cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
China's Banking System

This paper examines the Banking System of China and explores in detail the policy reforms and restructuring of its banks to create a market based economy. We evaluate the history of the China Banking system, the restructuring and financial liberalization that has occurred over the last 11 years. The inception of the reform policies started in 1995 with the first set of laws introducing commercial banks and new governance of the Peoples Bank of China (PBC). We examine the impact and implications of the numerous policy reforms and milestones that are shaping the financial and monetary sectors in China today. This paper further examines the implications of the WTO agreements and Basel accords on the Chinese Banking System. The WTO agreements signed by China in 2001 will open up the China banking system to foreign investors and allow them to operate in the retail markets in domestic currency without any business or geographical limitations. The impact of this agreement is significant as it will broaden the reach of all banking services— even to Chinese households and allow foreign affiliates to enter with fewer restrictions. Even though these agreements are effective this year, the expected systemic benefits are several years away; however this is a critical milestone that will help achieve solvency, promote competition and hopefully create sustainability. We conclude the paper with the future actions needed to further strengthen the Chinese Banking System that include more aggressive actions as well as faster execution of banking reform policies that will accelerate China’s financial success.
Comment on ``Off-stoichiometry mechanism of the isotope effect in manganites''

In a recent paper, Nagaev cited the unpublished paper by Franck et al.to support his theoretical model for the mechanism of the giant isotope effect observed in La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3+y} (x = 0.20, y > 0). His model suggests that the off-stoichiometric oxygen content depends strongly on the oxygen isotope mass, which leads to a giant oxygen-isotope effect. Here I show that his theoretical model is not consistent with any experimental results (even the results recently published by Franck et al.), and his estimate of polaronic bandwidth is wrong due to his misuse of polaronic theories.
Fields over unsharp coordinates.

It has been shown that space-time coordinates can exhibit only very few types of short-distance structures, if described by linear operators: they can be continuous, discrete, or ``unsharp'' in one of two ways. In the literature, various quantum gravity models of space-time at short distances point towards one of these two types of unsharpness. Here, we investigate the properties of fields over such unsharp coordinates. We find that these fields are continuous---but possess only a finite density of degrees of freedom, similar to fields on lattices. As a special case we recover the Shannon sampling theorem of information theory.
Inhibition of transcription of supercoiled PM2 DNA by carbodiimide modification

PM2 superhelican DNA (form I), which as been reacted with the single strand specific reagent, N-cyclohexyl-N'-beta-(methylmorpholinium)ethyl carbodiimide (CMC) is more than 95% inhibited in its ability to support transcription with E. coli B RNA polymerase in vitro. Almost complete inhibition of transcription was achieved after 2 hours of reaction with FI when only 1% of the bases were modified. A large increase in S20,* (from 26.8 S to 33.6 S) of FI DNA was observed during the course of reaction. Rifampicin resistant transcription is more susceptible to inhibition by CMC than total transcription, suggesting that the CMC is preferentially binding at promoter sites. These results clearly are in accord with the observation that supercoiled DNA contains localized regions of unpaired bases. The promotor sites for E. coli RNA polymerase in FI PM2 DNA appear to be located at or near these unpaired sites.
Eddy diffusion coefficients in the stable atmospheric surface layer

The dependence of the ratio of the eddy heat diffusivity to the eddy momentum diffusivity on the Richardson number is examined in terms of the relationship between the Deacon numbers of paired wind and temperature profiles in the Antarctic surface layer. It is found empirically that for Ri? +0.1, the diffusivity ratio varies as the minus two-thirds power of the Richardson number, while for 0 < Ri < + 0.1 no clear empirical relationship exists. It is further shown that the representation of wind and temperature profiles by specific analytical expressions may involve implicit assumptions about the diffusivity ratio, and requires specific relationships between the wind and temperature profile Deacon numbers. Such relationships are not observed in this empirical study. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1973.tb00620.x
DNA duplexes containing 3'-deoxynucleotides as substrates for DNA topoisomerase I cleavage and ligation.

The DNA cleavage-ligation reaction of DNA topoisomerase I was investigated employing synthetic DNA substrates containing 3′-deoxyadenosine or 3′-deoxythymidine at specific sites and acceptor oligonucleotides of different lengths. The modified nucleotides were substituted systematically within the putative enzyme-binding domain and also next to the high efficiency cleavage site to determine the effect of single base changes on enzyme function. Depending on the site of substitution, the facility of the cleavage and ligation reactions were altered. The bases at positions −1 and −2 on the noncleaved strand were found to be important for determining the site of cleavage. Inclusion of 3′-deoxythymidine in the scissile strand at position −1 permitted the demonstration that topoisomerase I can cleave and form a 2′ → 5′-phosphodiester linkage. Partial duplexes doubly modified at positions −4 or −6 in the noncleaved strand and at positions +1 or −1 within scissile strand were not good substrates for topoisomerase I, showing that cleavage can depend importantly on binding interactions based on structural alterations at spatially separated sites. Substitution of a 3′-deoxynucleotide on the scissile strand at position −6 enhanced formation of the ligation product resulting from cleavage at site 1 and suppressed cleavage at site 2.
Mapping Elasticity Down to the Molecular Scale: a Novel High-Resolution Approach to Study Cell Mechanics

The mechanical properties of cells govern a variety of processes critical for the control of their behavior, and they are strongly determined by the cytoskeleton. These observations have inspired numerous studies on cells and reconstituted cytoskeletal networks. However, it remains a challenging task to relate structural and mechanical properties on the molecular scale within living materials.To analyze cell mechanical properties on the molecular scale, we used recently developed torsional harmonic cantilevers to obtain high-speed force-distance curves in parallel to high-resolution AFM tapping mode images in fluid. By applying this technique, we were able to acquire stiffness maps of living cells at an unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution (50-100 nm, 4-8 min for a 30 µm scan). Furthermore, we were also able to map the elasticity of a reconstituted actin network, which has not been achieved before. In combination with optical techniques this opens up a unique simultaneous view of the mechanics of the living cell and the mechanical properties of its relevant molecular components.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideElasticity maps of a live HUVEC cell (30 µm scan)
Test for a neurochemically specific mechanism mediating drug discriminations and for stimulus masking

Five groups of rats were trained to discriminate methysergide, morphine, nicotine, pentobarbital, or scopolamine, respectively, from no injection in a T-maze shockescape drug discrimination task. After these discriminations were learned, rats received substitution tests, before which they were injected with the training drug and with an additional drug. The additional drugs were mainly transmitter depletors, antagonists, or agonists. The experiment was designed to test whether drug discriminations might be mediated by brain mechanisms operated by one of the manipulated neurotransmitters, and to test whether one discriminable drug could mask or occlude the effects of a second discriminable drug. Neither hypothesis was supported by the results.
Unusual type of hypochromic anemia complicating Billroth II type gastrectomy.

An unusual type of hypoferremic hypochromic anemia, after Billroth II type of gastric resection, is presented. The ferrokinetic studies indicate defective red blood cell re-utilization of iron. It is postulated that a small intestinal disease which complicated this type of surgery, like any other inflammatory reaction, was responsible for production of defective red cell reutilization of iron, and anemia. This defect was corrected after the second operative procedure—ie, Henley jejunal interposition.
What are the Characteristics of the Ideal Endovascular Graft for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Exclusion

PURPOSE To review the anatomic factors crucial to successful endoluminal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair and propose an ideal endograft design for AAA exclusion. METHODS AND RESULTS The anatomic features of critical importance to endovascular AAA exclusion comprise remote arterial access, proximal and distal fixation sites, AAA morphology, and arterial wall pathology. When designing an aortic endograft, the major components to consider are stent selection, graft material, and the delivery system. The ideal endograft design must be sufficiently versatile to treat a broad range of patients. To meet this requirement, the endograft should display a high degree of dimensional adaptability. A modular bifurcated endograft design permits intraoperative customization to tailor the device to each patient's anatomy and pathology. CONCLUSIONS The modular stent-graft concept addresses many of the important factors in the evolution toward an ideal aortic endograft. Extensive testing will be needed to determine if the bifurcated stent-graft described here is the optimal design for effective AAA exclusion.
SELECTpro: effective protein model selection using a structure-based energy function resistant to BLUNDERs

Background: Protein tertiary structure prediction is a fundamental problem in computational biology and identifying the most native-like model from a set of predicted models is a key subproblem. Consensus methods work well when the redundant models in the set are the most native-like, but fail when the most native-like model is unique. In contrast, structure-based methods score models independently and can be applied to model sets of any size and redundancy level. Additionally, structure-based methods have a variety of important applications including analogous fold recognition, refinement of sequence-structure alignments, and de novo prediction. The purpose of this work was to develop a structure-based model selection method based on predicted structural features that could be applied successfully to any set of models. Results: Here we introduce SELECTpro, a novel structure-based model selection method derived from an energy function comprising physical, statistical, and predicted structural terms. Novel and unique energy terms include predicted secondary structure, predicted solvent accessibility, predicted contact map, b-strand pairing, and side-chain hydrogen bonding. SELECTpro participated in the new model quality assessment (QA) category in CASP7, submitting predictions for all 95 targets and achieved top results. The average difference in GDT-TS between models ranked first by SELECTpro and the most native-like model was 5.07. This GDT-TS difference was less than 1% of the GDT-TS of the most native-like model for 18 targets, and less than 10% for 66 targets. SELECTpro also ranked the single most native-like first for 15 targets, in the top five for 39 targets, and in the top ten for 53 targets, more often than any other method. Because the ranking metric is skewed by model redundancy and ignores poor models with a better ranking than the most native-like model, the BLUNDER metric is introduced to overcome these limitations. SELECTpro is also evaluated on a recent benchmark set of 16 small proteins with large decoy sets of 12500 to 20000 models for each protein, where it outperforms the benchmarked method (I-TASSER). Conclusion: SELECTpro is an effective model selection method that scores models independently and is appropriate for use on any model set. SELECTpro is available for download as a stand alone application at: http://www.igb.uci.edu/~baldig/selectpro.html. SELECTpro is also available as a public server at the same site.
Determination of equilibrium solid-phase transition temperature using DTA

A theoretical model concerning the influence of heating/cooling rate on the solid-phase transition temperature is developed. The equilibrium solid-phase transition temperature is obtained y extrapolating the heating/cooling rate to 0 °C/min. It is supposed that the solid-phase transition is controlled by the Gibbs free energy and the diffusivity of elements involved in the transition. Comparison with differential thermal analysis (DTA) results of Zr and Ti alloys shows good agreement.
Three-Dimensional Plasma-Based Stall Control Simulations With Coupled First-Principles Approaches

Numerical simulations are employed to understand the mechanisms by which asymmetric dielectric barrier discharges operating at radio frequencies reduce or eliminate stall. The specific focus is on a NACA 0015 wing section at a nominal Reynolds number of 45,000 and 15 degree angle-of-attack. The body force is obtained separately from both phenomenological and first-principles based models. To overcome the daunting complexity of the latter approach, a procedure to couple unsteady force fields obtained from multi-fluid models to very high-fidelity implicit large-eddy simulations is developed, implemented and evaluated for a 5kHz signal. The paper discusses results with both approaches to understand the effect of Reynolds number, angle of attack, actuator strength and location as well as unsteadiness of actuation through radio frequency excitation and duty cycle variation. The results are assimilated in the context of the combined impact of near wall momentum enhancement and transition to turbulence. It is shown that force fluctuations at radio-frequencies result in the development of a rich turbulence structure downstream of actuation. These observations, as well as details of the acoustic signal, cannot be obtained from the simplified steady force model. For higher Reynolds numbers and relatively lower actuation forces, mechanisms that enhance turbulence development are the dominant consideration. These include not only radio-frequency force variations, but also streamwise vorticity generation through edge effects associated with finite-span actuation and wide-spectrum input associated with switch-on/switch-off inherent in duty cycles.© 2006 ASME
Small bowel endoscopy: Cost-effectiveness of the different approaches

Obscure gastrointestinal haemorrhage is defined the presence of overt or occult bleeding in the setting of a normal endoscopic examination of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. While obscure bleeding is not common, the evaluation and management of these patients often incurs considerable expense. Potential options for small bowel evaluation include traditional radiographic studies, push enteroscopy, video capsule endoscopy, deep enteroscopy, tagged red blood cell scans, angiography, and enterography examinations with either computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. The decision regarding which modality to employ depends on the cost of the procedure, its effectiveness in rendering a diagnosis, and the potential for administration of therapy. This article will discuss determination of costs associated with technology for small bowel imaging, quality of life data associated with chronic GI haemorrhage, and available cost-effectiveness studies comparing the options for small bowel exploration.
Construction and analysis of DNA sequence libraries from flow-sorted chromosomes: practical and theoretical considerations

Abstract We describe the construction and analysis of recombinant DNA libraries representative of chromosomes 1 and 2 of Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus). Propidium-iodide stained chromosomes were purified by flow cytometric analysis and sorting, and EcoRI digests of purified DNA were cloned into the bacteriophage vector Charon 4A. These libraries contain DNA complementary to 63% and 69% of nick-translated DNA derived from flow-purified chromosomes 1 and 2, respectively. However, sequences complementary to only 24% and 35% of a total Chinese hamster genomic DNA tracer were hybridized in parallel renaturation experiments. The chromosome 2 library contained DNA sequences encoding dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr), a gene previously mapped to Chinese hamster chromosome 2. No sequences complementary to dhfr were found in the library constructed from chromosome 1 DNA. These analyses are discussed with regard to the current limitations and future strategies for the construction of chromosome-specific DNA sequence libraries of high purity and completeness.
The Vanuxem Collection

The Lardner Vanuxem collection of minerals and fossils, lost since its sale in 1853-1854 to W. M. Stewart of Clarksville, Tennessee, has been rediscovered, along with a catalog of the collection. The collection is summarized in tabular form. The disposition of the specimens since the death of Vanuxem, in 1848, is also discussed.About five percent of the original 6,000-specimen mineral collection still exists at Southwestern University at Memphis. The Vanuxem collection catalog, reprinted by W. M. Stewart circa 1855, indicated a comprehensive collection of the minerals known in the first half of the 19th century.The Vanuxem fossil collection contained some 16,000 sepcimens, most of which were from the Lower Paleozoic (Potsdam Sandstone, Medina Sandstone, Marcellus Shale, and many Trentonianage formations) of New York State. The collection was organized later by W. M. Stewart on the basis of geologic periods. Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, and Tertiary fossils are dominant. No trace of the Vanuxem fossil c...
Stokes drag on self-similar clusters of spheres

Aggregation phenomena in gas and liquid phases often produce agglomerates that appear to be fractals in the sense that the cluster mass varies with the radius of gyration to a fractional power. The creeping (Stokes) flow around the cluster may be represented by the superposition of k single-sphere velocity fields chosen to satisfy the boundary conditions at k points on the cluster. Computations can be performed for large self-similar clusters of k" monomers by decomposing the cluster n times into smaller clusters which may be replaced by hydrodynamically equivalent spheres. The method recovers the correct results for chains, disks, and compact clusters. Computations done on random, connected clusters similar to real aggregates show that both the primary particle diameter and the cluster radius influence the drag. The influence of the primary particle size and other small-scale structure features is lost very rapidly as the fractal dimension increases above 1.3 and the number of monomers in the cluster increases above 100.
The “new masculinity”: Addiction treatment as a reconstruction of gender in Puerto Rican evangelist street ministries

This article, based on ethnographic fieldwork including twelve months of participant observation and 428 interviews with 84 converts and leaders in Pentecostal ministries founded and run by former addicts in Puerto Rico, describes redefined masculinity as a treatment for addiction. Industrial disinvestment and resulting unemployment and drug trade in urban North and Latin America have led to narcotic addiction among Latino and African American men and attendant homicide, infection, and incarceration. Pentecostal-evangelical street ministries are prevalent in these regions. Their alternative vision of masculine honor and power addresses a cultural crisis of men’s social space. They replace the unachievable ideal of the male breadwinner with an image of male spiritual power. In place of the violence of the drug trade, they cultivate male domesticity and responsibility for the home. In place of a deleterious drug economy, they offer the social and cultural capital of ministry networks and biblical knowledge. Yet the trajectories of ministry converts reveal the limits, as well as the promise, of evangelist masculinity as a treatment for addiction. In the course of building leadership among their converts, the ministries create their own, internal hierarchies, fall short of the spiritual democracy they espouse, and lead to relapse among those left at the bottom.
Both maximal expression of selenoproteins and selenoprotein deficiency can promote development of type 2 diabetes-like phenotype in mice.

Abstract Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element in mammals that has been shown to exert its function through selenoproteins. Whereas optimal levels of Se in the diet have important health benefits, a recent clinical trial has suggested that supplemental intake of Se above the adequate level potentially may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the molecular mechanisms for the effect of dietary Se on the development of this disease are not understood. In the present study, we examined the contribution of selenoproteins to increased risk of developing diabetes using animal models. C57BL/6J mice (n=6–7 per group) were fed either Se-deficient Torula yeast-based diet or diets supplemented with 0.1 and 0.4 parts per million Se. Our data show that mice maintained on an Se-supplemented diet develop hyperinsulinemia and have decreased insulin sensitivity. These effects are accompanied by elevated expression of a selective group of selenoproteins. We also observed that reduced synthesis of these...
A whale of a tale: Calling it culture doesn't help

We argue that the function of human culture is to clarify what people value. Consequently, nothing in cetacean behavior (or any other animal's behavior) comes remotely close to this aspect of human culture. This does not mean that the traditions observed in cetaceans are uninteresting, but rather, that we need to understand why they are so different from our own.
Androgens and eye movements in women and men during a test of mental rotation ability

Eye movements were monitored in 16 women and 20 men during completion of a standard diagram-based test of mental rotation ability to provide measures of cognitive function not requiring conscious, decisional processes. Overall, women and men allocated visual attention during task performance in very similar, systematic ways. However, consistent with previous suggestions that sex differences in attentional processes during completion of the mental rotation task may exist, eye movements in men compared to women indicated greater discrimination and longer processing of correct alternatives during task performance. Other findings suggested that androgens may enhance cognitive processes that are recruited differentially by women and men as a function of the task. Specifically, smaller (i.e., more masculine) digit ratios were associated with men's shorter fixations on distracters, suggesting that perinatal androgen action may influence brain systems that facilitate the identification of relevant task stimuli. In women, higher circulating testosterone levels appeared to contribute to more general processes engaged during task performance, for example higher levels of visual persistence. It is possible that variability in the relative contribution of such hormone sensitive cognitive processes to accuracy scores as a function of different sample characteristics or assessment methods may partially account for the inconsistent findings of previous research on hormonal factors in mental rotation ability.
Compositionality in cognitive models : the real issue

L'A. etudie le debat qui oppose les partisans du connexionnisme et les partisans du cognitivisme classique sur la question de la compositionnalite des representations mentales. Il s'agit de reperer dans la philosophie du langage si les representations linguistiques sont elles-memes, ou non, compositionnelles
The surface structure of Pt crystallites supported on carbon black

Abstract Using the high resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques of weak-multibeam dark-field and direct lattice imaging, platinum particles ranging in size from 0.8 to 50 nm were imaged and their surface structure characterized. The platinum crystallites were evaluated for specific catalytic activity with respect to crystallite size. It was found that the rate of electrochemical oxygen reduction decreased for catalysts having a particle size of less than 3.5 nm. We suggest that the dominating (111) surfaces and rough (110) regions on these small particles are less active than (100) and (100) vicinal planes.
eNOS at a glance

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is a critical regulator of cardiovascular homeostasis. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS or NOS3)-derived NO is an endogenous vasodilatory gas that continually regulates the diameter of blood vessels and maintains an anti-proliferative and anti-apoptotic
The Demand for Land: The United States, 1820–1860

The demand for land in the United States was shaped by inherited attitudes and modern asset creation. Immigrants inherited the view that landowners had an enhanced chance of survival in a “starving time.” But the United States farmer also found that by clearing his unimproved acres he could create assets from otherwise idle time between seasonal peaks in the use of family labor. Public land sales in the South from 1820 to 1860 correlate well with variables that reflect expected money return and supply price. Substantial residuals for 1835–1837 chiefly trace to specific policy actions in Washington.
Hispanic ethnicity, language, and depression: physician-patient communication and patient use of alternative treatments.

Objective:To examine the relationship between Hispanic ethnicity and language spoken with physician communication about depression and patient use of alternative treatments for depression.Method:This is a secondary data analysis from a trial of depression screening conducted in four primary care clinics. Patients with Hispanic or non-Hispanic White ethnic backgrounds and those meeting DSM-III-R criteria for current major depression, minor depression, dysthymia as well as those that screened positive on a depression screening instrument (n = 141) are included in this analysis. We labeled those who screened positive for depression but did not meet DSM-IIIR criteria for a current depressive disorder as “distressed.” Clinicians' use of counseling and patient use of alternative treatments were based on patient self-report.Results:Forty-two percent (n = 59) of the sample stated that their physician had either told them that they had depression, treated them for depression, or recommended that they seek help for...
Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children are commonly seen in the emergency department and pose several challenges to establishing the proper diagnosis and determining management. This article reviews pediatric UTI and addresses epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and imaging, and their importance to the practicing emergency medicine provider. Accurate and timely diagnosis of pediatric UTI can prevent short-term complications, such as severe pyelonephritis or sepsis, and long-term sequelae including scarring of the kidneys, hypertension, and ultimately chronic renal insufficiency and need for transplant.
Measuring surface water from space

[1] Surface fresh water is essential for life, yet we have surprisingly poor knowledge of the spatial and temporal dynamics of surface freshwater discharge and changes in storage globally. For example, we are unable to answer such basic questions as “What is the spatial and temporal variability of water stored on and near the surface of all continents?” Furthermore, key societal issues, such as the susceptibility of life to flood hazards, cannot be answered with the current global, in situ networks designed to observe river discharge at points but not flood events. The measurements required to answer these hydrologic questions are surface water area, the elevation of the water surface (h), its slope (∂h/∂x), and temporal change (∂h/∂t). Advances in remote sensing hydrology, particularly over the past 10 years and even more recently, have demonstrated that these hydraulic variables can be measured reliably from orbiting platforms. Measurements of inundated area have been used to varying degrees of accuracy as proxies for discharge but are successful only when in situ data are available for calibration; they fail to indicate the dynamic topography of water surfaces. Radar altimeters have a rich, multidecadal history of successfully measuring elevations of the ocean surface and are now also accepted as capable tools for measuring h along orbital profiles crossing freshwater bodies. However, altimeters are profiling tools, which, because of their orbital spacings, miss too many freshwater bodies to be useful hydrologically. High spatial resolution images of ∂h/∂t have been observed with interferometric synthetic aperture radar, but the method requires emergent vegetation to scatter radar pulses back to the receiving antenna. Essentially, existing spaceborne methods have been used to measure components of surface water hydraulics, but none of the technologies can singularly supply the water volume and hydraulic measurements that are needed to accurately model the water cycle and to guide water management practices. Instead, a combined imaging and elevation-measuring approach is ideal as demonstrated by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), which collected images of h at a high spatial resolution (∼90 m) thus permitting the calculation of ∂h/∂x. We suggest that a future satellite concept, the Water and Terrestrial Elevation Recovery mission, will improve upon the SRTM design to permit multitemporal mappings of h across the world's wetlands, floodplains, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers.
Reactivity of partially reduced arylhydroxylamine and nitrosoarene metabolites of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) toward biomass and humic acids.

Sequential anaerobic/aerobic treatment of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) generally results in the incorporation of residues into biomass and natural organic matter fractions of a system. To better understand the potential contribution of hydroxylamine and nitroso moieties in these reactions, studies were conducted using model systems taking advantage of the biocatalytic-activity of Clostridium acetobutylicum that does not produce aminated TNT derivatives. To evaluate binding to biomass only, systems containing cell-free extracts of C. acetobutylicum and molecular hydrogen as a reductant were employed. At the end of treatment, mass balance studies showed that 10% of the total 14C was associated with an insoluble protein-containing precipitate that could not be extracted with organic solvents. Model reactions were conducted between a mixture of 2,4-dihydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene (DHA6NT) and 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4HADNT) and 1-thioglycerol to test the involvement of the nitroso-thiol reaction in ...
Immune Spleen Cell-Mediated Protection Against Fatal Hantaan Virus Infection in Infant Mice

To clarify the basis of the age-dependent susceptibility of infant mice to fatal meningoencephalitis caused by Hantaan virus, we investigated the ability of spleen cells from immune and nonimmune weanling BALB/c mice to confer protection to syngeneic infant mice. Intraperitoneal transfer of 10 X 10(7), 5 X 10(7), 2.5 X 10(7), and 1.2 X 10(7) immune spleen cells to infant mice 24 hr after intracerebral challenge with 100 50% lethal doses of Hantaan virus (strain 76-118) resulted in 100%, 70%, 64%, and 30% protection, respectively. Even as late as 48 hr after virus challenge, transfer of 10 X 10(7) immune spleen cells conferred complete protection. In contrast, nonimmune spleen cells offered no protection, even when cells were transferred 48 hr before virus challenge. The protective capacity of immune spleen cells was abolished following treatment with antibody to theta antigen and guinea pig complement, but was preserved after the depletion of B cells, a result suggesting that T cells play a crucial role in the resistance of mice to fatal Hantaan virus infection.
Determining where to shop: Fixed and variable costs of shopping

The authors develop and test a new model of store choice behavior whose basic premise is that each shopper is more likely to visit the store with the lowest total shopping cost. The total shopping ...
Fracture of 2D Triaxially Braided Carbon Fiber Composites and Resin Effects on the Energy Absorption

Results from an experimental program to investigate the propagation of damage in 2D triaxially braided carbon fiber textile composites (2DTBC) under static conditions are reported. A methodology is presented in which classical concepts from fracture mechanics are generalized to address damage growth in an orthotropic and heterogeneous structural material. Along with results from the experimental program, a novel numerical technique that employs ideas from cohesive zone modeling and implemented through the use of finite element analysis is also presented. The inputs that are required to implement such a discrete cohesive zone model (DCZM) are identified. Compact tension specimen (CTS) fracture tests were carried out by loading 2DTBC coupons cyclically and monotonically. Load and load point displacement were measured. The crack initiation, propagation and crack path history was recorded using high resolution digital photography. The measurements were used to extract the fracture energy (GIC) as a function of crack tip position. Notched Tension tests were carried out to measure the maximum stress in the composites, which provides the cohesive strength (σ c ) of these composites. The material constants so obtained and the DCZM modeling strategy were independently verified by conducting single edge notched bend (SENB) fracture tests using a modified three-point bend test fixture. The experimental and numerical analyses were carried out for two different types of 2DTBC made from two different resin systems to confirm the usefulness of the proposed methodology.
Pricing combinatorial auctions

Abstract Single-item auctions have many desirable properties. Mechanisms exist to ensure optimality, incentive compatibility and market-clearing prices. When multiple items are offered through individual auctions, a bidder wanting a bundle of items faces an exposure problem if the bidder places a high value on a combination of goods but a low value on strict subsets of the desired collection. To remedy this, combinatorial auctions permit bids on bundles of goods. However, combinatorial auctions are hard to optimize and may not have incentive compatible mechanisms or market-clearing individual item prices. Several papers give approaches to provide incentive compatibility and imputed, individual prices. We find the relationships between these approaches and analyze their advantages and disadvantages.
Vernier SI/PI co-simulation

The majority of time and effort spent to analyze and design a PC interconnect is not well served by commercial SI/PI tools. This paper examines those usage models and suggests improvements that would result in higher adoption rates of commercial SI/PI tools.
Has Market Discipline on Banks Improved after the Dodd - Frank Act?

We investigate whether or not market discipline on banking firms changed after the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) of 2010. If market discipline is improved, we should see a lower discount for size on yield spreads, particularly for larger banks. Using secondary market subordinated debt transactions we find that the DFA has been effective in reducing, but not in eliminating the too-big-to-fail (TBTF) effect on yield spreads. We find that the yield spread for the 19 TBTF banks increased by 155 basis points, but these banks still have yield spreads 61 basis points lower than a non-TBTF bank.
Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Metastatic to Bone

A 59-year-old asymptomatic man presented for evaluation due to a family history of prostate cancer. The father of the patient had died of prostate cancer 15 years after radical prostatectomy. Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) was 16.1 ng/ml and digital rectal examination was suspicious for malignancy with left apical induration. On 12-core ultrasound guided needle biopsy of the prostate histological sections of needle core tissue from the left side of the prostate showed adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 4 þ 4 1⁄4 8, in 5 of 6 cores, involving 80% of needle core tissue and measuring 35 mm in total length. On the right side sections of needle core tissue showed adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 3 þ 3 1⁄4 6, in 1 of 6 cores, involving less than 5% of needle core tissue and measuring less than 1 mm. Computerized tomography (CT) with contrast of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a sclerotic lesion in the left pubic bone, suspicious for metastasis. Whole body bone scan demonstrated focally increased uptake in the left superior ramus, corresponding to the sclerotic
A new synthetic method for the preparation of [(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)(L)(un)]BF4 (L = CO, PPh3; un = unsaturated hydrocarbon) complexes and reduction of the η2-acetylene complexes

Abstract The reaction of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2I with AgBF4 in CH2Cl2 generates the reactive intermediate [(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2]+ in solution which, when mixed with 2 or 3 equivalents of an olefinic or acetylene ligand produces η2-olefin and η2-acetylene complexes in ca. 70% yield. The analogous reaction of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)(PPh3)I with AgBF4 in CH2Cl2 produces [(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)(PPh3)]+ in solution which also reacts readily with olefins and acetylenes to yield new π-complexes. The dicarbonyl complexes are generally more stable than the phosphine-substituted complexes. The η2-acetylene complexes in both systems can be reduced with hydride reagents to yield the corresponding neutral σ-vinyl compounds. Although unstable in the dicarbonyl system, these vinyl compounds in the phosphine system are quite stable and show no tendency to isomerize or thermally decompose to a metal hydride as previously established for the analogous alkyl derivatives. Attempts to prepare cyano-substituted olefin complexes lead instead to new complexes in which the iron bonds to these ligands through the nitrogen lone-pair.
Searching for Sidney Reilly: The lockhart plot in revolutionary Russia, 1918

ON 5 JULY 1918, IN A SPEECH to the 5th All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Moscow, Lenin informed his audience that Soviet Russia had reached 'the direst period' in its then brief history.' In fact, during the next several weeks, Lenin's sombre analysis was more than confirmed by the impact of a succession of untoward events that soon reduced the size of the young Soviet state to a territory roughly equivalent to that of 16th-century Muscovy. In turn, by the late summer of 1918, this grim situation was still further exacerbated by persistent rumours of an impending Allied military intervention in Russia, the ostensible purpose of which would be to overthrow the Soviet government in favour of a new regime willing to rejoin the ongoing war against the Central Powers. In these ominous circumstances, on the morning of 3 September 1918, Pravda and Izvestiya suddenly released sensational front-page stories announcing the liquidation by the police of an apparently vast Anglo-French conspiracy allegedly directed at the destruction of the Soviet government. This plot, according to the papers, was centred in Moscow and was led by the chief of the special British diplomatic mission to Russia, Robert H. Bruce Lockhart, together with his French colleague Consul-General Ferand Grenard and several other Allied officials then resident in Russia. In
Autobiographical Authority and the Politics of Narrative

Autobiographical narratives, which include autobiography, autobiographical novel, memoir, and chronicle, constitute a major genre in African francophone literature. Informed by history, they do not celebrate personal accomplishment, but rather accentuate the group experience. These self-stories rely on realistic representation in order to document events for future generations and function to correct stereotypical misconceptions—therein lies their political consciousness. This article is available in Studies in 20th Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol15/iss1/7 Autobiographical Authority and The Politics of Narrative Renee Larrier Rutgers University Autobiographical narratives have been a major genre in African francophone literature since the publication of B akary Diallo's ForceBonte in 1926. The genre received a major boost during the 1950s and 1960s with Camara Laye L'Enfant noir (1953) and Bernard Dadie Climbie (1956), Un Negre a Paris (1959), Patron de New York (1964), and La Ville oa nul ne meurt (1968). A new development occurred in 1975 when two women's self-stories appeared: Nafissatou Diallo De Tilene au Plateau and Femme d'Afrique: la vie d'Aoua Keita racontee par elle-meme. Although autobiographical narratives have decreased in number recently, they still constitute an important part of African prose literature. In this study we will examine the autobiographical narrative and its social and political implications. First, let us define what we mean by autobiographical narrative. For the purposes of this study it will encompass works labeled autobiography, autobiographical novel, narrative, memoir, and chronicle. How does the reader know that a narrative is indeed autobiographical? Texts such as Birago Diop's four volume Memoires: La Plume raboutee (1978), A rebrousse-temps (1982), A rebrousse-gens: epissures, entrelacs et reliefs (1982), Senegal du temps de (1987), Jacques Kuoh-Moukouri Doigts noirs: je fus ecrivain-interprete au Cameroun (1963), Jean Mba Lenou L'Enfant bamileke: autobiographie (1971), Femme d'Afrique: la vie d'Aoua Keita racontee par elle-meme (1975), Oumar Dia and Renee ColinNogues Yakare: l'autobiographie d'Oumar (1982), Bernard Dadie Carnet de prison (1981), Andree Blouin My Country, Africa: Autobiography of the Black Pasionaria (1983) are obviously selfstories.' It is revealed in the preface to Un Enfant du Tchad (1967)
Communication and power: Popular radio in Nicaragua

This essay investigates the relationship between media and society by applying three evaluative criteria: media ownership and control; professional practices; and social function of the medium. An historical study of Nicaraguan radio from 1930–1990 provides empirical grounds for theoretical claims. In particular, the practice and function of the community radio network Corporacion de Radio Difusion del Pueblo (CORADEP) from 1980–1990 suggests that democracy in the public sphere depends on broad public access to and popular participation in media production and distribution.
Perception of Consonants in Reverberation and Noise by Adults Fitted with Bimodal Devices.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of a contralateral hearing aid to the perception of consonants, in terms of voicing, manner, and place-of-articulation cues in reverberation and noise by adult cochlear implantees aided by bimodal fittings. Method Eight postlingually deafened adult cochlear implant (CI) listeners with a fully inserted CI in 1 ear and low-frequency hearing in the other ear were tested on consonant perception. They were presented with consonant stimuli processed in the following experimental conditions: 1 quiet condition, 2 different reverberation times (0.3 s and 1.0 s), and the combination of 2 reverberation times with a single signal-to-noise ratio (5 dB). Results Consonant perception improved significantly when listening in combination with a contralateral hearing aid as opposed to listening with a CI alone in 0.3 s and 1.0 s of reverberation. Significantly higher scores were also noted when noise was added to 0.3 s of reverberation. Conclusions A consid...
Structural basis for accelerated cleavage of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) by human mesotrypsin

Human mesotrypsin is an isoform of trypsin that displays unusual resistance to polypeptide trypsin inhibitors and has been observed to cleave several such inhibitors as substrates. Whereas substitution of arginine for the highly conserved glycine 193 in the trypsin active site has been implicated as a critical factor in the inhibitor resistance of mesotrypsin, how this substitution leads to accelerated inhibitor cleavage is not clear. Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) forms an extremely stable and cleavage-resistant complex with trypsin, and thus provides a rigorous challenge of mesotrypsin catalytic activity toward polypeptide inhibitors. Here, we report kinetic constants for mesotrypsin and the highly homologous (but inhibitor sensitive) human cationic trypsin, describing inhibition by, and cleavage of BPTI, as well as crystal structures of the mesotrypsin-BPTI and human cationic trypsin-BPTI complexes. We find that mesotrypsin cleaves BPTI with a rate constant accelerated 350-fold over that of human cationic trypsin and 150,000-fold over that of bovine trypsin. From the crystal structures, we see that small conformational adjustments limited to several side chains enable mesotrypsin-BPTI complex formation, surmounting the predicted steric clash introduced by Arg-193. Our results show that the mesotrypsin-BPTI interface favors catalysis through (a) electrostatic repulsion between the closely spaced mesotrypsin Arg-193 and BPTI Arg-17, and (b) elimination of two hydrogen bonds between the enzyme and the amine leaving group portion of BPTI. Our model predicts that these deleterious interactions accelerate leaving group dissociation and deacylation.
Precision and accuracy of oculocentric direction for targets of different luminances

The precision and accuracy of specifying oculocentric directions were assessed by successively partitioning an 8.3° space in the right field into a series of perceptually equal fractional spaces and then matching each partitioning target’s direction in the left field. Three observers performed this task for four target luminances, ranging from 0.04 to 43 cd/m2. The results show that luminance has virtually no effect on either the precision or accuracy of spatial partitioning; essentially no effect was obtained even when, for one observer, target luminance was reduced to nearly the absolute threshold. We interpret these data in terms of oculocentric direction’s role in mediating visual behaviors.
Ablative laser resurfacing: high-energy pulsed carbon dioxide and erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet

The development of the short-pulsed high-energy carbon dioxide laser in the mid 1990's led to the emergence of laser skin resurfacing. Used in the continuous mode, the CO(2) laser can cut and coagulate simultaneously. Used in the pulsed mode, the CO(2) laser is a powerful tool for epidermal ablation in many different contexts both therapeutic and cosmetic. Both the CO(2) and Erbium YAG lasers emit light in the infrared spectrum. Energy is preferentially absorbed by intracellular water creating rapid heating and vaporization of tissue. Because of the wavelength of the Er:YAG laser (2940 nm) more closely approximates the absorption peak of water (3000 nm) the target chromophore than the CO(2) laser (10,600 nm) nearly all of the energy is absorbed in the epidermis and papillary dermis yielding superficial ablation and less underlying thermal damage. The advantages, disadvantages, and applications of each type of laser resurfacing will be discussed. Despite proven efficacy, the public acceptance of laser resurfacing has declined with the emergence of new laser systems that cause dermal remodeling without ablating the overlying epidermis dramatically reducing recovery time. In the absence of blinded comparison studies, it remains unclear whether the clinical results of the newer 'nonablative' laser systems compare with their ablative predecessors.