mental health practice across the pre- to post-licensure continuum of medical education.
A note on the sufficiency of low resolution ecosystem models

Abstract Analysis of a system of non-linear differential equations illustrates the effects of interactions between biotic and abiotic components of a complex aquatic ecosystem model. A stochastic analysis shows that the variance of the abiotic variables is related in a simple manner to the autocorrelation function of the biotic variables. The results suggest that for oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions, relatively simple ecosystem models may be sufficient for studies of an aquatic environment. Under mesotrophic conditions, the high state variable resolution of a complex model may be necessary.
Can Distance Estimation Training Transfer to an Active Response

Telling individuals the distance between themselves and a target, right after they estimated that distance verbally, improves subsequent verbal estimations. Prior studies, however, have not tested whether or not such training improves the accuracy of perceptually guided actions, e.g., throwing an object to a target. We begin to do so here. Specifically, the present study compared throwing performance during Pre and Post-Testing for participants who either 1) generated verbal distance estimates during Training and received feedback, 2) produced verbal distance estimates during Training but did not receive feedback, or 3) performed an unrelated task during Training. An additional comparison examined whether any effects noted in earlier analyses stemmed from interactions between the Pre-Test and the feedback manipulation. Our results indicate that improving participants' ability to verbally estimate distances didn't improve (and possibly degraded) throwing accuracy. Accordingly, the benefits of verbal estimation training may only benefit subsequent verbal estimations. Language: en
EFFECT OF INSULIN ON D-XYLOSE UPTAKE BY THE INTACT RAT DIAPHRAGM.

SummaryIncreased D-xylose penetration of the intact rat diaphragm has been demonstrated at insulin concentrations of 50 to 500 microunits per ml, amounts that are within the range of physiological levels. Increased penetrability to D-xylose by preparations containing trypsin and chymotrypsin was observed at relatively high levels of the enzymes but not at molar concentrations equivalent to those of insulin at levels of 125 and 500 microunits per ml. The rates of penetration were approximately linear, but the day-to-day variations of this procedure were too large for a useful bioassay method.
Brain region differences in regulation of Akt and GSK3 by chronic stimulant administration in mice

Acute amphetamine administration activates glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) by reducing its inhibitory serine-phosphorylation in mouse striatum and cerebral cortex. This results from Akt inactivation and is required for certain behavioral effects of amphetamine, such as increased locomotor activity. Here we tested if regulation of Akt and GSK3 was similarly affected by longer-term administration of amphetamine, as well as of methylphenidate, since each of these is administered chronically in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Akt is activated by post-translational phosphorylation on Thr308, and modulated by Ser473 phosphorylation, whereas phosphorylation on Ser21/9 inhibits the two GSK3 isoforms, GSK3α and GSK3β. After eight days of amphetamine or methylphenidate treatment, striatal Akt and GSK3 were dephosphorylated similar to reported changes after acute amphetamine treatment. Oppositely, in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus Akt and GSK3 phosphorylation increased after eight days of amphetamine or methylphenidate treatment. These opposite brain region changes in Akt and GSK3 phosphorylation matched opposite changes in the association of Akt with β-arrestin and GSK3, which after eight days of amphetamine treatment were increased in the striatum and decreased in the cerebral cortex. Thus, whereas the acute dephosphorylating effect of stimulants on Akt and GSK3 in the striatum was maintained, the response switched in the cerebral cortex after eight days of amphetamine or methylphenidate treatment to cause increased phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3. These results demonstrate that prolonged administration of stimulants causes brain region-selective differences in the regulation of Akt and GSK3.
Regulation of Mitochondrial Antiviral Signaling (MAVS) Expression and Signaling by the Mitochondria-associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane (MAM) Protein Gp78

In a previous study, we identified the E3 ubiquitin ligase Gp78 by RNAi high-throughput screening as a gene whose depletion restricted enterovirus infection. In the current study, we show that Gp78, which localizes to the ER-mitochondria interface, is a regulator of RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) antiviral signaling. We show that depletion of Gp78 results in a robust decrease of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection and a corresponding enhancement of type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Mechanistically, we show that Gp78 modulates type I IFN induction by altering both the expression and signaling of the mitochondria-localized RLR adaptor mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS). Expression of mutants of Gp78 that abolish its E3 ubiquitin ligase and its participation in ER-associated degradation (ERAD) lost their ability to degrade MAVS, but surprisingly maintained their ability to repress RLR signaling. In contrast, Gp78 lacking its entire C terminus lost both its ability to degrade MAVS and repress RLR signaling. We show that Gp78 interacts with both the N- and C-terminal domains of MAVS via its C-terminal RING domain, and that this interaction is required to abrogate Gp78-mediated attenuation of MAVS signaling. Our data thus implicate two parallel pathways by which Gp78 regulates MAVS signaling; one pathway requires its E3 ubiquitin ligase and ERAD activity to directly degrade MAVS, whereas the other pathway occurs independently of these activities, but requires the Gp78 RING domain and occurs via a direct association between this region and MAVS.
Matrix Isolation Infrared Spectroscopic and Density Functional Study of the Mechanism of the Oxidation of CH3OH by CrCl2O2

The matrix isolation technique has been employed to isolate several intermediates, in sequence, in the oxidation of CH3OH by CrCl2O2. Consistent with previous theoretical calculations, a hydrogen-bonded complex formed initially after twin jet deposition and was enhanced by matrix annealing to 33 K. This complex was photodestroyed by Hg arc irradiation with λ < 500 nm, and led to the production of HCl and ClCrO2OCH3. These species were also produced by room temperature reaction of the two precursors in a flow system followed by rapid matrix trapping. Heating the flow reaction zone above 150 °C led to destruction of ClCrO2OCH3, and production of CH2O and HCl. Above 250 °C bands due to CH2O were destroyed and bands due to CO and CO2 grew in. High-level density functional calculations (B3LYP/6-311G*) were carried out to identify potential intermediates in this system and to provide theoretical vibrational spectra for comparison to experiment.
An active learning based classification strategy for the minority class problem: application to histopathology annotation

Background: Supervised classifiers for digital pathology can improve the ability of physicians to detect and diagnose diseases such as cancer. Generating training data for classifiers is problematic, since only domain experts (e.g. pathologists) can correctly label ground truth data. Additionally, digital pathology datasets suffer from the “minority class problem”, an issue where the number of exemplars from the non-target class outnumber target class exemplars which can bias the classifier and reduce accuracy. In this paper, we develop a training strategy combining active learning (AL) with class-balancing. AL identifies unlabeled samples that are “informative” (i.e. likely to increase classifier performance) for annotation, avoiding non-informative samples. This yields high accuracy with a smaller training set size compared with random learning (RL). Previous AL methods have not explicitly accounted for the minority class problem in biomedical images. Pre-specifying a target class ratio mitigates the problem of training bias. Finally, we develop a mathematical model to predict the number of annotations (cost) required to achieve balanced training classes. In addition to predicting training cost, the model reveals the theoretical properties of AL in the context of the minority class problem. Results: Using this class-balanced AL training strategy (CBAL), we build a classifier to distinguish cancer from non-cancer regions on digitized prostate histopathology. Our dataset consists of 12,000 image regions sampled from 100 biopsies (58 prostate cancer patients). We compare CBAL against: (1) unbalanced AL (UBAL), which uses AL but ignores class ratio; (2) class-balanced RL (CBRL), which uses RL with a specific class ratio; and (3) unbalanced RL (UBRL). The CBAL-trained classifier yields 2% greater accuracy and 3% higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) than alternatively-trained classifiers. Our cost model accurately predicts the number of annotations necessary to obtain balanced classes. The accuracy of our prediction is verified by empirically-observed costs. Finally, we find that over-sampling the minority class yields a marginal improvement in classifier accuracy but the improved performance comes at the expense of greater annotation cost. Conclusions: We have combined AL with class balancing to yield a general training strategy applicable to most supervised classification problems where the dataset is expensive to obtain and which suffers from the minority class problem. An intelligent training strategy is a critical component of supervised classification, but the integration of AL and intelligent choice of class ratios, as well as the application of a general cost model, will help researchers to plan the training process more quickly and effectively.
Subcellular distribution of rRNA and poly(A) RNA in hippocampal neurons in culture

In situ hybridization was used to assess the subcellular distribution of rRNA and poly(A) RNA in hippocampal neurons maintained in culture. Labeling produced with 35S-labeled probes to either rRNA or poly(A) was heaviest over the cell body with lighter, patchy labeling of proximal dendrites. In contrast, 3H-labeled probes labeled dendrites throughout their length, and the ratio of dendritic to cell body labeling was higher with 3H-labeled probes. There was no detectable labeling of axons of mature neurons with either probe. The pattern of hybridization produced by 35S-labeled oligonucleotide probes to rRNA varied depending on the concentration of the oligonucleotide. These studies provide the first detailed study of the subcellular distribution of rRNA and poly(A) RNA in neurons, and highlight technical issues to consider when evaluating results of hybridizations carried out with 35S- and 3H-labeled probes on cells in culture.
Active Hydrogenation Catalyst with a Structured, Peptide-Based Outer-Coordination Sphere

The synthesis, catalytic activity, and structural features of a rhodium-based hydrogenation catalyst containing a phosphine ligand coupled to a 14-residue peptide are reported. Both CD and NMR spectroscopy show that the peptide adopts a helical structure in 1:1:1 TFE/MeCN/H2O that is maintained when the peptide is attached to the ligand and when the ligand is attached to the metal complex. The metal complex hydrogenates aqueous solutions of 3-butenol to 1-butanol at 360 ± 50 turnovers/Rh/h at 294 K. This peptide-based catalyst represents a starting point for developing and characterizing a peptide-based outer-coordination sphere that can be used to introduce enzyme-like features into molecular catalysts.
The importance of the biodiversity of soil biota in arid ecosystems

The importance of soil biota in maintaining ecosytem integrity is examined by a review of studies of soil processes and soil biota in arid ecosystems. In decomposition and mineralization processes, there is a temporal succession of microarthropod and nematode species. Tydeid mites are keystone species in the early stages of decomposition. Soil pore neck size variation affects the spatial distribution of soil biota and requires that species differ in size to provide efficient processing of organic matter. In arid ecosystems, the sub-set of soil biota that is active at any point in time is determined by the soil water potential and soil temperature. The structure of soil microarthropod assemblages is similar in several arid regions of the world and abundance and diversity are directly related to quantity of litter accumulations and soil organic matter. The unique life histories and behavioural characteristics of desert soil macrofauna (termites and ants) determine the effects of these organisms on soil properties and soil formation. The soil biota, by affecting the spatial and temporal distribution of essential sesources (water and nutrients), are essential to the maintenance of the ecosystem integrity of arid ecosystems.
Risk mitigation and the social cost of carbon

Abstract The social cost of carbon – i.e., the marginal present-value cost imposed by greenhouse gas emissions – is determined by a complex interaction between factual assumptions, modeling methods, and value judgments. Among the most crucial factors is society's willingness to tolerate potentially catastrophic environmental risks. To explore this issue, the present analysis employs a stochastic climate–economy model that accounts for uncertainties in baseline economic growth, baseline emissions, greenhouse gas mitigation costs, carbon cycling, climate sensitivity, and climate change damages. In this model, preferences are specified to reflect the high degree of risk aversion revealed by private investment decisions, signaled by the large observed gap between the average rates of return paid by safe and risky financial instruments. In contrast, most climate–economy models assume much lower risk aversion. Given high risk aversion, the analysis finds that investment in climate stabilization yields especially large net benefits by forestalling low-probability threats to long-run human well-being. Accordingly, the social cost of carbon attains the markedly high value of $25,700 per metric ton of carbon dioxide in a baseline scenario in which emissions are unregulated. This value falls to just $4 per ton as the stringency of control measures is successively increased. These results cast doubt on the idea that the social cost of carbon takes on a uniquely defined, objective value that is independent of policy decisions. This does not, however, rule out the use of carbon prices to achieve the benefits of climate stabilization using least-cost mitigation measures.
The Exegesis of Jeremiah in and beyond Ezra 9-10

It is generally recognized that the prohibition against marriage with “foreign” women in Ezra 9-10 reflects a view among the repatriated gola community in Persian Yehud that non-repatriated Jewish groups should be viewed as ethnic outsiders; the chapters draw from Pentateuchal legal traditions (especially Deuteronomy) to justify this position. Several scholars have noted that this partisan/sectarian ideology has roots in the Ezekiel tradition, which informs much of Ezra 7-Nehemiah 13. Nevertheless, a direct antecedent for identifying the homeland women as “foreign” may be found in the book of Jeremiah, which served as the hermeneutical key for the exegetical goals of Ezra 9-10. This connection was recognized by the later Aaronide authors of Ezra 1-6, who amplified and redirected the implications of this relationship by inaugurating their addition to the corpus with a reference to Jeremiah’s oracles. By so doing, they extended Aaronide hegemony over Ezra 7-Nehemiah 13, incorporating it and its exegetical engagement of prophetic material into their own priestly-scribal curriculum.
The infrared vibrational spectra of the two major C84 isomers

Abstract The geometries, relative energies, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and infrared intensities of the two most prevalent [84] fullerene isomers are studied using density functional theory (B3LYP) and basis sets as large as 6-31G ∗ . The D2 and D2d–C84 isomers are found to be essentially isoenergetic. The computed infrared spectra are very sensitive to the basis set, and good agreement with the available experimental data is only obtained if the basis set includes polarization functions.
Effect of energetic electron irradiation upon charged-particle track registration in polycarbonate films

Abstract Samples of Lexan polycarbonate were exposed to 2-MeV eelctrons for short periods of time. The samples were also exposed to a 252Cf source of fission fragments, and were subsequently etched to develop the fission-fragment tracks. The electron irradiation caused a marked change in the bulk etching rate of the plastic. The experiments leading to this conclusion, and the consequences of the effect are discussed in this paper.
Inactive publics: the forgotten publics in public relations∗

Abstract By focusing on activism and its consequences, recent public relations theory has largely ignored inactive publics, that is, stakeholder groups that demonstrate low levels of knowledge and involvement in the organization or its products, services, candidates, or causes, but are important to an organization. This article examines the nature of inactive publics and proposes a model that locates inactive publics among five categories of publics along the dimensions of knowledge and involvement. The model provides a theoretically rich alternative for how public relations practitioners might conceptualize publics, a central concept in public relations theory and practice. Kirk Hallahan is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication at Colorado State University.
Patent Incentives, Technology Markets, and Public–Private Bio-Medical Innovation Networks in Brazil

Summary Contested is whether patent laws promote indigenous technology invention and innovation in developing countries. Brazil reformed its patent laws in 1996 to permit pharmaceutical product patents. Study of five post-patent law reform bio-medical technology invention and innovation projects in the state of Sao Paulo supports the propositions that patents provide incentives to Brazilian bio-medical technology entrepreneurs to make risky investments into innovation and that patents facilitate technology markets among public–private technology innovation networks, both Brazilian collaborations and North–South collaborations. Brazil enacted a technology law in 2005 that encourages public–private technology innovation through patent incentives and patent-facilitated technology markets.
Quantitative analysis of visna virus replication in Vivo

Visna virus is the prototype of the lentivirus subfamily, a group of nontransforming retroviruses that cause slow infections in sheep and goats. In nature, virus is acquired primarily by the respiratory route and subsequently spreads to several organ systems. These viruses persist for years in their hosts despite a vigorous immune response because of a block in virus gene expression. This report continues the analysis of persistence in vivo, and specifically examines a gene dosage hypothesis that has been advanced as an explanation for the decrease in transcription and virus production in the cells in infected animals. For this analysis a new pulmonary model has been developed that, in conjunction with quantitative in situ hybridization, provides an opportunity to examine in animals the molecular events that occur in the course of the viral life cycle. We establish the feasibility of such a longitudinal analysis in vivo, document restriction in gene expression in alveolar macrophages and provide evidence that this restriction cannot be accounted for simply by gene dosage. The approach illustrated with visna should be of general applicability to other dynamic and molecular investigations of virus infection.
Assessment of intraoperative safety in transoral robotic surgery.

Introduction: Robotic technology has been safely integrated into thoracic and abdominopelvic surgery, and the early experience has been very promising with very rare complications related to robotic device failure. Recently, several reports have documented the technical feasibility of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) with the daVinci Surgical System. Proposed pharyngeal and laryngeal applications include radical tonsillectomy, base-of-tongue resection, supraglottic laryngectomy, and phonomicrosurgery. The safety of transoral placement of the robotic endoscope and instruments has not been established. Potential risks specific to the transoral use of the surgical robot include facial skin laceration, tooth injury, mucosal laceration, mandible fracture, cervical spine fracture, and ocular injury. We hypothesize that these particular risks of transoral surgery are similar with robotic assistance compared with conventional transoral surgery. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we attempted to intentionally injure a human cadaver with the daVinci Surgical System by impaling the facial skin and pharyngeal and laryngeal mucosa with the robotic instruments and endoscope. We also attempted to extract or fracture teeth and fracture the cadaver's mandible and cervical spine by applying maximal pressure and torque with the robotic arms. Experiments were documented with still and video photography. Results: Impaling the cadaver's skin and mucosa resulted in only superficial lacerations. Tooth, mandible, and cervical spine fracture could not be achieved. Conclusions: Initial experiments performing TORS on a human cadaver with the daVinci Surgical System demonstrate a safety profile similar to conventional transoral surgery. Additionally, we discuss several strategies to increase patient safety in TORS.
Considering multiscale scenes to elucidate problems encumbering three-dimensional intellection and navigation

Virtual three-dimensional (3-D) environments have become pervasive tools in a number of professional and recreational tasks. However, interacting with these environments can be challenging for users, especially as these environments increase in complexity and scale. In this paper, we argue that the design of 3-D interaction techniques is an ill-defined problem. This claim is elucidated through the context of data-rich and geometrically complex multiscale virtual 3-D environments, where unexpected factors can encumber intellection and navigation. We develop an abstract model to guide our discussion, which illustrates the cyclic relationship of understanding and navigating; a relationship that supports the iterative refinement of a consistent mental representation of the virtual environment. Finally, we highlight strategies to support the design of interactions in multiscale virtual environments, and propose general categories of research focus.
Preparing MSW Students for Integrative Mind–Body-Spirit Practice

Knowledge of new developments in social work education supports clinical practitioners’ professional development and their supervision of students and early career social workers. Integrative mind–body-spirit (IMBS) practice is a holistic paradigm that is emerging in social work education and the profession. IMBS modalities have a growing evidence base and are congruent with the healing practices of many cultures, thereby supporting culturally competent practice. This article explores the development, implementation, and outcomes of an elective MSW course designed to critically examine the IMBS and biomedical paradigms and introduce students to IMBS practice. Two sections of this course were piloted (n = 35) and pre- and post-assessments administered. Findings suggest that experienced clinicians can support the professional development of novice practitioners by encouraging ongoing exploration and critical assessment of the IMBS and biomedical paradigms and incorporation of evidence-based mind–body-spirit practices in their clinical work and self-care.