cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organisational structure of wine production in the US

In recent decades the US wine industry has experienced significant increases in production, employment, establishments and value added, especially in California. This trend is related to increased demand for mass market wines and high value‐added quality wine. The recent boom is the third in a series of profit cycles dating from the last century, but it differs in that it is situated in a global trend toward the concentration of production and distribution of wine by large, vertically and horizontally integrated organisations. The US industry exhibits a bifurcated corporate structure dominated by a few mass market producers and many specialist producers. Different forms of corporate organisation are described, and the structure of the industry is historically developed.
Calibrating the prior distribution for a normal model with conjugate prior

For a normal model with a conjugate prior, we provide an in-depth examination of the effects of the hyperparameters on the long-run frequentist properties of posterior point and interval estimates. Under an assumed sampling model for the data-generating mechanism, we examine how hyperparameter values affect the mean-squared error (MSE) of posterior means and the true coverage of credible intervals. We develop two types of hyperparameter optimality. MSE optimal hyperparameters minimize the MSE of posterior point estimates. Credible interval optimal hyperparameters result in credible intervals that have a minimum length while still retaining nominal coverage. A poor choice of hyperparameters has a worse consequence on the credible interval coverage than on the MSE of posterior point estimates. We give an example to demonstrate how our results can be used to evaluate the potential consequences of hyperparameter choices.
Primary Tissue Phase of Plasmodium berghei in Different Experimental Hosts.

IN a previous communication1, we reported the finding of pre-erythrocytic tissue schizonts of P. berghei in the liver of an experimentally infected young hamster. The forms observed were few in number, involving examination of many hundreds of stained liver sections. The sporozoites used in the former experiments were derived from experimentally infected Anopheles quadrimaculatus. In this laboratory vector only small numbers of viable sporozoites reached the salivary glands. The introduction of Anopheles stephensi as an experimental vector of P. berghei2 has greatly facilitated and advanced our work, for in this mosquito species invasion of the salivary glands by very large numbers of sporozoites takes place with regularity after exposure to gametocyte carriers and maintenance at 21° C.
Modern developments in shear-stress measurement ☆

Abstract This paper reviews three relatively modern categories of skin-friction measurement techniques that are broadly classified as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensors, oil-film interferometry, and liquid crystal coatings. The theory, development, limitations, uncertainties, and misconceptions of each of these techniques are presented. Current and future uses of the techniques are also discussed. From this review, it is evident that MEMS-based techniques possess great promise, but require further development to become reliable measurement tools. Oil-film techniques have enhanced capabilities and greater accuracy compared to conventional shear-stress measurement techniques (i.e., Preston tube, Clauser plot, etc.) and, as a result, are being employed with increasing frequency. Liquid crystal coatings are capable of making measurements of mean shear-stress vector distributions over a region of a model, but complex calibration and testing requirements limit their usefulness.
Phosphorylation in Protein-Protein Binding: Effect on Stability and Function

Posttranslational modifications offer a dynamic way to regulate protein activity, subcellular localization, and stability. Here we estimate the effect of phosphorylation on protein binding and function for different types of complexes from human proteome. We find that phosphorylation sites tend to be located on binding interfaces in heterooligomeric and weak transient homooligomeric complexes. Analysis of molecular mechanisms of phosphorylation shows that phosphorylation may modulate the strength of interactions directly on interfaces and that binding hotspots tend to be phosphorylated in heterooligomers. Although the majority of complexes do not show significant estimated stability differences upon phosphorylation or dephosphorylation, for about one-third of all complexes it causes relatively large changes in binding energy. We discuss the cases where phosphorylation mediates the complex formation and regulates the function. We show that phosphorylation sites are more likely to be evolutionary conserved than other interfacial residues.
Are Tax Havens Good Neighbours? FDI Spillovers and Developing Countries

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of tax havens on non-tax haven countries in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI). We analyze the importance of agglomeration effects by including FDI inflow levels in tax havens and capture geographic spillovers by measuring proximity to the nearest tax haven. Our analysis yields several interesting findings. First, using panel data for 142 countries, we find evidence of positive spillovers from tax havens to nearby developing countries, but not to nearby developed countries. Second, restricting our panel to developing countries, we find the positive effect of tax haven FDI on developing countries to be robust. Third, we find that geographic distance matters for financial flows: developing countries which are the closest to a nearby tax haven benefit the most in terms of FDI inflows. This result is robust to accounting for spatial interdependence of FDI.
Hydrate inclusion compounds

There are three general classes of hydrate inclusion compounds: the ‘gas’ hydrates, the per-alkyl onium salt hydrates, and the alkylamine hydrates. The first are clathrates, the second are ionic inclusion compounds, the third are ‘semi-clathrates’. Crystallization occurs because the H2O molecules, like SiO2, can form three-dimensional four-connected nets. With water alone, these are the ices. In the inclusion hydrates, nets with larger voids are stabilized by including other ‘guest’ molecules. Anions and hydrogen-bonding functional groups can replace water molecules in these nets, in which case the ‘guest’ species are cations or hydrophobic moieties of organic molecules. The guest must satisfy two criteria. One is dimensional, to ensure a ‘comfortable’ fit within the voids. The other is functional. The guest molecules cannot have either a single strong hydrogen-bonding group, such as an amide or a carboxylate, or a number of moderately strong hydrogen-bonding groups, as in a polyol or a carbohydrate. The common topological feature of these nets is the pentagonal dodecahedra: i.e., 512-hedron. These are combined with 51262-hedra, 51263-hedra, 51264-hedra and combinations of these polyhedra, to from five known nets. Two of these are the well-known 12 and 17 A cubic gas hydrate structures,Pm3n, Fd3m; one is tetragonal,P4 2/mnm, and two are hexagonal,P6 3/mmc andP6/mmm. The clathrate hydrates provide examples of the two cubic and the tetragonal structures. The alkyl onium salt hydrates have distorted versions of thePm3n cubic, the tetragonal, and one of the hexagonal structures. The alkylamine hydrate structures hitherto determined provide examples of distorted versions of the two hexagonal structures. There are also three hydrate inclusion structures, represented by single examples, which do not involve the 512-hedra. These are 4(CH3)3CHNH2·39H2O which is a clathrate; HPF6·6H2O and (CH3)4NOH·5H2O which are ionic-water inclusion hydrates. In the monoclinic 6(CH3CH2CH2NH2)·105H2O and the orthorhombic 3(CH2CH2)2NH·26H2O, the water structure is more complex. The idealization of these nets in terms of the close-packing of semi-regular polyhedra becomes difficult and artificial. There is an approach towards the complexity of the water salt structures found in the crystals of proteins.
RIVER–WATERSHED EXCHANGE: EFFECTS OF RIVERINE SUBSIDIES ON RIPARIAN LIZARDS AND THEIR TERRESTRIAL PREY

Resource subsidies from external habitats can enhance the performance or population density of local consumers, altering their effects on in situ prey. Indirect effects of subsidies may be either positive or negative depending on the behavior of the shared consumer. Here we document strong links between riverine insects, riparian lizards (Sce- loporus occidentalis), and terrestrial invertebrates. We hypothesized that aquatic insects subsidize riparian lizard populations leading to higher growth rates of these lizards in near- river habitats, and that subsidies exert short-term positive effects on terrestrial resources as a result of diet shifts by lizards to aquatic insects. To test these hypotheses, we used 2 m high fences, or ''subsidy shields,'' to experimentally reduce aquatic insect flux to large (91 m 2 ) enclosures of lizards. Subsidy shields reduced aquatic insect flux by 55-65%. Growth rates of lizards were 73 higher in subsidized (no-shield) enclosures during the early summer but were not significantly different later in the summer, when ambient fluxes of aquatic insects dropped to 20% of their early season levels. Within the watershed, lizard growth rates (in mass) were positively correlated with the numerical abundance of aquatic insects. Thus, lizard growth rates tracked both seasonal and spatial availability of riverine insect subsidies during our experiment. Subsidies also had indirect effects on the ground- dwelling, terrestrial prey of lizards. Declines of diurnal terrestrial invertebrates were sig- nificantly higher in shield than no-shield enclosures, and the most common ground spider ( Arctosa sp. (Lycosidae)) disappeared completely from shield enclosures by the end of the experiment. Declines in terrestrial invertebrate abundance did not differ between no-shield enclosures and lizard exclosures. These data suggest that riverine insects subsidize riparian Sceloporus and, in the short term, reduce their predation on terrestrial arthropods.
SU-E-T-225: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Real-Time Motion Tracking of a Surface Imaging System for Lung Treatment.

Purpose: Applicability of the AlignRT surfaceimaging system was extensively investigated for real‐time motion tracking in radiation therapy of lungcancer.Methods: A 4D computer‐controlled motion phantom was employed to simulate a human breathing motion. An anthropomorphic thoracic phantom (a coronal cross‐sectional area: ∼1,200 cm2) was monitored during the 4D motion tracking. A breathing cycle from a healthy subject (breathing frequency: 0.2 Hz; maximum amplitude: vertical 7 mm, longitudinal 6 mm, and lateral 1.2 mm) was monitored and fed into the phantom control system. The real time monitoring was investigated by modifying a region of detection (the whole, a half, and a quarter of the area) and combination of 3 cameras (patient left, middle, and right). Results: The real‐time tracking errors (detected breathing motion ‐ the input of the subject's breathing) of the phantom motion using one camera (lateral, longitudinal, vertical) were (0.02±0.14 mm, −0.23±0.48 mm, −0.10±0.48 mm) with ipsilateral halves of the area (frame rate: 1.52 Hz), (0.06±0.10 mm, −0.30±0.30 mm, ‐0.03−0.35 mm) with ipsilateral quarters (frame rate: 1.95 Hz), and (0.19±0.96 mm, 0.29±1.50 mm, −0.46±1.58 mm) with contralateral quarters (frame rate: 3.04 Hz). The detection errors using 2‐camera combinations (left‐middle and right‐middle) were (−0.06±0.06 mm, −0.43±0.21 mm, 0.00±0.22 mm) for the ipsilateral quarters and (−0.62±0.18 mm, −1.20±0.37 mm, 0.03±0.30 mm) for the contralateral quarters, respectively. The 3‐camera tracking using halves of the area presented an error of (−0.04±0.12 mm, −0.69±0.35 mm, −0.08±0.38 mm) with a frame rate of 0.62 Hz. Conclusions: To guarantee a sub‐millimeter accuracy of realtime motion tracking in the lungtreatment, combination of 2 cameras or less, a frame rate of greater than the Nyquist frequency (in this study fN = 2B (breathing frequency) = 0.4 Hz), and a tracking area of less than an ipsilateral half of thoracic area is highly recommended.
Regulation of growth in rice seedlings

Etiolated rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) exhibited marked morphological differences when grown in sealed containers or in containers through which air was passed continuously. Enhancement of coleoptile and mesocotyl growth and inhibition of leaf and root growth in the sealed containers (“enclosure syndrome”) were accompanied by accumulation of CO2 and C2H4 in and depletion of O2 from the atmosphere. Ethylene (1 μl 1−1), high levels of CO2, and reduced levels of O2 contributed equally to the increase in coleoptile and mesocotyl growth. The effect of enclosure could be mimicked by passing a gas mixture of 3% O2, 82% N2, 15% CO2 (all v/v), and 1 μl l−1) C2H4 through the vials containing the etiolated seedlings. The effects of high CO2 and low O2 concentrations were not mediated through increased C2H4 production. The enclosure syndrome was also observed in rice seedlings grown under water either in darkness or in light. The length of the rice coleoptile was positively correlated with the depth of planting in water-saturated vermiculite. The length of coleoptiles of wheat, barley, and oats was not affected by the depth of planting. In rice, the length of coleoptile was determined by the levels of O2, CO2, and ethylene, rather than by light. This regulatory mechanism allows rice seedlings to grow out of shallow water in which the concentration of O2 is limiting.
Middle latency response: frequency and intensity effects.

Abstract Auditory middle latency responses (MLR) and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured with epidural electrodes in unanesthetized gerbils. Response thresholds of simultaneously recorded MLRs and ABRs, and latencies and amplitudes of MLR peaks were analyzed with respect to stimulus intensity (10–80 dB SPL) and frequency (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 kHz). Only minor changes in the latencies of the MLR were associated with increases in stimulus intensity. Changes in latencies were more apparent for waves A and B as compared to wave C, and were significant only at low intensities. Latencies did not change significantly as a function of stimulus frequency. Amplitudes of the MLR were highly variable between animals, particularly waves B and C, and showed complex changes with intensity. In general, wave amplitudes were inversely related to stimulus frequency. The gerbil MLR resembles MLRs recorded under similar conditions in guinea pig, cat, and rat. Some qualitative similarities between gerbil and human MLRs are apparent. Results indicate that the MLR is a less sensitive measure of hearing threshold relative to the fast waves of the ABR at frequencies above 1 kHz. However, clearly defined MLRs are elicited with a wide range of stimulus frequencies. Because the surface recorded MLR reflects activation of central auditory pathways, including the cortex, it may provide an electrophysiological measure which can be utilized to study central components of normal and pathological auditory function.
Faster recovery in central than in peripheral auditory system following a reversible cochlear deafferentation

Abstract Included among the exciting findings in auditory neuroscience are (i) central plasticity after peripheral injury and (ii) regeneration of auditory nerve fibres following excitotoxic damage. The present study extends our understanding of auditory system plasticity by examining changes in peripheral and central physiology as the cochlea recovers from temporary deafferentation due to excitotoxicity. Application of kainic acid (60 mM) to the round window membrane substantially depressed responses from both auditory nerve and brain stem (inferior colliculus), without affecting distortion-product otoacoustic emissions from the inner ear. The auditory nerve input/output functions recovered over a 30-day period whereas recovery of brainstem response amplitudes occurred within five days. In contrast to amplitudes, thresholds at both peripheral and central levels recovered simultaneously, within five days after kainic acid application. The results indicate that (i) cochlear afferent neurons can recover after excitotoxic damage; (ii) response threshold itself, either central or peripheral, is not sufficient to assess the integrity of the auditory periphery; (iii) the central auditory system can recover more rapidly than the periphery; and (iv) the system can maintain its function in the normal range as peripheral function continues to improve.
Stakeholder influence and environmental sector volatility

This study investigates interrelationships between environmental sector volatility and influence of organisational stakeholders. Environmental sectors considered include economic, political, social, technological, and competitive. Stakeholder groups assessed are customers, stockholders, creditors, suppliers of key materials and employees. Pearson correlations are used to identify significant associations between: (1) stakeholder groups, (2) environmental sectors and (3) stakeholder groups and environmental sectors. Numerous significant associations are identified between influence of stakeholders and volatility of environmental sectors. Regression analyses are performed to determine the predictive power of sector volatility on stakeholder influence. Significant models were formed for predicting influence of three stakeholder groups; customers, creditors and employees.
Satisfaction related to wheelchair use in older adults in both nursing homes and community dwelling

Purpose. Older adults commonly use wheelchairs for mobility impairments regardless of their living situations. However, limited outcomes data are available to determine quality of the wheelchairs that older Americans are receiving, as well as their satisfaction with wheelchair service delivery programs. The purpose of this article was to analyze satisfaction data collected from three cohorts of older individuals living at nursing homes and in community settings. Ninety participants were residents in VA (n = 60).Methods. One hundred thirty two older adults completed the standardized Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology. Ninety participants were residents in VA (n = 30) or private nursing homes (n = 30), and 42 were community dwelling participants. Those enrolled were either independent manual or power wheelchairs users.Results. The community dwelling group reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with their manual wheelchairs and service delivery when compared with t...
Biological Sciences: Island Lizards: the Genetic-Phenetic Variation Correlation

NATURAL populations of many organisms are known to contain much more genetic variation than would have been predicted by all but a minority1 of geneticists two decades ago. Individuals of several species have up to 22% of their loci heterozygous, and from 0–50% or more of the loci in a population are polymorphic, although the higher estimates may result from sampling error2–4; vertebrates tend to be at the lower end of these ranges. Estimates such as these are based on electrophoretically detectable variation in proteins, so the true levels of genetic variation are probably higher5. These generalizations are gaining wide acceptance, but there is still some unease about their accuracy. The fundamental question is whether the loci being sampled are representative of the genome as a whole. We here present evidence that the electrophoretic approach is relatively unbiased.
Dynamically configurable shared CMP helper engines for improved performance

Technology scaling trends have forced designers to consider alternatives to deeply pipelining aggressive cores with large amounts of performance accelerating hardware. One alternative is a small, simple core that can be augmented with latency tolerant helper engines. As the demands placed on the processor core varies between applications, and even between phases of an application, the benefit seen from any set of helper engines will vary tremendously. If there is a single core, these auxiliary structures can be turned on and off dynamically to tune the energy/performance of the machine to the needs of the running application.As more of the processor is broken down into helper engines, and as we add more and more cores onto a single chip which can potentially share helpers, the decisions that are made about these structures become increasingly important. In this paper we describe the need for methods that effectively manage these helper engines. Our counter-based approach can dynamically turn off 3 helpers on average, while staying within 2% of the performance when running with all helpers. In a multicore environment, our intelligent and flexible sharing of helper engines, provides an average 24% speedup over static sharing in conjoined cores. Furthermore we show benefit from constructively sharing helper engines among multiple cores running the same application.
The stem cell niche: theme and variations

Stem cells in animal tissues are often located and controlled by special tissue microenvironments known as niches. Studies of stem cell niches in model systems such as Drosophila have revealed adhesive interactions, cell cycle modifications and intercellular signals that operate to control stem cell behavior. Candidate niches and regulatory molecules have also been identified in many mammalian tissues, including bone marrow, skin, gut and brain. While niches are an ancient evolutionary device with conserved features across diverse organisms, we suggest that certain niches display important differences in their organization and function.
Conditional Cash Transfers and the Effect on Recent Murder Rates in Brazil and Mexico

This article examines whether conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have had a significant effect on reducing murder rates in Mexico and Brazil, using time-series municipal-level data on murders in both countries. The findings, over the period 2005–8, show that the greater the proportion of beneficiaries enrolled in a CCT program in each municipality, the lower the number of murders. There are, however, important differences between the two countries, with a much larger effect in Brazil than in Mexico. This holds even when controlling for GDP and levels of development.
Intelligent Monitoring and Measurement of Tool Wear for the Turning of Stainless Steel Parts

Cutting forces were used as indices in this research for the monitoring and measurement of tool wear during the turning of stainless steel parts. Virtual instrumentation was applied to extract the fourteen features from cutting force signals. The best combination of features, which would be used as input vectors for on-line monitoring and measurement, was selected by using a Sequential Forward Search (SFS) algorithm. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) were used for the recognition of tool wear. The tool conditions, which are either usable or worn out, are the outputs for on-line monitoring. The outputs for on-line measurement are estimated values of tool wear. When ANFIS was applied, three features were needed for the monitoring of tool wear. They are the average of radial force, the average of tangential force, and the skewness of tangential force. For on-line measurement, four features were used as inputs. The input vector includes the average of radial force, the average of tangential force, the skewness of tangential force, and the kurtosis of longitudinal force. For the on-line monitoring of turning tool conditions, a 7 × 2 ANFIS can achieve a success rate of higher than 96% to distinguish usable tools from worn-out tools. For the on-line measurement of tool wear, the average flank wear estimation error is below 8.9% using a 3 × 3 ANFIS.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The response of breeding pairs of Mongolian gerbils to intruders

Male and female Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus , are known to be aggressive toward unfamiliar conspecifics introduced into their home territories. A longitudinal study of three mated pairs of gerbils was conducted to determine the effect of the female's reproductive state upon the pair's reactions toward male and female intruders. Pairs were observed during 10-min tests with individual male and female intruders and in the absence of an intruder during several pregnancies and lactation periods. Several nonsocial behaviors were depressed in the presence, as compared to the absence, of an intruder. Affiliative and agonistic contacts between mates increased in the presence of an intruder, and agonistic contact between mates was higher in the presence of a male intruder than a female. No other effects of intruder sex were observed. Virtually all contacts between residents and intruders were aggressive and sexual interactions were never observed. The reproductive condition of the female resident had no effect upon their aggressiveness or that of their mates toward intruders. Time spent by females in the nest increased and contact between mates decreased during the lactation period.
Mechanism of antibacterial action: electron transfer and oxy radicals.

Abstract Most of the main categories of bactericidal agents, namely, aliphatic and heterocyclic nitro compounds, metal derivatives and chelators, quinones, azo dyes, and iminium-type ions, are proposed to exert their action by a unified mechanism. The toxic effect is believed to result generally from the catalytic production of reactive oxygen radicals that usually arise via electron transfer. Cyclic voltammetry was performed on a number of these agents. Reductions were for the most part reversible, with potentials in the favorable range of −0.20 to −0.58 V.
Role of interfacial grain-bridging sliding friction in the crack-resistance and strength properties of nontransforming ceramics

Abstract A grain-bridging model of crack-resistance or toughness (R-curve, or T-curve) properties of nontransforming ceramics is developed. A key new feature of the fracture mechanics treatment is the inclusion of internal residual (thermal expansion mismatch) stresses in the constitutive stress-separation relation for pullout of interlocking grains from an embedding matrix. These internal stresses play a controlling role in the toughness properties by determining the scale of frictional tractions at the sliding grain-matrix interface. By providing a physical account of the underlying micromechanics of the bridging process the analysis allows for predetermination of the material factors in the constitutive relation, thereby reducing parametric adjustments necessary in fitting the theoretical toughness curve to experimental data. The applicability of the model is illustrated in a case study on indentation-strength data for a “reference” polycrystalline alumina with particularly strong T-curve characteristics. From theoretical fits to these data the constitutive relation, and thence the entire T-curve, can be deconvolved. This “parametric calibration”, apart from demonstrating the plausibility of the model, allows for quantitative predictions as to how the toughness and strength characteristics of ceramics depend on such microstructural variables as grain size and shape, grain boundary energy, level of internal stress and sliding friction coefficient. An indication of this predictive capacity is provided by a preliminary calculation of the grain-size dependence of strength, using some existing data for other aluminas as a basis for comparison.
The action of factor Xa, thrombin and trypsin on human factor II.

Abstract The proteolytic action of human and bovine Factor Xa, bovine thrombin and bovine pancreatic trypsin Factor II at pH 7.5 and 25°C was monitored by sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis and thrombin assays. Purified human and bovine Factor Xa, and trypsin, were found to activate Factor II to thrombin. The conversion of Factor II to thrombin by either Factor Xa or trypsin was found to proceed through two thrombogenic intermediates. The reaction pathway appears to be sequential in that the Factor II (75 000 daltons) is first cleaved to a 55 000-dalton thrombogenic product (Intermediate 1) and a 25 000-dalton non-thrombogenic product (Fragment 1). Intermediate 1 is subsequently converted to an inactive 37 000-dalton thrombogenic protein (Intermediate 2) and a 16 000-dalton protein (Fragment 2). Intermediate 2 is finally converted to an active 37 000-dalton thrombin (α-thrombin). Purified bovine thrombin readily converted Factor II to Intermediate 1 and Fragment 1, but possessed little capacity to catalyze subsequent cleavages to produce active thrombin. The ability of thrombin to cleave Factor II was entirely obviated in the presence of hirudin. Under the conditions of the incubation, the maximum thrombin yield obtainable by Factor Xa or trypsin activation was 50% when compared to the two-stage potential thrombin.
How you tell your computer what you mean: Ostension in interactive systems

An important part of communication is being able to point to an object without referring to its components or to the area surrounding it. How to do this is the problem of ostension. We observed many ostension errors in novices learning to use a full-screen text editor. Specifically, the novices erroneously tried to use keys that are appropriate for pointing when using a typewriter but incorrect in screen editors (e.g., space bar, backspace key, etc.), they frequently missed the location they intended by one character, they inadvertently pointed to the wrong occurrcnce of a string using a FIND command, they incorrectly specified boundaries by forgetting about “invisible” characters (e.g., formatting characters), and they mistakenly attempted to point to non-typing areas of the screen that were off-limits.
Continuous monitoring of pH in a small culture chamber with a glass micro electrode

Abstract A system for continuously monitoring pH in a small tissue culture chamber has been designed. It consists of a micro glass electrode which can be inserted into the chamber through a 15 gauge syringe needle, and a reference electrodesalt bridge inserted in the exhaust tube of the perfusion system or side arm of a closed system. Monitoring can be accomplished by meter or paper.
The crystal structure of a new ferroelectric compound, NaTh2(PO4)3

Abstract The crystal structure of ferroelectric NaTh2(PO4)3 has been determined using X-ray diffraction techniques. The crystals are monoclinic with dimensions a = 17.37(2), b = 6.81(1), c = 8.13(1) A, β = 101.03(10)° and belong to the space group Cc. The density calculated for Z = 4 is 5.435 g . cm−3. The structure was solvend from 913 observed, independent reflections. The atomic coordinates and temperature factors were refined by full-matrix least squares. The discrepancy indices had final values of 7.1% (including unobserved reflections) and 6.2% (omitting unobserved reflections). The compound may be designated as sodium trisphosphatodithorate. The thorium atom is nine coordinated and thorium-oxygen distances are from 2.27 to 2.58 A, and phosphorus-oxygen distances vary from 1.52 to 1.59 A. The atomic arrangement is isostructural with that of KTh2(PO4)3. The main difference in the structures of NaTh2(PO4)3 and KTh2(PO4)3 is the position of the alkali metal atom. The potassium atom in KTh2(PO4)3 is on the special position 0, y, 1 2 on the twofold axis in the space group C2/c, and the sodium atom in NaTh2(PO4)3 is out of twofold axis for 0.8 A.
PEG-based hydrogel membrane coatings

Abstract As a first step towards preparing fouling-resistant coatings for water purification membranes, three series of copolymer hydrogel networks were synthesized using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) as the crosslinker and acrylic acid (AA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), or poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate (PEGA) as comonomers. Copolymers containing varying amounts of PEGDA with each of these comonomers were prepared. Glass transition temperatures obeyed the Fox equation. Crosslink density strongly influenced water uptake and water permeability for materials of constant chemical composition. For example, the volume fraction of water sorbed by a 100 mol% PEGDA hydrogel was 0.61. However, introducing comonomers into the network reduced hydrogel crosslink density, and in hydrogels having the same ethylene oxide content, water sorption increased as crosslink density decreased. The highest water volume fraction observed was 0.72, obtained in a copolymer containing 80 mol% PEGA and 20 mol% PEGDA. Water permeability increased systematically with increasing water sorption, and water permeability coefficients ranged from 10 to 26 L μm/(m2 h bar). NaCl partition coefficients ranged from 0.36 to 0.53 (g NaCl/cm3 hydrogel)/(g NaCl/cm3 solution). NaCl diffusion coefficients varied little with polymer composition; in this regard, diffusion coefficient values ranged from 4.3 × 10−6 to 7.4 × 10−6 cm2/s. Based on contact angle measurements using n-decane in water, oil exhibited a low affinity for the surfaces of these polymers, suggesting that coatings prepared from such materials might improve the fouling resistance of membranes towards oily wastewater.
Genome level analysis of rice mRNA 3′-end processing signals and alternative polyadenylation

The position of a poly(A) site of eukaryotic mRNA is determined by sequence signals in pre-mRNA and a group of polyadenylation factors. To reveal rice poly(A) signals at a genome level, we constructed a dataset of 55 742 authenticated poly(A) sites and characterized the poly(A) signals. This resulted in identifying the typical tripartite cis-elements, including FUE, NUE and CE, as previously observed in Arabidopsis. The average size of the 3'-UTR was 289 nucleotides. When mapped to the genome, however, 15% of these poly(A) sites were found to be located in the currently annotated intergenic regions. Moreover, an extensive alternative polyadenylation profile was evident where 50% of the genes analyzed had more than one unique poly(A) site (excluding microheterogeneity sites), and 13% had four or more poly(A) sites. About 4% of the analyzed genes possessed alternative poly(A) sites at their introns, 5'-UTRs, or protein coding regions. The authenticity of these alternative poly(A) sites was partially confirmed using MPSS data. Analysis of nucleotide profile and signal patterns indicated that there may be a different set of poly(A) signals for those poly(A) sites found in the coding regions. Based on the features of rice poly(A) signals, an updated algorithm termed PASS-Rice was designed to predict poly(A) sites.
Relationships between sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer in patients undergoing liver transplantation*

Background. Liver transplantation has emerged as the definitive treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Its relationships to inflammatory bowel disease and cholangiocarcinoma were evaluated in this series. Methods. Fifty-three liver transplantations were performed in 41 patients with PSC at the University of Wisconsin from 1986 through 1994. Fourteen of the patients underwent colectomies for inflammatory bowel disease, eight before transplantation and six after transplantation. Five patients had cholangiocarcinoma on the hepatectomy specimen, and another two had been diagnosed before transplantation. Results. Patient survival for PSC without cholangiocarcinoma was 85% and 62% at 2 and 9 years, respectively. No patient with PSC and cholangiocarcinoma has survived 2 years, although two patients were free of disease 11 and 20 months after transplantation. Despite maintenance immunosuppression seven patients with liver transplants had reactivation of inflammatory bowel disease and colon carcinoma developed in three after liver transplantation. Conclusions. Liver transplantation should be performed early in the course of PSC to avoid the lethal complications of cholangiocarcinoma. Careful colonoscopic follow-up is necessary in patients undergoing transplantation for PSC because immunosuppressive therapy does not necessarily cause inflammatory bowel disease to be quiescent, nor does it reduce the risk of colon carcinoma developing.
Issues in the care of infants and toddlers with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Infants and children in the preschool age group who have insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus present a unique set ofproblems to the health care provider and to their families. These management issues include difficulty in achieving maximal metabolic control; the limited ability of the child to communicate feelings and needs; a significant financial burden to many young families; and the increased family stress and altered psychodynamics seen in families with very young children with chronic illnesses. The lability of diet, exercise, emotions, and overall life-style seen in this age group exacerbates each of these problems markedly. This paper addresses the challenges that these children present; discusses the issues and controversies; and describes how the Diabetes Clinic at Michigan State University uses a combination of methodologies and disciplines to deal with these problem areas.
Lookahead routing for ring networks with random extra links

We study the performance of ring topology networks enhanced with additional, randomly assigned links. In particular, we consider unidirectional and bidirectional rings where each node has an extra link to another node chosen randomly. Scalable routing algorithms with various degrees of lookahead are proposed, and it is shown that a small increase in lookahead can significantly improve the performance (such as the number of hops, delay and throughput) compared to the simplest greedy routing algorithm. It is also shown that with such routing, the ring networks with random assignment of extra links can outperform (with respect to both throughput and delay) the networks where the distance between pairs of nodes connected by an extra link is constant. The results of our study also show that the average number of hops in a large ring network with random extra links is close to a theoretical lower bound when the shortest path routing is used.
A Conceptual Framework for Information Technology in Social Work Practice

This article describes how information systems research in the human services can be facilitated with a conceptual framework that addresses the fundamental roles of data, information and knowledge in understanding organizational information systems. Using methodologies originating in information systems and organizational research, the resulting conceptual framework explains how we are to understand information technology from the perspectives of clinical social work, supervision, social work administration, policy, and community collaborations. It concludes by reminding us that to the extent we have done little to educate our students on the differences between data, information and knowledge, and to educate them based on research performed in our human services agencies, is the extent to which our professional practice relative to technology will not advance in the 21st century.
Using MMAP for mixed signal empirical substrate design optimization

Mixed signal and RF package development with each generation continues in complexity with continued process evolution and smaller more dense packages. BGA packages have decreased in ball pitch where 0.5 mm pitch is becoming common. Trace pitch on substrates are found in many products to 25/spl mu/m. As dimensions scale the difficulties with noise and impedance control and variance become greater. Increased interconnect densities with future silicon technologies increase at a faster rate than package substrate interconnect density. With cost and footprint size a major consideration in the development of new mixed signal and RF products, the use and availability from suppliers of CSP (chip scale packaging) on MMAP (molded matrix array packaging) technology is increasing. In using substrate layout design 'flavors' in a single MMAP strip, we have been able to determine best substrate design performance for mixed signal LAN and RF products. For the Ethernet LAN product we were able to match performance on a BGA package to the same die in a lead frame package. For the RF product, we were able to provide the proper inductance to operate in the correct frequency for test. The empirical performance data from the substrate experiment validated both the substrate design and the correct substrate layout approach to support a final substrate (full strip) design. We were able to show optimal performance results in minimum development time. How the multiple substrate design flavors are implemented on a MMAP strip and the results obtained is discussed. Additionally the 'flavors' design was used to improve flip chip product reliability by allowing testing of various copper densities in a flip chip package to prevent bump delamination.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation: Magnitudes and asymmetry

[1] The alternating warm/cold phenomena in the Pacific, known as El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is characterized by large perturbations to the worldwide climate. Indices have been defined to characterize this phenomenon. However, the commonly used indices contain an unwanted effect from the annual cycle that can be reduced by digital filtering. Using a filtered ENSO index NL on data from 1856 to the present allows more accurate calculations of various quantities to be made. New results are (1) the distribution of positive values of NL is Gaussian. Thus, large-magnitude El Nino events come from the tail of this distribution and not from some rare external perturbation. (2) The probability of occurrence of an El Nino of any magnitude can be calculated. A 1997–1998 El Nino will occur once in approximately 70 ± 20 years, while an El Nino 25% larger will occur once in approximately 700 ± 200 years. (3) The distribution of negative values of NL deviates from Gaussian because of a deficiency of large La Nina events. (4) Examination of the 20 largest El Nino events since 1856 shows that there is no increase in the frequency of such events with time.
Why farmers adopt best management practice in the United States: A meta-analysis of the adoption literature

This meta-analysis of both published and unpublished studies assesses factors believed to influence adoption of agricultural Best Management Practices in the United States. Using an established statistical technique to summarize the adoption literature in the United States, we identified the following variables as having the largest impact on adoption: access to and quality of information, financial capacity, and being connected to agency or local networks of farmers or watershed groups. This study shows that various approaches to data collection affect the results and comparability of adoption studies. In particular, environmental awareness and farmer attitudes have been inconsistently used and measured across the literature. This meta-analysis concludes with suggestions regarding the future direction of adoption studies, along with guidelines for how data should be presented to enhance the adoption of conservation practices and guide research.
Estimating ancestral distributions of lineages with uncertain sister groups: a statistical approach to Dispersal–Vicariance Analysis and a case using Aesculus L. (Sapindaceae) including fossils

We propose a simple statistical approach for using Dispersal-Vicariance Analysis (DIVA) software to infer biogeographic histories without fully bifurcating trees. In this approach, ancestral ranges are first optimized for a sample of Bayesian trees. The probability P of an ancestral range r at a node is then calculated as P(rY) = n t=1 F(rY)tPt where Y is a node, and F(rY) is the frequency of range r among all the optimal solutions resulting from DIVA optimization at node Y, t is one of n topologies optimized, and Pt is the probability of topology t. Node Y is a hypothesized ancestor shared by a specific crown lineage and the sister of that lineage "x", where x may vary due to phylogenetic uncertainty (polytomies and nodes with posterior probability <100%). Using this method, the ancestral distribution at Y can be estimated to provide inference of the geographic origins of the specific crown group of interest. This approach takes into account phylogenetic uncertainty as well as uncertainty from DIVA optimization. It is an extension of the previously described method called Bayes-DIVA, which pairs Bayesian phylogenetic analysis with biogeographic analysis using DIVA. Further, we show that the probability P of an ancestral range at Y calculated using this method does not equate to pp ∗ F(rY) on the Bayesian consensus tree when both variables are <100%, where pp is the posterior probability and F(rY) is the frequency of range r for the node containing the specific crown group. We tested our DIVA-Bayes approach using Aesculus L., which has major lineages unresolved as a polytomy. We inferred the most probable geographic origins of the five traditional sections of Aesculus and of Aesculus californica Nutt. and examined range subdivisions at parental nodes of these lineages. Additionally, we used the DIVA-Bayes data from Aesculus to quantify the effects on biogeographic inference of including two wildcard fossil taxa in phylogenetic analysis. Our analysis resolved the geographic ranges of the parental nodes of the lineages of Aesculus with moderate to high probabilities. The probabilities were greater than those estimated using the simple calculation of pp ∗ F(ry) at a statistically significant level for two of the six lineages. We also found that adding fossil wildcard taxa in phylogenetic analysis generally increased P for ancestral ranges including the fossil's distribution area. TheP was more dramatic for ranges that include the area of a wildcard fossil with a distribution area underrepresented among extant taxa. This indicates the importance of including fossils in biogeographic analysis. Exmination of range subdivision at the parental nodes revealed potential range evolution (extinction and dispersal events) along the stems of A. californica and sect. Parryana.
A dislocation model for the magnetic field induced shape memory effect in Ni2MnGa

Abstract The magnetically driven shape memory effect in Ni 2 MnGa body-centered tetragonal martensite is onset by the motion of 0.144 〈1 1 1〉 type twin dislocations on the {1 1 2} type planes. Calculations show that the application of a 400 kA/m magnetic field can induce a shear stress of approximately 2.8 MPa on these twin dislocations, a value exceeding the Peierls and the yield stress for Ni 2 MnGa.
North American SynchroPhasor Initiative

In 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), along with involved electric utility companies and other organizations, formed the North American SynchroPhasor Initiative (NASPI). This effort combines the previous Eastern Interconnection Phaser Project (EIPP) and various activities associated with wide area measurement system (WAMS) research, development, and deployment activities that have been underway in the North American electric power system for a number of years as the primary focal point for continued DOE and NERC support and facilitation. This paper provides an update on this activity, building on a paper presented at last year's forum (Widergren et al., 2007).