cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonperturbative effects of vacuum energy on the recent expansion of the universe

We show that the vacuum energy of a free quantized field of very low mass can significantly alter the recent expansion of the universe. The effective action of the theory is obtained from a non-perturbative sum of scalar curvature terms in the propagator. We numerically investigate the semiclassical Einstein equations derived from it. As a result of non-perturbative quantum effects, the scalar curvature of the matter-dominated universe stops decreasing and approaches a constant value. The universe in our model evolves from an open matter-dominated epoch to a mildly inflating de Sitter expansion. The Hubble constant during the present de Sitter epoch, as well as the time at which the transition occurs from matter-dominated to de Sitter expansion, are determined by the mass of the field and by the present matter density. The model provides a theoretical explanation of the observed recent acceleration of the universe, and gives a good fit to data from high-redshift Type Ia supernovae, with a mass of about 10^{-33} eV, and a current ratio of matter density to critical density, Omega_0 <0.4 . The age of the universe then follows with no further free parameters in the theory, and turns out to be greater than 13 Gyr. The model is spatially open and consistent with the possibility of inflation in the very early universe. Furthermore, our model arises from the standard renormalizable theory of a free quantum field in curved spacetime, and does not require a cosmological constant or the associated fine-tuning.
Infinity goes on trial: the imperatives for a sustainable reality

Presents some millennial thoughts on the appropriateness of the nature of work and organizational life in a future we can only sense rather than predict. It seems that it is of critical importance to question the core paradigms with which organizations and society currently identify. On this assumption, organizations will have to experience paradigm shifts that encourage them to view themselves as part of an interconnected, social and ecological network and take these aspects into account in the strategic management process. In order to achieve this, they will need to develop a clear, inter‐generational world view of corporate and social responsibility and accountability in terms of understanding, applying and controlling progress and its associated risks. Concludes that we can no longer make assumptions about the future or manipulate infinity; a sustainable reality will essentially be dependent on how responsibly we interpret and implement progress in the strategic management process.
Small Heroes: in and out of school with 10‐year‐old city kids∗

∗This paper is based on the initial steps toward a fuller ethnographic inquiry into the life‐situations of a small number of African‐American, inner‐city, 10‐year‐old boys‐‐specifically to locate their school experiences in the framework of their larger purposes and general contexts. The opening sketch is a composite drawn from observations of several third‐grade boys in a variety of different urban classroom settings over a two‐year period (1987‐89). This preliminary work led me to the Richmond neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and specifically to Richmond Elementary School, the site of my current study.
A Political Explanation of Policy Selection: The Case of Urban School Reform

Amid the torrent of reform activity in urban school systems, some proposals fare better than others. The traditional technocratic presumption is that reforms are chosen for their educational merit. I suggest that, to the contrary, institutional incentives encourage urban policymakers to emphasize symbolic appeal. Data from a 1995 study of 57 urban districts are used to compare the fate of two school reforms. The more symbolically attractive reform was supported, proposed, and enacted much more widely, although neither research nor observer responses suggested its superiority.
ANALYSIS OF CROSSTIE TRACK IN LATERAL PLANE USING NEW TRACK EQUATIONS

The analysis of a crosstie railroad track in the lateral plane has traditionally been based on the theory of a beam on an elastic foundation, in which the bending rigidity of the track structure is assumed to be twice the rigidity of a single rail, and the ballast resistance is represented by a linear Winkler foundation with modulus k. The traditional analysis ignores the contribution of the ties and rail-tie fasteners to the bending stiffness of the track and the nonlinearity of the ballast resistance. In the present paper the analysis of an infinitely long crosstie track subject to a concentrated lateral load is presented. The analysis is based on the new track equations derived by Kerr and Zarembski in 1981. These equations explicitly account for the contribution of the rails, ties, and fasteners to the bending stiffness of the track. A bilinear approximation is assumed in modeling the lateral resistance due to the ballast. A closed form solution for the track deflection is obtained using the new equat...
The agglutination of chicken erythrocytes with special reference to avian histone.

Attempts were made to fractionate highly purified PR8 influenza virus with the object of finding a chemical basis for the hemagglutinating capacity of this virus. Separate protein and lipid fractions were obtained, but the protein fractions proved to be inactive in agglutinating chicken red cells, and the lipid caused only a mild, pattern-type of agglutination at high concentrations. An investigation was also made of model agglutinating substances. About a hundred substances were tested for ability to causemajor clumping of chicken red cells at pH 7 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Histone preparations obtained from chicken red cells were found to have by far the highest agglutinating capacity of the non-viral substances tested. The histone preparations were characterized with respect to size and shape of constituent particles. elementary and amino acid contents, and sensitivity, relative to PR8 influenza virus, to treatment with ultraviolet light and certain oxidizing agents.
Statistical learning and language acquisition

Human learners, including infants, are highly sensitive to structure in their environment. Statistical learning refers to the process of extracting this structure. A major question in language acquisition in the past few decades has been the extent to which infants use statistical learning mechanisms to acquire their native language. There have been many demonstrations showing infants' ability to extract structures in linguistic input, such as the transitional probability between adjacent elements. This paper reviews current research on how statistical learning contributes to language acquisition. Current research is extending the initial findings of infants' sensitivity to basic statistical information in many different directions, including investigating how infants represent regularities, learn about different levels of language, and integrate information across situations. These current directions emphasize studying statistical language learning in context: within language, within the infant learner, and within the environment as a whole. WIREs Cogn Sci 2010 1 906-914 This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language.
Bank asset allocation: the effectiveness of market monitoring

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of market discipline on banks’ risk-taking behavior based on how swiftly banks respond to market information. Design/methodology/approach – A simplified incentive model provides the necessary justification for two types of market disciplines: first, monitoring by uninsured market participants, and second, risk premium in terms of interest spread required by risk-averse depositors. Panel data regression is carried out for both surviving and failed US banks for the period 1999:Q4-2007:Q3 to examine the role of market discipline, bank capital, and macroeconomic shocks. Findings – The paper finds that banks which failed during 2007:Q4-2010:Q4 suffered from fundamental weaknesses in their asset quality relative to the surviving banks prior to the crisis. Originality/value – The paper focusses on two questions: In what circumstance does market monitoring exist? And how can market incentives affect banking firms’ actions? The first question is stu...
A Model for Fire Spread in Wildland Fuels by-Radiation†

Abstract Fire spread in wildland fuels is modeled as the steady, longitudinal propagation of an isothermal surface at ignition temperature by the process of radiation transport through a uniform layer of randomly-distributed, thermally-thin, radiometrically-black fuel particles. The ignition isotherm is assumed to be a perfect diffuse radiator, as is the idealized planar flame sheet that stands above the fuel bed. An algorithm is described that finds the temperature field everywhere in the fuel bed, the shape of the ignition isotherm, and the fire spread rate. The fire spread rate, multiplied by the heat required to ignite a unit volume of the fuel bed, divided by the hemispherical power flux density from the ignition isotherm, is an eigenvalue of this problem. The approximation of unit emissivity for fuel particles is shown to be robust in the one-dimensional limiting case of an infinitely-deep fuel bed. This limiting case is solved by a different algorithm that takes advantage of the axial symmetry of t...
Modified stability table for 2-D digital filters

A modified stability table is obtained for checking the stability of 2-D digital filters. In this table, the appropriate entries of the first column are equivalent to the appropriate minors of the Hermitian Schur-Cohn matrix. Thus the positivity of the latter matrix requires the positivity checking of the (n-1) appropriate entries for one point, and the last entry, which is equivalent to the Schur-Cohn determinant, is to be checked for positivity for all mod z mod =1. This test is simpler than several others appearing in the literature. >
Microscale effects of light on H2S and Fe2+ in vegetated (Zostera marina) sediments

Interactions between seagrasses and associated sediment pore water chemistry in response to light–dark conditions were investigated in this study. Vertical profiling using a solid-state, gold–mercury amalgam made possible the observation of fine-scale (<1 mm) chemical changes, both spatial and temporal, for Fe2+ and H2S. Sediments vegetated with Zostera marina and nearby (<1 m) unvegetated sediments in Yaquina Bay, OR were studied. The composition of the pore water varied both laterally and vertically, and lateral and vertical variability were similar. The variability was an order of magnitude greater in vegetated sediments. Pore waters in vegetated sediments exhibited a major decrease in concentrations of H2S and Fe2+ in the root zone, relative to dark conditions, with seagrass exposure to light (200 μE m−2·s−1). Similar responses to light–dark conditions were not observed in the unvegetated sediments. These results demonstrate the major impact seagrasses can have on redox-reactive components of sediments near the sediment–water interface.
Comments on ‘ A necessary and sufficient condition for the stability of interval matrices ’†

In a recent paper by Bialas, a new proof of a known result concerning interval polynomials was given. This result is summarized here and a much stronger result is mentioned. Bialas’ main theorem on the stability of interval matrices is shown to be false.
Distribution of alkaloids in angiosperm phytogeny

From the above, it can be seen that, although with only limited data, a study of general occurrence of alkaloids seems to indicate certain correlation with phylogeny. Within the dicotyledons, there is a high incidence of alkaloid occurrence in the morphologically primitive Magnoliales–Ranales complex and related groups, a lower incidence in various phylogenetically intermediate groups and a progression of high incidence in all of the phylogenetically advanced but unrelated groups. Notably, the generally wind–pollinated “amentiferous” families, as well as the wholly aquatic families, are either alkaloid–absent or show very low incidence. High incidence of alkaloid occurrence appears as a general character, for some families or orders. In some families, such as Ranunculaceae, Berberidaceae, Menispermaceae, Piperaceae, Cactaceae, Papaveraceae, and Gentianaceae, alkaloids occur in over 90% of the species tested. In many others, there is also a high, though less pronounced, percentage. On the other hand, in certain families such as Fagaceae, Betulacae, Casuarinaceae, and Juglandaceae the alkaloid occurrence is almost zero. Thus, the occurrence of alkaloids can be treated as a general family characteristic. At the ordinal level, high or low incidence may appear uniformly in all component families of a single order or sometimes pronouncedly in one of the component families. As a general characteristic, incidence of alkaloid occurrence appears to be a useful one for phylogenetic analysis at the family or order levels. Even though, with the limited amount of data available, it is futile to speculate on the significance of alkaloid incidence among the dicotyledons (other than to point out the seemingly definite pattern of correlation with the phylogenetic scale), it may be worthwhile to point out the notable absence or near absence of alkaloids among the “amentiferous” families (which are windpollinated). Further research along the lines correlating pollination and specific pollinators with distribution and structure of alkaloids, together with the morphology, taxonomy and phylogeny of the flowering plants, will be most desirable and may yield interesting results.
Comparison of corn leaf nitrogen concentration and chlorophyll meter readings

Abstract Tissue testing of com leaves for nitrogen (N) concentration is not widely used because it is easier and perhaps more economical to apply sufficient fertilizer than to risk a yield reduction because of an N deficiency. Environmental concerns related to N fertilizer will require producers to improve N management practices to reduce the potential for nitrate leaching. Applying fertilizer N on an “As Needed”; basis rather than using a “Lump Sum”; approach has both environmental and economic advantages. Corn leaf disk N concentrations and SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter readings from N rate studies were compared at silking for a variety of hybrids at several locations. Data indicated that chlorophyll meter readings correlated well with leaf N concentrations for a given hybrid and location. Calibration of chlorophyll meters to determine crop N status may not be practical because of the unique “greenness”; characteristics of different hybrids. However, normalization procedures can be used to standardize the ...
Catalytic effect of sodium 12-molybdosilicate and sodium 12-molybdophosphate on calcination of calcium carbonate

Abstract Several catalytic systems have been used to enhance the calcination rate of calcium carbonate using a differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis (DTA—TGA) system. The sodium salts of 12-molybdosilicic acid and 12-molybdophosphoric acid (Na4 SiMo12O40·x H2O and Na3 PMo12O40· x H2O, respectively) were mixed with calcium carbonate (calcite) at weight ratios ranging from 1:5 to 1:200 and were studied at constant temperatures of 650, 700, 750 and 800°C. The calcination rates (mg h−1) have shown marked increases when compared with a blank of calcium carbonate at these temperatures.
Sustained attention in mice: Expanding the translational utility of the SAT by incorporating the Michigan Controlled Access Response Port (MICARP)

Advances in mouse genetic technology have spurred increasing interest in the development of cognitive tasks for mice. Here, we describe and discuss the modifications necessary to adapt a task for the assessment of sustained attention performance for use in mice, including for taxing the top-down control of such performance. The validity of the Sustained Attention Task (SAT), including the distractor version (dSAT), has previously been demonstrated in rats and humans. This task requires moveable or retractable operanda; insertion of operanda into the operant chambers cues animals to respond to a prior signal or non-signal event, reporting either a hit or a miss, or a correct rejection or false alarm, respectively. Retractable levers did not support sufficiently high and stable levels of performance in mice. Given the widespread use of static nose-poke devices for testing operant performance in mice, we therefore designed and fabricated a retractable nose-poke device. As this device extends into chambers, a hole for nose-poking is slowly opened and closed again as the device retracts (termed the "Michigan Controlled Access Response Port", MICARP). Results describe the effects of variation of signal duration and event rate, trial outcome and trial type probability, effects of mice deprivation levels, and the reliability of SAT and dSAT performance. Mice perform the SAT and dSAT at levels comparable to those observed in rats. This task will be of assistance in expanding the translational usefulness of the SAT and dSAT.
Is Voluntary Pollution Abatement in the Absence of a Carrot or Stick Effective? Evidence from Facility Participation in the EPA’s 33/50 Program

We examine whether voluntary pollution abatement programs in which there is no program-specific participation incentive are effective in reducing emissions below what they would have been otherwise. We use data on facility participation in the 33/50 Program and emissions reported to the US EPA’s toxic releases inventory (TRI) between 1991 and 1995 for a sample of facilities whose parent firms committed to the program. By focusing on participation by individual facilities we avoid the influence of firm level incentives under the program. The mandatory disclosure of emissions data to the TRI avoids the potential bias evident in voluntarily disclosed data. We find that while facilities with larger total emissions were more likely to participate, there is no evidence of greater participation by facilities that account for a higher share of a parent firm’s 33/50 emissions. Although emissions of the 33/50 chemicals fell over the years, we find that participation in the program was not associated with the decline in the 33/50 releases generated by these facilities and the reductions seemed to have occurred for reasons unrelated to the program.
Book review: Advances in Genetic Programming edited by Kenneth E. Kinnear, Jr. (The MIT Press 1994)

This collection of papers arose from a genetic programming (GP) workshop at the Fifth International Conference on Genetic Algorithms in 1993. The intended audience is the intermediate practitioner. While both beginner and advanced level papers are present in the book, I believe that someone who is already familiar with the field of genetic programming will get the most benefit from this book. The papers present a good blend of theoretical and experimental topics in GP. This book is also not just intended for academicians, some of the authors hold regular daytime jobs in industry and indulge in GP research only in their free time.
Pericardial effusion after intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator for acute myocardial infarction

Abstract The effect of thrombolytic therapy on the frequency, time course and sequelae of pericardial effusion after myocardial infarction are unknown. A prospective, serial, 2-dimensional echocardiographic study of patients with myocardial infarction who received recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was undertaken to address this issue. The study population comprised 52 of the 112 patients enrolled in the first Thrombolysis and Angioplasty in Myocardial Infarction trial at Duke University Medical Center. Enrollment in the serial echocardiography protocol was determined by equipment and support staff availability. Complete echocardiographic studies were performed within 90 minutes after initiation of thrombolytic therapy (day 0), and on days 1, 3 and 6. Patients undergoing serial echocardiography did not differ in demographic or clinical characteristics from those who did not. Pericardial effusion was present in 3 of 38 patients (8%) at day 0, in 2 of 44 (5%) at day 1, in 8 of 43 (19%) at day 3, and in 10 of 42 (24%) at day 6. By day 6,3 of 10 pericardial effusions were moderate in size, 1 of 10 was large and the remainder were small. No patients developed echocardiographic or hemodynamic signs of cardiac tamponade. The prevalence and time course of pericardial effusion among patients with acute myocardial infarction who received rt-PA in this study are similar to observations reported in earlier studies in which patients did not receive thrombolytic therapy. Adverse sequelae of pericardial effusion after thrombolytic therapy are rare.
Lawyers Not in Love: The Defenders and Sixties TV

This essay offers a social history and examination of The Defenders as a popular, critically acclaimed television text that negotiated anxieties regarding crime, law, justice, liberalism, and masculinity in the 1960s and 1990s. Both The Defenders television series (1961—1965) and the Showtime motion picture series (1997—1998) by the same name rearticulated enduring tensions between law's formalism and just desires for compassion and mercy, depicting defense attorneys as men who work both inside and outside of “law” to ensure justice and confront the lack of humanism in “the rule of law.” Such discourses are understood and appreciated in different ways in different times, particularly as the cultural politics of nostalgia are engaged. The Defenders offers clear illustrations of the ways in which popular narratives not only depict juridical roles but also perform them, specifying when and where “law” begins and ends.
Orbit of 1976 AA

The orbit of Asteroid 1976 AA is described, with attention given to calculations of its period and its distance from earth, both of which could be accurately and quickly determined by measuring the minor planet's position over wide ranges of hour angle on one to three nights. The geometry of the asteroid's orbit is compared to that of earth's orbit, and the periodicity of the minor planet's approaches to earth is projected. The motion of 1976 AA over an interval of seven centuries into both past and future is also studied; the possibility of its libration with respect to earth or to Venus is examined. Some data on closest approaches of the asteroid to Mars and Venus, as well as to earth, are given.
Noise power spectra of the inductively coupled plasma

Abstract Noise power spectra for the ICP were determined under various conditions, by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) digital techniques. The major noise types observed were white noise, low frequency noise, and high frequency proportional noise. The high frequency proportional noise increased with concentration of analyte and radio frequency input power. The high frequency proportional noise decreased with increasing nebulizer flow rate and coolant gas flow rate.. The low frequency noise components extended to higher frequencies as the resonance wavelengths of the measured transitions increased. Changing the observation height in the plasma determined which noise types were present in the noise power spectrum. At observation heights near the power coils, all three noise types were present, whereas, low frequency noise predominated at significantly greater heights. Changing the torch design changed the relative amplitudes of the different high frequency proportional noise components, but did not greatly change their respective peak frequencies.
Myoarchitectural and functional alterations in rabbit external anal sphincter muscle following experimental surgical trauma

Obstetrical trauma to external anal sphincter (EAS) is extremely common; however, its role in the development of anal incontinence is not clear. We examined the regenerative process and functional ...
Aggregate Sizes and Stability in Cultivated South Dakota Prairie Ustolls and Usterts

Soil structural stability often decreases as the intensity of cultivation increases. The effect of three different management systems (grass, no-till, and till) on soil aggregate stability and sizes were studied in six Ustolls and two Usterts on central South Dakota farms. Soil structure was morphologically described throughout the profile. Stability of dry and wet aggregates in the topsoil was tested by dry and wet sieving. Most structural changes were observed in the top 0 to 0.20 m. Granular structure was dominant under grass, whereas plates, blocks, and compacted layers were most common in conventionally tilled and no-till soils. The largest mean weight diameters (MWD) of dry aggregates were found in no-till soils (10 mm vs. 7 in till and 6 in grass). Wet aggregate stability was higher in grass (87%) than in cultivated soils (70%). After about 10 yr of no-till management, no-till soil aggregates were significantly more stable (5% for wet and 32% for dry aggregates) than till aggregates only in the top 0 to 0.05 m. The structural stability of cultivated soils was greater in Usterts than in Ustolls.
Branchial cleft cyst: an unusual ultrasound diagnosis in an austere environment

Branchial cleft cysts are typically benign congenital cysts lined by epithelial cells that arise on the lateral part of the neck. Ultrasound is useful in situations, where CT scanning and MRI are unavailable. We report a case of a 29-year-old Ugandan male who presents with a unilateral neck mass. We highlight the usefulness of ultrasound in diagnosing a lesion consistent with a branchial cleft cyst, while ruling out other causes of neck masses.
Committed warming and its implications for climate change

Time lags between changes in radiative forcing and the resulting simulated climate responses are investigated in a set of transient climate change experiments. Both surface air temperature (SAT) and soil moisture responses are examined. Results suggest that if the radiative forcing is held fixed at today's levels, the global mean SAT will rise an additional 1.0K before equilibrating. This unrealized warming commitment is larger than the 0.6K warming observed since 1900. The coupled atmosphere-ocean GCM's transient SAT response for the year 2000 is estimated to be similar to its equilibration response to 1980 radiative forcings—a lag of ∼20 years. Both the time lag and the warming commitment are projected to increase in the future, and depend on the model‧s climate sensitivity, oceanic heat uptake, and the forcing scenario. These results imply that much of the warming due to current greenhouse gas levels is yet to be realized.
Methotrexate Therapy for Ectopic Pregnancy in Adolescents

Abstract Study Objective To determine the suitability and efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) therapy for adolescent patients with ectopic pregnancy. Materials Patients with ectopic pregnancy were treated with methotrexate, 50mg/m 2 intramuscularly. Follow-up determinations of quantitative βhCG levels were done on days 1, 4, and 7. They were then seen weekly until βhCG levels were less than 15mIU/ml. Participants Adolescents with ectopic pregnancy (55 patients) received MTX therapy and comprised the study group. They were compared with 186 adults similarly treated. The groups were compared for treatment outcome and for compliance with the rigid protocol requirements. Main outcome measures Treatment success was defined as a patient who required no surgical intervention and whose βhCG levels declined to Results 85% of patients required no surgical intervention following MTX injection. Surgical intervention rates were slightly higher and success rates slightly lower for adolescent patients, but these differences were not statistically significant ( p =.71). Although adult patients were more likely to have a perfect compliance rating, comparison of all compliance categories showed no significant differences ( p =.17). Conclusions MTX therapy is satisfactory for adolescent patients. It is effective, and adolescent patients are able to comply with the requirements of a rigid protocol.
How does calcium trigger neurotransmitter release

Recent work has established that different geometric arrangements of calcium channels are found at different presynaptic terminals, leading to a wide spectrum of calcium signals for triggering neurotransmitter release. These calcium signals are apparently transduced by synaptotagmins - calcium-binding proteins found in synaptic vesicles. New biochemical results indicate that all synaptotagmins undergo calcium-dependent interactions with membrane lipids and a number of other presynaptic proteins, but which of these interactions is responsible for calcium-triggered transmitter release remains unclear.
The Hierarchy of Institutional Values in the Communication Discipline.

La communication en tant que discipline se caracterise par cinq valeurs fondamentales : l'interdisciplinarite, la creativite, la distinction, le pluralisme, l'origine sociale. L'article decrit le developpement de la discipline dans les annees 1980 dans le cadre de ces valeurs et montre l'utilite de ce systeme de valeurs pour l'avenir de la recherche en communication
Automatic validation of code-improving transformations on low-level program representations

This paper presents a general approach for automatically validating code-improving transformations on low-level program representations. The approach ensures the correctness of compiler and hand-specified optimizations at the machine instruction level. The method verifies the semantic equivalence of the program representation before and after a transformation to determine the validity of the transformation. To verify that the transformation is semantics preserving, the method derives semantic effects from the instructions that span the execution paths affected by the transformation. The semantics are preserved if the normalized semantic effects are unchanged. A validating compilation system was implemented that is able to validate traditional compiler transformations and more powerful transformations that modify the branch structure of a program.
Economic Potential for Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary Rocks Near Helper, Carbon County, Utah: ABSTRACT

Exceptionally good exposures of Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary rocks in the western Book Cliffs area near Helper, Utah, allow detailed study of nearshore clastic sediments. The Mancos Shale is an organic-rich, silty shale, interrupted regularly by tongues of fine to medium-grained sandstone that thin to the east. The Garley Canyon and Emery Sandstones, which are the two main sandstone members in this area, exhibit a prograding clastic shoreline sequence from open-marine and lower shoreface to upper shoreface environments. Thinner sandstones also crop out in the area that indicate minor pulses of deltaic progradation and exhibit one or more of these facies. These sandstones pinch out eastward, and are offset by normal faults to the west; therefore, hydrocarbon accumula ion is likely to occur in areas to the west. The coal-bearing Blackhawk Formation is also well exposed within the study area, and is interpreted as a wave-dominated delta complex. Coal-forming swamps were situated directly on beach ridges. Several of these economically important coal seams pinch out westward (landward) within the study area. This stratigraphic interplay between terrestrial sedimentation and the coal-forming swamp environment provides details for refining coal exploration models. Upon completion of regional stratigraphic analyses, thickness variations in Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary formations may provide a more precise indication for the time of crustal uplift associated with the San Rafael swell. End_of_Article - Last_Page 934------------
The Debatable 1990 Luso-Brazilian Orthographic Accord.

RESUMOO Discutido Acordo Ortogrâfico Luso-Brasileiro de 1990Este trabalho examina um caso de planejamento lingiiistico para fins de aperfeicoamento do corpo da lingua: o Acordo Ortogrâfico Luso-Brasileiro de 1990, assinado pelos representantes dos sete paises de lingua oficial portuguesa. Apresenta-se inicialmente um apanhado historico-social da padronizacâo e expansao do portugues, da distribuicâo da lingua no mundo atual e do desenvolvimento de suas normas grâficas. O exame do Acordo e do debate do mesmo e feito a partir da analise das diversas posicoes tomadas por autores/as de artigos jornalisticos e academicos sobre a questâo e dos argumentos por eles/elas usados. Tais argumentos sâo contrastadados com aqueles apresentados por Geerts, van den Broeck e Verdoodt (1977) em anâlise de um caso semelhante. Conclui-se que, apesar da maior parte do debate tratar de questoes relativas a eficiencia linguistica, o Acordo e seus proponentes sâo guiados primordialmente por criterios relativos a eficiencia politica e diplomatica.RESUMOLa debatebla ortografia interkonsento lusobrazilaOni ci tie prezentas kazon de lingvoplanado lau korpusa kultivado: la Ortografian Interkonsenton Lusobrazilan por portugallingvaj landoj, subskribitan en 1990 de reprezentantoj de ciuj sep landoj, kies oficiala lingvo estas la portugala. Oni priskribas la socihistorian fonon rilate la normigon kaj disvastigon de la portugala lingvo, la hodiauan mondan distribuon de la lingvo, kaj la evoluon de giaj literumaj normoj. La autoro diskutas la Interkonsenton kaj la postan debaton per analizo de la prenitaj starpunktoj kaj la argumentoj uzataj de autoroj en elektitaj kleraj kaj popularaj artikoloj. Tiujn argumentojn oni kontrastigas kun tiuj prezentitaj de Geerts, van den Broeck kaj Verdoodt (1977) en ilia raporto pri simila kazo. La autoro konkludas ke, kvankam la debato rilatas demandojn de lingva efikeco, la Interkonsento kaj giaj proponantoj cefe interesigas pri politika kaj diplomata efikeco.
Sponsored Research and Its Impact on Universities, Faculty, and Journals

University promotion and tenure committees use sponsored research to judge a faculty member’s contribution to a discipline’s body of knowledge. Sponsored research is usually a crucial indicator in making promotion and tenure decisions.
Estimation of the composition of broiler carcasses from their specific gravity

An experiment was conducted to quantify the relationships between broiler carcass specific gravity and chemical composition (percentage moisture, percentage lipid, percentage protein). Carcasses of widely varying compositions were produced by feeding several dietary protein and energy combinations (52 to 64% moisture, 0.6 to 2.5% ash, 1.6 to 11.7% lipid, and 4.9 to 8.0% nitrogen). Very strong relationships were found between percentage moisture and percentage lipid (r = -0.969) and percentage moisture and percentage N (r = 0.968). Strong relationships were found between specific gravity and percentage lipid (r = -0.872) and specific gravity and percentage N (r = 0.857). Specific gravity is recommended as a means to estimate carcass fat in broiler chickens.
Gestational diabetes, pre-pregnancy obesity and pregnancy weight gain in relation to excess fetal growth: variations by race/ethnicity.

Aims/hypothesis The escalating rate of childhood obesity is a public health concern worldwide, with children in certain ethnic groups being disproportionately affected. Our objective was to examine the joint effects of pre-pregnancy adiposity, pregnancy weight gain and gestational diabetes (GDM) in relation to excess fetal growth and to identify susceptible races or ethnic populations. Methods The risk for delivery of a large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infant, specific to race and fetal sex, was evaluated in 105,985 pregnancies in the Consortium on Safe Labor from 2002–2008. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate the risk for delivery of LGA infants. Joint effects were employed to evaluate the interplay of three risk factors. Modelswerestratifiedbyracial group considering one,two or three factors (i.e. pre-pregnancy adiposity, pregnancy weight gain and GDM, with 0 factors as the reference group). Results Greater pre-pregnancy adiposity, pregnancy weight gain and GDM were independently associated with increased risk of giving birth to an LGA infant across all races (except GDM among non-Hispanic whites), in both underweight and normal-weight women. Among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women, the threefactor joint effect was associated with substantially increased odds of LGA (OR [95% CI] 11.27 [8.40, 15.11], 7.09 [4.81, 10.45] and 10.19 [6.84, 15.19], respectively). However, for Asian women the joint effect of all three factors (OR [95% CI] 5.14 [2.11, 12.50]) was approximately the same as any of the two factors. Conclusions/interpretation GDM, pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive pregnancy weight gain were jointly associated with elevated risk of giving birth to an LGA infant and the effects varied by race. This suggests that those involved in public health efforts aimed at preventing LGA deliveries should consider variations in racial groups when devising effective strategies.
Islamist moderation in perspective: comparative analysis of the moderation of Islamist and Western communist parties

What forms do Islamist moderation take, and which factors underlie each form of moderation? Although a prevalent question in recent years, less is known about the causes and forms of Islamist moderation in a systematic fashion. By building on the findings of Communist moderation literature, we introduce a two-stage framework to explain variation in Islamist party moderation over time and across space: tactical vs. ideological moderation. Tactical moderation refers to the kind of moderation where radical parties make a decision on whether to accept electoral democracy as a means to achieve ideological goals without compromising their platforms. Structural factors such as political liberalization, international factors and state repression are causes of tactical moderation. Ideological moderation pertains to shifts in a platform from a radical niche to more moderate lines to respond to societal changes (economic liberalization, economic growth, electoral loss and changing voter preferences) to gain greater ...
The interactive effects of environmental enrichment and extinction interventions in attenuating cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior in rats

Abstract Cues associated with cocaine can elicit craving and relapse. Attempts have been made to employ extinction therapy, which is aimed at attenuating the incentive motivational effects of cocaine cues, as a treatment for cocaine addiction; however, this approach has been largely unsuccessful perhaps due to the inability to extinguish all cues associated with cocaine use while in a clinic. Recently, environmental enrichment (EE) during abstinence has been proposed as a strategy to attenuate cue-elicited cocaine craving. The present study used an animal model to examine whether the utility of extinction toward attenuating cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior could be enhanced by also providing EE. All rats were trained to self-administer cocaine while housed in isolated conditions and then subsequently underwent 17 days of forced abstinence, during which they were either housed in pairs or under EE and they either received daily 1-h extinction sessions or similar handling without exposure to the self-administration environment. Following this intervention period, all rats were tested for cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior. To examine whether effects of these interventions persist, all rats were subsequently single-housed for an additional 7-day forced abstinence period, followed by a second test for cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior. We found that although daily extinction training and EE each attenuated subsequent cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior, the combined treatment of extinction training + EE completely prevented it. However, once these interventions were discontinued, their protective effects diminished. These findings suggest that combining behavioral therapy approaches may improve outcomes; however, future work is needed to improve the longevity of these strategies beyond their implementation.
Office cystoscopy and transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies pose minimal risk: prospective evaluation of 921 procedures.

Objectives To examine the outcomes of 2 commonly performed urologic office procedures as a part of a process to align these with the Joint Commission standards to ensure patient safety. We determined whether cystoscopy and transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy performed in the office setting pose minimal risk to patients. Methods An evaluation of urologic office procedures in the office clinic setting of an academic medical center was prospectively performed during 3 different periods to document patient and system events. The patients included those undergoing cystoscopy for workup of hematuria, history of bladder cancer, or other indicated conditions (n = 554) and patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy for suspicion of prostate cancer (n = 367). All consecutive patients were evaluated. Results A total of 7 patient events (0.76%) and 101 system events (10.97%) were documented. The most significant adverse patient event was 1 case of acute bacterial prostatitis due to quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli . In most cases, the system event rate reflected a delay of >15 minutes in the initiation of the procedure. No patient experienced significant bleeding, perforation, or a major cardiopulmonary event. Conclusions The results of our study have shown that cystoscopy and transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy procedures performed in the office setting pose a minimal risk to patients. This information could be useful for hospitals and practices that are undergoing efforts to align their individual policies with current Joint Commission standards.
A theory for the origin of a self-replicating chemical system. I - Natural selection of the autogen from short, random oligomers

A theory is described for the origin of a simple chemical system named an autogen, consisting of two short oligonucleotide sequences coding for two simple catalytic peptides. If the theory is valid, under appropriate conditions the autogen would be capable of self-reproduction in a truly genetic process involving both replication and translation. Limited catalytic ability, short oligomer sequences, and low selectivities leading to sloppy information transfer processes are shown to be adequate for the origin of the autogen from random background oligomers. A series of discrete steps, each highly probable if certain minimum requirements and boundary conditions are satisfied, lead to exponential increase in population of all components in the system due to autocatalysis and hypercyclic organization. Nucleation of the components and exponential increase to macroscopic amounts could occur in times on the order of weeks. The feasibility of the theory depends on a number of factors, including the capability of simple protoenzymes to provide moderate enhancements of the accuracies of replication and translation and the likelihood of finding an environment where all of the required processes can occur simultaneously. Regardless of whether or not the specific form proposed for the autogen proves to be feasible, the theory suggests that the first self-replicating chemical systems may have been extremely simple, and that the period of time required for chemical evolution prior to Darwinian natural selection may have been far shorter than generally assumed. Due to the short time required, this theory, unlike others on the origin of genetic processes, is potentially capable of direct experimental verification. A number of prerequisites leading up to such an experiment are suggested, and some have been fulfilled. If successful, such an experiment would be the first laboratory demonstration of the spontaneous emergence by natural selection of a genetic, self-replicating, and evolving molecular system, and might represent the first step in the prebiotic environment of true Darwinian evolution toward a living cell.
Ethnicity and Gender Stereotypes of Emotion

In three studies we investigated gender stereotypes of emotions among four ethnic groups in the U.S., using persons from these groups as informants about their own groups. European Americans’ reports of stereotypes were compared to those of African Americans (Study 1), Hispanic Americans (Study 2), and Asian Americans (Study 3). The examination of group differences was interpreted based on variations across ethnicities in norms concerning emotional expression and gender roles. Overall, gender stereotypes of emotion were evident among all ethnic groups studied, but European Americans’ gender stereotypes were the most gender differentiated. For example, European American stereotypes held that men express more pride than women do, but African Americans’ stereotypes of pride for men and women did not differ. Similarly, whereas among European Americans, women were stereotyped to express much more love than men do, the gender difference was smaller among Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. These different norms may pose challenges for inter-cultural interactions, and they point to the importance of considering both gender and ethnicity simultaneously in the study of emotions.
The intranuclear location of a herpes simplex virus DNA-binding protein is determined by the status of viral DNA replication

The herpes simplex viral DNA-binding protein, ICP8, is targeted to two different locations in the cell nucleus as part of its maturation pathway. Prior to viral DNA synthesis ICP8 was found at discrete pre-replicative sites throughout the nucleus, where it exhibited a high salt-labile association with the nuclear matrix. During viral DNA replication ICP8 was localized in randomly distributed replication compartments, where it is bound to viral DNA. Initiation of viral DNA replication caused the protein to move from the prereplicative sites to the replication compartments, while inhibition of replication caused movement in the opposite direction. In cells where viral DNA synthesis was proceeding, a minor population of ICP8 may also have been associated with the prereplicative sites. The prereplicative sites may serve as a nuclear reservoir for ICP8 not bound to replicating or progeny DNA.
Influence of mechanical twinning on wire texture in an Al-Mg alloy

Wires of an Al−0.9 pct Mg alloy drawn to 96 pct reduction in area were found to exhibit duplex 〈111〉 + 〈100〉 fiber textures. Transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction revealed that the Ahlborn-Wassermann mechanical twinning mechanism was active in the formation of the 〈100〉 component. The work hardening characteristics of this alloy make it more susceptible to mechanical twinning than a pure metal of similar stacking fault energy. The nature of the boundaries within each texture component and between them is discussed.
Neurological complications of peripheral and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas

To determine the frequency and pattern of neurological complications of T-cell lymphoma (TCL), we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 316 patients with TCL diagnosed between January 1984 and May 1991. Disease entities not included in this study were lymphoblastic lymphoma, primary central nervous system lymphoma, CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and lymphomas secondary to human immunodeficiency virus or human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I. Cases were classified as having direct complications (parenchymal, leptomeningeal, epidural, or peripheral) or indirect complications (paraneoplastic, disease related, or treatment related). Preexisting neurological conditions were excluded. The overall rate of neurological complications was 7.9%. The frequency of neurological complications in peripheral TCL and cutaneous TCL was 17% and 3%, respectively, with at least half of the neurological complications in both conditions due to direct involvement of the nervous system. Direct neurological complications of TCL were primarily due to leptomeningeal and parenchymal involvement. There were no cases of epidural spinal cord disease.