cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Output allocative and technical efficiency of banks

Abstract In this paper we calculate output allocative and technical efficiency for a sample of small banks operating in 1982. We do so by estimating a Shephard type output distance function as a deterministic frontier. In general we find that the banks in our sample are output inefficient.
Measurement variables for optimal performance of the ST integral.

Abstract Objectives. This study examined the effect of varied onset and offset of ST measurement on performance of the ST integral for the detection of coronary artery disease. Background. The J point and other early ST segment measurements may significantly reduce the accuracy of ST segment depression criteria. Methods. The exercise electrocardiograms (ECGs) from 112 normal subjects and 163 patients with known or likely coronary disease were analyzed, using the J point or 20 ms after the J point onset and 60 or 80 ms after the J point offset of ST integral calculation. Results. At a matched specificity of 97%, incorporation of J point measurements into the ST integral significantly reduced test performance. The ST integrals measured from the J point to 80 and to 60 ms after the J point were significantly less sensitive (31% and 25%, respectively) than those measured from 20 to 80 ms and 20 to 60 ms after the J point (39% and 31%, p Conclusions. These findings demonstrate that J point and early repolarization phase time-voltage measurements reduce performance of the ST integral for the identification of coronary artery disease and provide further evidence that optimal signal to noise content of repolarization for the identification of ischemia can be localized to later phases of the ST segment.
National character in corporate philosophies: How different is Japan?

Abstract In this article Catherine Langlois describes and contrasts the special characteristics of Japanese corporate statements with the dominant qualities of comparable Western statements. Japanese corporate philosophies are found to be abstract, emotionally charged and inward looking. They emphasise and reinforce the importance of mood and climate within the corporation. By contrast, Western corporate philosophies are made up of specific statements that appeal to rational thought, and are designed to reach out to members of the community and potential employees.
Microphysiometry to Evaluate Real-Time Response of Mammary Epithelial Cells to IGF-I

The Cytosensor Microphysiometer, a biosensor developed by Molecular Devices, was used to assay rapid binding activity of IGF-I for bovine mammary epithelial cell lines. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a potent mitogen for mammary epithelial cells and has been implicated in breast cancer cell proliferation, a leading cause of cancer death of women in the U.S. today. IGF-I acts by binding to cell surface receptors. We are interested in how autocrine secretion might alter the activity and regulation of IGF-I. Real-time changes in excretion of protons, which we assert results from IGF-I binding, are detected by the Cytosensor® Microphysiometer and can be correlated with cellular activity. We present IGF-I dose-dependent responses as well as correlated binding data to detect cell surface receptor concentration and thymidine incorporation results to determine cell proliferation following IGF-I stimulation. We examine the effect of insulin-like binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) both in the presence and absence of IGF-I. We believe comparison of autocrine and paracrine environments for IGF-I stimulation, and the components contributing to the binding of IGF-I to the cell membrane receptor may provide pertinent information for the development of intervention schemes to slow or interrupt IGF-I binding to tumor cells and therefore cancer growth.
Factors affecting conditions of trust in participant recruiting and retention: a position paper

This paper contemplates some of the challenges faced in recruiting and developing a community of contributors (participants/subjects) for a living laboratory for IR evaluation. We briefly review several factors that may affect the efficacy of participant recruiting. The potential benefits of collaboration with respect to recruiting are also discussed briefly.
Comparative analyses of observations of lunar transient phenomena

From the author's collection of more than 900 reports of lunar transient phenomena (LTP) covering the period 1540-1970, 771 positive plus 112 negative observations (several times more than any previously published analyses) with sufficient ancillary data were analyzed for five hypotheses of causes. Treated as two groups they were divided into four categories (gaseous, reddish, bluish, and brightenings) and were analyzed separately and combined with respect to the hypotheses. The five hypotheses involved effects of tides, sunrise, low-angle illumination, earth's magnetic tail, and solar particles.
Effects of ammonium sulfate aerosols on vegetation—II. Mode of entry and responses of vegetation

Abstract These experiments were designed to provide information on the rates of aerosol deposition, mode of entry, and effects of deposition of submicrometer ammonium sulfate aerosols on foliage of Phaseolus vulgaris L. A deposition velocity of 3.2 × 10 3 cm s −1 was constant during 3-week exposures of plants to aerosol concentrations of 26mg m −3 (i.e. about two orders of magnitude above ambient episode concentrations). Mean deposition rate on foliage was 4.1 × 10 −11 μg cm −2 s −1 . Visible injury symptoms included leaf chlorosis, necrosis and loss of turgor. Chlorosis was most frequent near leaf margins causing epinasty and near major veins. Internal injury occurred initially in spongy mesophyll cells. Eventually abaxial epidermal and palisade parenchyma cells were injured. These results suggest that submicrometer aerosols enter abaxial stomata and affect more internal cells before affecting leaf surface cells. Exposure to aerosols decreased both abaxial and adaxial leaf resistances markedly. Although visible injury to foliage occurred, no changes in dry mass of roots and shoots or leaf area occurred. These results suggest that for the plant developmental stage studied, while leaf resistances decreased and cellular injury occurred in foliage, these factors were not significantly related to plant growth and development.
Defining and improving postoperative care

Although much is known regarding the importance of postoperative care, the surveillance of patients after 30 days from the surgical procedure can be improved. It must be recognized that mortality between 30 and 90 days exceeds what is commonly considered "operative mortality"—death within 30 days of surgery. Significant effort should be dedicated to the design of predictive models to prevent readmission. More importantly, surgeons must develop better models to manage the complications that arise after readmission to prevent mortality in readmitted patients. Finally, current guidelines for oncologic surveillance are an area of controversy, and future studies are needed for better direction of resources.
A treatment of program for chronic childhood sinobronchitis

Summary In the evolution of a program for treatment of chronic sinobronchial infection, preliminary studies of fifty-four pediatric patients disclosed a most satisfactory clinical response to parenteral and intranasal penicillin when administered in conjunction with Paredrine-penicillin nose drops and antihistaminic medication.
The development and evolution of Reclaiming Futures at the ten-year mark: Reflections and recommendations

Abstract Reclaiming Futures has been a successful national demonstration project, initially funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which seeks to improve a system-wide response to young people in the juvenile justice system with substance abuse issues. The initiative is a multiyear effort that has included complex simultaneous community and cross-system planned change efforts. The intention of the initiative is to develop, test, and disseminate a response to unmet needs and to extensive gaps and fragmentation in the availability and quality of services and opportunities that would have a positive impact not only on the lives of individual youth, but on community capacity to engage and encourage youth success as well. This article summarizes the developmental trajectory of the initiative, with a focus on elements of the planned change process. How change efforts were conceptualized, sequenced, executed, and evaluated are discussed and their implications explored. Now adopted in 29 communities around the nation, this article describes two federal and state dissemination efforts as examples of its continued expansion.
Thermal stability in a rotating spherical fluid shell with non-uniform heating

The theory is developed for the convective stability of a rotating spherical shell of fluid upon which is initially imposed a stable thermally induced shear flow. The fluid shell contains heating sources which are distributed proportional to the sine of the polar angle squared. Thus the analysis has a number of similarities to some geophysical flow situations. It is found that the properties of the solution are strongly dependent on the initial conditions. Thus to obtain further insight concerning the stability of the system numerical solutions are obtained at two shell thicknesses. The critical values of the Taylor number ($T$) and the Rayleigh number ($C$) are generally similar to those found in previous studies of rotating fluid shells. However the effect of the initial shear flow is to reduce the critical value of $C$ for a given $T$, below that found for uniform heating and an initially quiescent state. The flows obtained at the onset of instability are toroidal cells which vary in number dependent on $T$ and $C$. A maximum of six cells are found at large values of $T$. A significant effect of the initial shear flow is the occurrence of a rapid change in stability when the number of toroidal cells changes.
An improved method for the preparation of desoxopeffides—reductions of endothiopeptides☆

Abstract Three new procedures for the synthesis of desoxopeptides from endothiopeptides are reported: 1) Raney nickel desulfurizafion, 2) alkylation with triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate followed by sodium borohydride reduction, and 3) nickel boride reduction. Of these three, reduction with nickel boride was found to be superior due to high yields, reproducibility and convenience.
NON-INVASIVE METHODS TO ASSESS CO-OCCURRENCE OF MAMMALIAN CARNIVORES

Abstract During 2003–2005, I surveyed 82 sites on the North and South rims of Grand Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona, to test effectiveness of four non-invasive techniques for detecting carnivores and to assess patterns of co-occurrence among pairs of species. Techniques were not equally effective for detecting carnivores. Searches of transects for feces, tracks, and other evidence yielded the greatest number of detections; remotely triggered cameras and track plates had the greatest probabilities of detecting common species and also produced detections of smaller and rarer carnivores; and hair traps generally were ineffective. Even after accounting for variation in probabilities of use of habitats by species due to characteristics of sites, two pairs of carnivores had limited co-occurrence. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) did not co-occur at sites on the North Rim, and coyotes and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) co-occurred less than one-half as frequently as expected in the South Rim.
Disintegration of Sputtered Deposits

When an edge or slit is interposed between a cathode and a receiver the sputtered deposit shows an anomalous distribution. The pattern obtained is shown to be due to disintegration of the deposit by neutralized positive ions of the sputtering gas reflected from the cathode. It is concluded that the sputtered particles have either a low velocity or consist of atomic clusters. It is also shown that electrons having an energy corresponding to more than 2000 volts cause a disintegration similar to that caused by positive ions.
Mass discrimination in matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry: A study using cross‐linked oligomeric complexes

The determination of the mass discrimination effect of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) over a wide m/z range was made by determining the relative amounts of prepurified protein monomer and dimer species present in reconstituted mixtures. Protein complexes were covalently cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and monomeric and dimeric species were separated by gel filtration chromatography. Individual protein species were recombined in specific ratios and analyzed by both MALDI MS and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The contributions of the peak areas of the doubly charged ions and singlycharged dimeric ions generated during the MALDI MS analyses relative to that of the singly-charged [M + H]+ species were measured. The calculation of mass discrimination for two different MALDI time-of-flight instruments showed the loss of a factor of ∼2.6 in relative peak area as the m/z value doubled over the m/z range 30 000–145 000. An overall correction factor for mass discrimination is given which includes effects associated with sample preparation, sample desorption/ion formation, ion transmission and ion detection.
Mutagenic Effect of Thermal Neutrons on Wet and Dry Tomato Seed

SEEDS of two different lots (line 208 and line 215) of the same autodiploid L. pimpinellifolium were exposed to thermal neutrons in the reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory in February 1955. Part of the seed was exposed dry (about 8 per cent moisture) and another part exposed wet (soaked 24 hr. at 25° C. and then sealed in plastic bags at 3° C. for irradiation). Wet seeds were saturated with water and, except for the 24-hr. soaking period and the period of irradiation exposure, were kept at 3° C. until dry again.
Transient magnetic field signatures at high latitudes

We survey GOES 2/5/6 geosynchronous and Huancayo, Peru, ground magnetometer observations at the times of 70 transient (2-10 min) events recorded at South Pole Station, Antarctica. The simultaneous observations indicate that most South Pole events correspond to sudden sharp variations in the equatorial magnetospheric and low-latitude ground magnetic field. The exceptions occur when the South Pole events have weak amplitudes and/or Huancayo and GOES 2/5/6 are far from local noon. The corresponding features observed at GOES 5 and GOES 6 are generally similar, with a lag indicating antisunward motion. A similar antisunward motion may be inferred from the ground observations themselves. On a case-by-case and statistical basis, the characteristics of the events observed in South Pole ground magnetograms resemble those previously interpreted as sudden impulse and sudden storm commencement signatures at other high-latitude stations. These observations suggest that the transient events at South Pole form part of the magnetospheric and ionospheric response to a sudden change in the fraction of the solar wind dynamic pressure applied to the magnetosphere.
The clinical course of transplantation-associated de novo hepatitis B infection in the liver transplant recipient.

Transmission of hepatitis B infection from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative antibody to hepatitis B core (anti-HBc)-positive liver donors has been previously described. The long-term outcome of these transplant-associated de novo hepatitis B patients has not been well described and may affect future use of donor organs that are anti-HBc-positive. We describe the experience in our first 332 transplants, performed before exclusion of anti-HBc-positive liver donors. Nine of these 332 (3%) donors were anti-HBc positive. Three of these 9 (33%) recipients developed transplant-associated de novo hepatitis B infections compared with only 2 of 323 (0.5%) recipients who received anti-HBc-negative donor livers (P = .00014). Of our 9 recipients of anti-HBc-positive livers, 6 (67%) are alive, and no deaths or allograft failures have been related to complications of hepatitis B. Only 1 of 5 patients (20%) with de novo hepatitis B has developed significant graft dysfunction with an average follow-up of more than 7 years (range 63-124 months). The 1 recipient with allograft dysfunction related to de novo hepatitis B has significantly elevated viremia levels (average HBV DNA 460 pg/mL) compared with the other de novo hepatitis B recipients (average HBV DNA 23-58 pg/mL). In summary, anti-HBc-positive donors are more likely to transmit hepatitis B infections to recipients, but these de novo infections usually have a mild clinical course and do not seem to adversely affect long-term patient survival. Hepatitis B-related allograft dysfunction, when it occurs, is associated with higher levels of viral replication. With our current donor shortage, perhaps anti-HBc-positive donors could be used in very selected recipient populations.
A radio-frequency nondestructive readout for magnetic-core memories

It is possible to read information nondestructively from two- and three-dimensional magnetic-core digital computer memories in several microseconds by exciting selected cores with rf currents. If two co-ordinate lines of a core in a memory array plane are driven at slightly different frequencies, a beat-frequency signal is generated whose phase may take on one of two values which are separated by 180 electrical degrees. These two possible phases correspond to the 0 and 1 information states of the core. The beat-frequency signal, separated from the inevitable noises by tuned linear filters, may be phase detected to yield the desired information.
Robust shape prior modeling based on Gaussian-Bernoulli restricted Boltzmann Machine

Shape information is essential in medical image analysis as the anatomical structures usually have strong shape characteristics. Shape priors can resolve ambiguities when the low level appearance is weak or misleading due to imaging artifacts and diseases. In this paper, we propose a shape prior model based on the Gaussian-Bernoulli Restricted Boltzmann Machine (GB-RBM). This powerful generative model is effective in capturing complex shape variations and handling nonlinear shape transformations. The model also shows great robustness, which is able to handle both outliers and Gaussian noise with large variance. We validate our model on synthetic data and a real clinical problem, i.e., lung segmentation in chest X-ray. Experiments show that our shape modeling method is qualitatively and quantitatively better than other widely-used shape prior methods.
miR-125b promotes growth of prostate cancer xenograft tumor through targeting pro-apoptotic genes.

BACKGROUND Increasing evidence demonstrates that aberrantly regulated microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to the initiation and progression of human cancer. We previously have demonstrated that miR-125b stimulated the growth of prostate cancer (CaP) cells. In this study, we further determined the influence of miR-125b on the pathogenesis of CaP. METHODS To evaluate the effect of miR-125b on xenograft tumor growth, male athymic mice were subcutaneously injected with PC-346C-miR-125b cells that stably overexpressed miR-125b. Potential direct target transcripts of miR-125b were identified using a bioinformatics approach and three miR-125b targeted molecules were confirmed by means of biochemical analyses. RESULTS Enforced expression of miR-125b promoted tumor growth in both intact and castrated male nude mice. In an effort to define the molecular mechanism(s) mediating its tumor growth properties, we found that miR-125b directly targets eight transcripts, including three key pro-apoptotic genes: p53, Puma, and Bak1. Increasing the abundance of miR-125b resulted in a dramatic decrease in the levels of these three proteins in CaP cells. A direct repressive effect on each of these was supported by the ability of miR-125b to significantly reduce the activity of luciferase reporters containing their 3′-untranslated regions of each gene encompassing the miR-125b-binding sites. Additionally, we found that repression of miR-125b activity was able to sensitize CaP cells to different therapeutic interventions. CONCLUSION Data obtained in this study demonstrate that miR-125b promotes growth of prostatic xenograft tumors by down-regulating three key pro-apoptotic genes. This suggests that miR-125b is oncogenic and makes it an attractive therapeutic target in CaP. Prostate 77:538–549, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Polarization evolution in spun fibers

Fiber spinning has been widely used in reducing polarization mode dispersion of optical transmission fibers in the past decade. It also affects the polarization evolution in fibers, which has measurable effects. This paper reviews and reports the progress in understanding the properties of polarization evolution in spun fibers in both of the cases with and without the influence of external factors. Theoretical formalism is constructed and various properties of the polarization evolution are revealed through numerical modeling. Some aspects of the features have been experimentally explored.
Boundedness in infinite delay systems

Abstract We consider a system of functional differential equations with infinite delay and derive conditions on Liapunov functionals to ensure that solutions are uniformly bounded and uniformly ultimately bounded. The analysis is based on Jensen's inequality. Examples of Volterra integrodifferential equations are given.
The selection of optimal tab settings

A new generation of computer terminals allows tab settings to be selected and set by the computer. This feature can be used to reduce the number of characters that are needed to represent a document for transmission and printing. In this note, an algorithm is given for selecting the optimal set of tab stops for minimizing the number of characters transmitted. An implementation of the algorithm has reduced the number of characters transmitted by from 7 to 30 percent, but requires a prepass through the document to compute a matrix used in determining the optimal set of tab stops. The use of fixed tab stops, as a heuristic alternative, can achieve about 80 percent of optimal with no prepass.
Improved performance design of gallium arsenide solar cells for space

Two gallium arsenide solar cell configurations have evolved over the last decade-the heteroface solar cell [1] which uses a (GaAl) As surface passivating layer over a p-n solar cell; and a n+-p-p+shallow homojunction solar cell [2]. Energy conversion efficiencies of 18.8 percent have been reported with the heteroface structure [1]. In this paper, we report an improved design, shallow junction heteroface, n-p, gallium arsenide solar cell for space applications, with a predicted AMO efficiency in the range of 22.7 to 23.9 percent. The analysis was based on the technique of loss minimization [3]. A similar analysis for p-n heteroface solar cells leads to a projected AMO efficiency in the 21.9 to 23.0 percent range. The optimized n-p structure, while slightly more efficient, has the added advantage of being less susceptible to radiation-induced degradation by virtue of its thin top junction layer [4]. Detailed spectral response curves and an analysis of the loss mechanisms are reported. The details of the design are readily measurable. The optimized designs were reached by quantifying the dominant loss mechanisms and then minimizing them using computer simulations. This methodology is also reported.
The oxygen consumption rates of three gastrotrichs

Abstract 1. 1. The oxygen consumption rates for three sympatric species of marine gastrotrichs (anatomically similar, except that one contains hemoglobin) were measured with a Cartesian diver microrespirometer. 2. 2. The rates for the two species without hemoglobin, Turbanella ocellata and Dolichodasys carolinensis , were 307.2 μl O 2 g −1 hr −1 and 108.0 μl O 2 g −1 hr −1 , respectively, while the rate for the hemoglobin-containing species, Neodasys , was 208.9 μl O 2 g −1 hr −1 . 3. 3. The possession of hemoglobin by Neodasys (14% by volume) cannot be explained by an unusually high demand for oxygen. 4. 4. Instead, the hemoglobin may be useful as an oxygen store providing continued aerobic metabolism in anoxic conditions, thus allowing Neodasys to exploit a different niche.
Hepatic myc protooncogene expression is reduced and possibly correlated with body temperature in fasted Peromyscus leucopus mice

To examine the effect of fasting on c-myc protooncogene expression, the level of c-myc mRNA was determined at 6 circadian stages (4 hr intervals for 24 hr) in the livers of Peromyscus leucopus mice. After 3 days of fasting a reduced level of c-myc expression was observed compared with ad libitum fed controls (24-hr mean relative expression values = 0.73 and 1.16, respectively, p<.001). Core body temperature, which was continuously monitored using a thermister/transmitter system, showed a significantly lower mean value in the fasted animals (33.1°C vs 36.4°C after 3 days, p<.001). In addition, for both ad libitum fed and fasted mice, expression of c-myc and temperature showed significantly different values at various circadian stages indicating that both parameters exhibited biological rhythms. These findings are qualitatively similar to our previous results with long-term dietary restricted animals (60% of ad libitum for over 100 weeks), indicating that manipulation of the dietary regimen can affect the level of protooncogene expression. Furthermore, the results showed a high degree of correlation between c-myc expression and core body temperature in fasted animals in a manner which suggests that alterations in body temperature precede and may signal subsequent changes in c-myc expression.
Regge behavior of gluon scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM theory

It is shown that the four-gluon scattering amplitude for N=4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory in the planar limit can be written, in both the weak- and strong-coupling limits, as a reggeized amplitude, with a parent trajectory and an infinite number of daughter trajectories. This result is not evident a priori, and relies crucially on the fact that the leading IR-divergence and the finite log2(s/t)-dependent piece of the amplitude are characterized by the same function for all values of the coupling, as conjectured by Bern, Dixon, and Smirnov, and proved by Alday and Maldacena in the strong-coupling limit. We use the Alday–Maldacena result to determine the exact strong-coupling Regge trajectory.
Role of surface chemistry in particle deposition

Abstract The mechanism by which a solid surface acquires its charge in an electrolyte solution was found to affect calculated rates of particle deposition almost as dramatically as the charge itself. This is due to the mechanism's effect on changes in surface charge density, which occur as the surface approaches another charged surface. One class of mechanisms, based on the dissociation of acidic and basic surface groups, was considered. The changes in the surface charge density occurring in this case can affect the rate of deposition by several orders of magnitude relative to the rates for approaches at constant charge.
The interpretation of inductive probabilities

An apparent inconsistency in the inductive logic interpretation of probabilities is examined and resolved.
Rationale for Control of Anthropogenic Nitrogen and Phosphorus to Reduce Eutrophication of Inland Waters

Concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen in surface waters are being regulated in the United States and European Union. Human activity has raised the concentrations of these nutrients, leading to eutrophication of inland waters, which causes nuisance growth of algae and other aquatic plants. Control of phosphorus often has had the highest priority because of its presumed leading role in limiting development of aquatic plant biomass. Experimental evidence shows, however, that nitrogen is equally likely to limit growth of algae and aquatic plants in inland waters, and that additions of both nutrients cause substantially more algal growth than either added alone. A dual control strategy for N and P will reduce transport of anthropogenic nitrogen through drainage networks to aquatic ecosystems that may be nitrogen limited. Control of total phosphorus in effluents is feasible and is increasingly being required by regulations. The control strategy for nitrogen in effluents is more difficult, but could be made ...
Current and projected abundance of potential nest sites for cavity‐nesting ducks in hardwoods of the north central United States

Clearing of hardwood forests was widespread in the north central region of the United States at the turn of the 20th century, but largely subsided by the 1920s. Hardwood trees in the region have since regenerated and matured into sizes capable of producing nest cavities suitable for cavity-nesting ducks. We estimated regional nest-site abundance for cavity-nesting ducks during 2008, 2018, and 2028 from cavity density and tree-abundance estimates obtained at 4 hardwood forest sites in conjunction with Forest Inventory and Analysis data and tree-growth modeling software from the United States Forest Service (Forest Vegetation Simulator). Land cover data were used to determine area of hardwood forests � 0.5 km, 0.5-1 km, 1-1.5 km, 1.5-2 km, and >2 km from wetlands and open water available to cavity-nesting ducks. We estimated 13.2 million, 17.0 million, 19.0 million, and 20.1 million potential duck nest cavities available � 0.5 km, � 1 km, � 1.5 km, and � 2 km of water, respectively, in the region and predicted nest cavity abundance will increase 41% from 2008 to 2028. Hardwood forests in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin currently have the highest abundances of potential nest sites, but cavity-bearing forests in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin were more commonly proximate to wetlands and open water. Because current and future estimates indicate sufficient nest sites to support growing cavity- nesting duck populations in the north central United States, we recommend regional management efforts focus on protecting, restoring, and maintaining quality wetlands in proximity to hardwood forests. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Taking the power out of empowerment – an experiential account

This article traces the centuries-long evolution of the concept and practice of empowerment, its adoption by radical social movements, especially women's movements from the 1970s onwards, and its conversion, by the late 1990s, into a buzzword. Situating the analysis in the context of women's empowerment interventions in India, the article describes the dynamic of the depoliticisation and subversion of a process that challenged the deepest structures of social power. The ‘downsizing’ and constriction of the concept within state policy, the de-funding of genuine empowerment strategies on the ground, and the substitution of microfinance and political quotas for empowerment are examined and analysed.
Ecological Adaptation in Bacteria: Speciation Driven By Codon Selection

In bacteria, physiological change may be effected by a single gene acquisition, producing ecological differentiation without genetic isolation. Natural selection acting on such differences can reduce the frequency of genotypes that arise from recombination at these loci. However, gene acquisition can only account for recombination interference in the fraction of the genome that is tightly linked to the integration site. To identify additional loci that contribute to adaptive differences, we examined orthologous genes in species of Enterobacteriaceae to identify significant differences in the degree of codon selection. Significance was assessed using the Adaptive Codon Enrichment metric, which accounts for the variation in codon usage bias that is expected to arise from mutation and drift; large differences in codon usage bias were identified in more genes than would be expected to arise from stochastic processes alone. Genes in the same operon showed parallel differences in codon usage bias, suggesting that changes in the overall levels of gene expression led to changes in the degree of adaptive codon usage. Most significant differences between orthologous operons were found among those involved with specific environmental adaptations, whereas "housekeeping" genes rarely showed significant changes. When considered together, the loci experiencing significant changes in codon selection outnumber potentially adaptive gene acquisition events. The identity of genes under strong codon selection seems to be influenced by the habitat from which the bacteria were isolated. We propose a two-stage model for how adaptation to different selective regimes can drive bacterial speciation. Initially, gene acquisitions catalyze rapid ecological differentiation, which modifies the utilization of genes, thereby changing the strength of codon selection on them. Alleles develop fitness variation by substitution, producing recombination interference at these loci in addition to those flanking acquired genes, allowing sequences to diverge across the entire genome and establishing genetic isolation (i.e., protection from frequent homologous recombination).
MODIFICATION OF THE LOWRY METHOD FOR ANALYSIS OF SOLUBLE LATEX PROTEINS

Proteins from natura lrubber latex (NRL) can cause local and systemic reactions in people who are allergic to it. Reducing the total protein in NRL products to minimize the allergenic potential requires methods of accurately estimating the amount of protein. Previous work in this laboratory and others has indicated that, of the colorimetric assays, a modified Lowry method performs best. The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) has adopted the modified Lowry method for analysis of soluble NRL proteins.This method, although the best currently available, lacks sufficient reproducibility and sensitivity. In anattempt to improve the method, we address in this article the importance of various extraction conditions and additional approaches to eliminate interfering substances that may cause the false-positive values in the test. Depending on the chemical composition of the accelerants added during manufacturing processes, different means may be employed to remove or to account for the presence of these...
Covalency in the hydrogen bond and the properties of water and ice

Covalency in a hydrogen bond between two water molecules produces a partial charge separation and some rehybridization of the L -shell electrons of the oxygen atom partner. These changes promote the participation of the molecules in additional bond formation which, in turn, stabilizes the original bond. These interactions must be expected to impart a co-opera­tive character to hydrogen-bond formation in liquid water, and it is postulated that the structure of this liquid is characterized by co-operatively bonded flickering clusters of ice-like material surrounded by, and alternating roles with, disordered fluid which makes up the rest of the sample. This assumption offers an explanation for a number of facts, including the essential identity of the heats of activation obtained for viscous flow, for self-diffusion, for dielectric relaxation and (probably) for bulk relaxation. It also makes possible the interpre­tation of the extra ice-likeness found in aqueous solutions of non-polar solutes, and of the further fact that this extra ice-likeness seems to be accompanied by a lengthening of dielectric relaxation time. When applied to ice these concepts, taken together with the discussion given by Jeffrey et al . (1956) of Wurzite-type crystals, seem to offer a straightforward explanation of the facts that a ‘diamond’ modification of ice is observed at low temperatures and that the c/a ratio in hexagonal ice becomes smaller with rising temperature. The degree of covalency which this explanation presupposes seems to require a modification of the simple Bjerrum (1951) picture of the rotational defects which have been invoked to explain the dielectric properties of ice. An alternative dielectric process seems to be possible which would involve flickering droplets of liquid-like material in ice, which might, mutatis mutandis , play a role corresponding to that of flickering clusters in the liquid phase.
Nucleotide sequences of Caenorhabditis elegans core histone genes. Genes for different histone classes share common flanking sequence elements.

Abstract We have determined the nucleotide sequence of core histone genes and flanking regions from two of approximately 11 different genomic histone clusters of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Four histone genes from one cluster (H3, H4, H2B, H2A) and two histone genes from another (H4 and H2A) were analyzed. The predicted amino acid sequences of the two H4 and H2A proteins from the two clusters are identical, whereas the nucleotide sequences of the genes have diverged 9% (H2A) and 12% (H4). Flanking sequences, which are mostly not similar, were compared to identify putative regulatory elements. A conserved sequence of 34 base-pairs is present 19 to 42 nucleotides 3′ of the termination codon of all the genes. Within the conserved sequence is a 16-base dyad sequence homologous to the one typically found at the 3′ end of histone genes from higher eukaryotes. The C. elegans core histone genes are organized as divergently transcribed pairs of H3-H4 and H2A-H2B and contain 5′ conserved sequence elements in the shared spacer regions. One of the sequence elements, 5′ CTCCNCCTNCCCACCNCANA 3′, is located immediately upstream from the canonical TATA homology of each gene. Another sequence element, 5′ CTGCGGGGACACATNT 3′, is present in the spacer of each heterotypic pair. These two 5′ conserved sequences are not present in the promoter region of histone genes from other organisms, where 5′ conserved sequences are usually different for each histone class. They are also not found in non-histone genes of C. elegans. These putative regulatory sequences of C. elegans core histone genes are similar to the regulatory elements of both higher and lower eukaryotes. The coding regions of the genes and the 3′ regulatory sequences are similar to those of higher eukaryotes, whereas the presence of common 5′ sequence elements upstream from genes of different histone classes is similar to histone promoter elements in yeast.
The problem of controlling for imperfectly measured confounders on dissimilar populations: a database simulation study.

Objective(s) Observational database research frequently relies on imperfect administrative markers to determine comorbid status, and it is difficult to infer to what extent the associated misclassification impacts validity in multivariable analyses. The effect that imperfect markers of disease will have on validity in situations in which researchers attempt to match populations that have strong baseline health differences is underemphasized as a limitation in some otherwise high-quality observational studies. The present simulations were designed as a quantitative demonstration of the importance of this common and underappreciated issue. Design Two groups of Monte Carlo simulations were performed. The first demonstrated the degree to which controlling for a series of imperfect markers of disease between different populations taking 2 hypothetically harmless drugs would lead to spurious associations between drug assignment and mortality. The second Monte Carlo simulation applied this principle to a recent study in the field of anesthesiology that purported to show increased perioperative mortality in patients taking metoprolol versus atenolol. Setting/Participants/Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Simulation 1: High type-1 error (ie, false positive findings of an independent association between drug assignment and mortality) was observed as sensitivity and specificity declined and as systematic differences in disease prevalence increased. Simulation 2: Propensity score matching across several imperfect markers was unlikely to eliminate important baseline health disparities in the referenced study. Conclusions In situations in which large baseline health disparities exist between populations, matching on imperfect markers of disease may result in strong bias away from the null hypothesis.
Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Dislocation Patterns in Fatigued Metals: Fundamental Limitations Imposed by Grain Size

An attempt to employ the self-organization theory has been made in order to describe different types of dislocation patterning in fatigued metals. We demonstrate that the formation of certain patterns can be understood as a result of competition between the intrinsic length scales of the “reaction+diffusion” model, on the one hand, and grain size, L on the other hand. Our results indicate that a critical grain size, L cr , exists such that below L cr the formation of dislocation structures of any type in fatigued metals becomes impossible.
A Medical Research Agenda for Child Maltreatment: Negotiating the Next Steps

Child maltreatment remains a significant pediatric health problem despite 25 years since the establishment of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. Federal funding for research on the medical aspects of abuse and neglect has been inadequate and, over time, declining in adjusted dollars. Nevertheless, important research has been conducted without federal support. Landmark research has occurred in the areas of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Some of these accomplishments are noted, and a research agenda for future work is suggested.
Elemental and isotopic characterization of dissolved and particulate organic matter in a unique California upwelling system: Importance of size and composition in the export of labile material

We report the interseasonal variation in bulk elemental and stable isotopic (d13C, d15N) composition of dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM, POM) during a high-resolution time series (2007–2009) on the Big Sur coast. In addition to interseasonal variations, we explore the relationships between physical size and reactivity (i.e., composition) of exportable organic matter (OM) pools, and characterize the elemental and isotopic composition of size-fractionated POM and DOM pools within this potentially high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) California upwelling region. Average POM concentrations were low (, 5.2 mmol C L21 and , 0.7 mmol N L21), and all OM pools had low C:N ratios (DOM average 5 15.0 and POM , 7.8)—indicating that this upwelling center may represent an important source of N-rich material to offshore environments. Seasonal ‘‘excess’’ dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production was significant (, 30–80 mmol L21 DOC); however, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) production and cycling was largely decoupled from both DOC and physical processes. Overall, our results are consistent with this region representing an ‘‘HNLC upwelling system.’’ The distinct bulk elemental and isotopic OM composition and seasonality vs. that of high-productivity upwelling regions highlights the need to better understand the biogeochemical diversity of upwelling systems. Finally, we observed a quantifiable size–composition relationship across both POM and DOM size classes, perhaps representing a powerful new tool for modeling N vs. C fluxes in ocean biogeochemical cycles. Coastal upwelling regions are among the most dynamic and important components of the modern ocean carbon cycle. While they make up only about 1% of ocean surface area, they are responsible for over 10% of global new production in terms of global carbon sequestration (Chavez and Toggweiler 1995). Recent work suggests that these
Online tool for pharmacy students seeking residency positions.

Our institution sought to increase pharmacy students’ awareness of pharmacy practice residencies. To assist in this effort, residency seminar sessions were initiated on campus in 2000 and were well received.[1][1] However, pharmacy students seeking residency positions are often away from campus
Discovering value from community activity on focused question answering sites: a case study of stack overflow

Question answering (Q&A) websites are now large repositories of valuable knowledge. While most Q&A sites were initially aimed at providing useful answers to the question asker, there has been a marked shift towards question answering as a community-driven knowledge creation process whose end product can be of enduring value to a broad audience. As part of this shift, specific expertise and deep knowledge of the subject at hand have become increasingly important, and many Q&A sites employ voting and reputation mechanisms as centerpieces of their design to help users identify the trustworthiness and accuracy of the content.To better understand this shift in focus from one-off answers to a group knowledge-creation process, we consider a question together with its entire set of corresponding answers as our fundamental unit of analysis, in contrast with the focus on individual question-answer pairs that characterized previous work. Our investigation considers the dynamics of the community activity that shapes the set of answers, both how answers and voters arrive over time and how this influences the eventual outcome. For example, we observe significant assortativity in the reputations of co-answerers, relationships between reputation and answer speed, and that the probability of an answer being chosen as the best one strongly depends on temporal characteristics of answer arrivals. We then show that our understanding of such properties is naturally applicable to predicting several important quantities, including the long-term value of the question and its answers, as well as whether a question requires a better answer. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for the design of Q&A sites.
ZERO REST-MASS FIELDS INCLUDING GRAVITATION: ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOUR

A zero rest-mass field of arbitrary spin s determines, at each event in space-time, a set of 2 s principal null directions which are related to the radiative behaviour of the field. These directions exhibit the characteristic ‘peeling-off9 behaviour of Sachs, namely that to order r - k -1 ( k = 0, . . . , 2 s ), 2 s - k of them coincide radially, r being a linear parameter in any advanced or retarded radial direction. This result is obtained in part I for fields of any spin in special relativity, by means of an inductive spinor argument which depends ultimately on the appropriate asymptotic behaviour of a very simple Hertz-type complex scalar potential. Spin ( s - ½) fields are used as potentials for spin s fields, etc. Several examples are given to illustrate this, In particular, the method is used to obtain physically sensible singularity-free waves for each spin which can be of any desired algebraic type. In part II, a general technique is described, for discussing asymptotic properties of fields in curved space-times which is applicable to all asymptotically flat or asymptotically de Sitter space-times. This involves the introduction of ‘points at infinity’ in a consistent way. These points constitute a hypersurface boundary I to a manifold whose interior is conformally identical with the original space-time. Zero rest-mass fields exhibit an essential conformal invariance, so their behaviour at ‘infinity’ can be studied at this hypersurface. Continuity at I for the transformed field implies that the ‘peeling-off’ property holds. Furthermore, if the Einstein empty-space equations hold near I then continuity at I for the transformed gravitational field is a consequence. This leads to generalizations of results due to Bondi and Sachs. The case when the Einstein-Maxwell equations hold near I is also similarly treated here. The hypersurface I is space-like, time-like or null according as the cosmological constant is positive, negative or absent. The technique affords a covariant approach to the definition of radiation fields in general relativity. If I is not null, however, the radiation field concept emerges as necessarily origin dependent. Further applications of the technique are also indicated.