cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation Within The Black Human Race— Paleoecological Sketches to the Nonstarted Study A Theoretical Essay

Instigators of racial antagonism and confrontations-notably the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the United States, the National-Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), and anti-Semites in Eastern Europe-are systematically regrouping, both quantitatively and qualitatively. A Cable News Network (CNN) report from Berlin on August 5, 2000, dwelt on mass demonstrations against the NPD, the German rightwing neo-Nazi extremist group notorious for violence against immigrants, especially the least White. Of late, the hate-mongers have gone electronic. According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, there was only one "hate site" on the Internet in 1995. By mid-2000, there were more than 2,000! Germany's justice minister, Ms. Daeubler-Gmelin, has dutifully called for an international agreement to combat the dissemination of racism on the Internet. For U.S. Black colleges, history is repeating itself. The New York Times of January 9, 2000, reported that more than 12 historically Black colleges in eight states have received hate mail since Christ-
Integrated phoneme and function word architecture of Hidden Control Neural Networks for Continuous Speech Recognition

We present a context-dependent, phoneme and function word based, Hidden Control Neural Network (HCNN- CDF) architecture for continuous speech recognition. The system can be seen as a large vocabulary extension of the word- based HCNN system proposed by Levin in 1990. Initially, we analysed context-/ndependent HCNN modeling principle in the framework of the Linked Predictive Neural Network (LPNN) speech recognition system and found that it results in a 6% increase of the word recognition accuracy at perplexity 402. Significant savings compared to the LPNN in the resource requirements and computational load for the HCNN implementation can be achieved. In speaker-dependent recognition experiments with perplexity 111, the current versions of the LPNN and HCNN-CDF systems achieve 60% and 75% word recognition accuracies, respectively. Zusammenfasstmg. Wir stellen im folgenden eine kontextabh/ingige auf Phonemen und Funktionsw6rtern basierende Hidden Control Neural Network Architektur (HCNN-CDF) fiir die Erkennung von kontinuierlicher Sprache vor. Das System ist eine Erweiterung des wortbasierten HCNN Systems von Levin in 1990 auf ein groges Vokabular. Wir haben zuerst das Prinzip der kontextunabh/ingigen HCNN-Mode!lierung im Rahmen des Linked Predictive Neural Network (LPNN) Spracherkennungs- systems untersucht und eine Verbesserung der Worterkennungsrate um 6% bei einer Perplexit/it von 402 festgestellt. Fiir die HCNN-Implementation konnte eine bedeutende Parameterreduktion und Einsparung von Rechenzeit gegeniiber LPNN erreicht werden. Bei sprecherabh/ingigen Erkennungsexperimenten mit der Perplexit/it 111 erreichten die aktuellen Versionen des LPNN und des HCNN-CDF Systems Worterkennungsraten yon 60% bzw. 75%.
PREDICTING THE LIKELIHOOD OF EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL PRESENCE IN LAKES, A MACROPHYTE MONITORING TOOL

In regions with abundant and diverse freshwater resources, it is difficult and costly to survey all lakes at the level required to detect invasive plants. Effective allocation of monitoring resources requires tools that identify waterbodies where exotic species are most likely to invade. We developed and tested models that predict conditions in which Eurasian watermilfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum, is most likely to survive and successfully colonize. We used logistic regression to model the likelihood of M. spicatum presence or absence using a suite of biological, chemical, and physical lake characteristics which are easily obtainable from public databases. We evaluated model fit by the Aikake criterion and model performance by the percentage of misclassification errors as well as the costs associated with acquiring data for variables modeled. Several models fit our data well, misclassifying only 1.3-11.0% of the lakes where M. spicatum was observed, and used relatively inexpensive landscape variables (percent forest cover in a drainage basin, presence and type of public boat launch, and bedrock type) that typically exist as information layers in geographic information systems (GISs) or recreational atlases. We found that the most important factors affecting the presence or absence of M. spicatum were those that influence water quality factors known to impact M. spicatum growth, rather than factors associated with human activity and dispersal potential. In particular, the amount of forest cover in the lake watershed was consistently important and could control the level of dissolved inorganic carbon in lakes, one of the factors known to affect M. spicatum growth rates. Factors such as the number of game fish species and number and types of boat ramps or proximity to roads were generally less important lake characteristics. Our models can be useful tools for developing management strategies to prevent or slow the spread of M. spicatum and aquatic invaders, such as the zebra mussel, that can attach to it and thus be dispersed. Our models also exemplify a general approach for slowing or stopping the spread of other invading species.
Improved transmission scheme for orthogonal space time codes

The major drawback of the orthogonal space time codes (OSTC) is the limited rate achieved by this family of codes. The known answer to this problem is the quasi-orthogonal space time codes (QSTC) which enables full rate with the penalty of high complexity decoding. Both degrades the performance of a system with high data rate demand due to the use of large constellation size to compensate the low symbol rate for the OSTC and the use of non-optimal but tractable decoding scheme for the QSTC. In this paper we present a way to increase the OSTC code rate while maintaining its orthogonal property which results in low complex decoding and improved performance for high data rate systems.
β-Cell Sensitivity to GLP-1 in Healthy Humans Is Variable and Proportional to Insulin Sensitivity

Context: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an insulinotropic factor made in the gastrointestinal tract that is essential for normal glucose tolerance. Infusion of GLP-1 increases insulin secretion in both diabetic and nondiabetic humans. However, the degree to which people vary in their β-cell sensitivity to GLP-1 and the factors contributing to this variability have not been reported. Objective: The objective was to measure the sensitivity of insulin secretion to GLP-1 in cohorts of lean and obese subjects across a broad range of insulin sensitivity. Methods: Insulin secretion was measured during clamped hyperglycemia (7.2 mmol/L) and graded GLP-1 infusion in young, healthy subjects, and GLP-1 sensitivity was computed from the insulin secretion rate (ISR) during progressive increases in plasma GLP-1. Results: All subjects had fasting glucose values <5.2 mm. The obese subjects were insulin resistant compared to the lean group (homeostasis model of assessment 2 for insulin resistance: obese, 2.6 ± 0.5; le...
Diffuse pigmented villonodular tenosynovitis of the ulnar bursa—A case report

A case report of diffuse pigmented villonodular tenosynovitis involving the entire ulnar bursa and a review of the literature are presented. There have been few reports of the diffuse form of pigmented villonodular tenosynovitis involving the hand as compared to the localized nodular form, which is a common tumor of the hand. Complete tenosynovectomy of the involved areas is recommended.
SSRC support for Educational Research

the different types of support outlined in the preceding paragraph (1 ) This article is mainly about grants for educational research, since this is the scheme which is of interest to most educational research workers, and yet about which there is still quite a large degree of misunderstanding. It is aimed primarily at people who are not very familiar with the SSRC, and attempts to summarise in a few paragraphs the kind and amount of educational research that is supported, the criteria employed for assessment, and some important practical points for would-be applicants.
Effects of Icing on DC Insulation Strength

Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the degradation of dc line and station insulation strength by icing. Curves are presented which relate flashover levels to the degree of icing and the resistivity of the ice, and comparisons are made between the ice test results and fog chamber and wet test data.
Reciprocity and the structural determinants of the international sanctions network

Abstract The imposition of international economic sanctions is a strategic and often multilateral phenomenon of states attempting to coerce each other into altering their behavior by means of economic pain. The interlocking connections of states issuing sanctions and being sanctioned creates a network of interdependent relations and, we argue, the structure of dependencies endogenous to the network is a major determinant of the network's formation and persistence. We consider endogenous structures, both theoretically and empirically, with three foci: the tendency to sanction frequently, the tendency to be sanctioned frequently, and, most of all, reciprocity. The empirical support we find for each of these processes adds a new dimension to our existing knowledge of the sanctioning process, casts doubt upon some previous findings, and opens important avenues for future research.
Children with hyperdiploid but not triple trisomy (+4,+10,+17) acute lymphoblastic leukemia have an increased incidence of extramedullary relapse on current therapies: a single institution experience.

To evaluate the outcome of children with high hyperdiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (hHDALL) treated at the author's institution. One hundred thirty-five consecutive children with B-precursor ALL were diagnosed between 1991 and 2002: 38 (28.1%) hHDALL and 97 (71.9%) non-hHDALL. In the hHDALL group, 11/38 (28.9%) relapsed at a median interval of 2.8 years (range: 0.8–5.0 years) with 9/11 relapses occurring at the end or after the completion of therapy. Three (27.3%) relapses were isolated hematopoietic (BM), while eight (72.7%) were either isolated extramedullary (EM) relapses (n = 6; Testis: 4; CNS: 2) or combined hematopoietic and extramedullary relapses (n = 2; BM + CNS: 1; BM + Testis: 1). For the non-hHDALL group, 29/97 (29.9%) relapsed. Unlike the hHDALL group, the non-hHDALL group experienced hematopoietic relapses (62%; n = 18) more frequently than isolated extramedullary (27.5%; n = 8: Testis: 1; CNS: 7) or combined hematopoietic and extramedullary relapses (10.3%; CNS + BM: 3), with 24/29 (82.8%) of the relapses occurring on therapy. Relapses in hHDALL frequently involved EM sites (P = 0.053). Presence of triple trisomy of +4,+10,+17 at diagnosis had a protective effect against relapse (P < 0.05). Five-year EFS for the hHDALL and non-hHDALL patients was similar, 70.5 ± 7.5% and 66.4 ± 4.9%, respectively. Five-year OS for the hHDALL patients was significantly higher than for the non-hHDALL patients, 92 ± 4.5% vs. 74.1 ± 4.5%, P = 0.038. Biologically significant differences exist between relapse patterns of hHDALL and non-hHDALL cases related to relapse sites and time periods when relapses occur. hDALL relapses continue to be chemo-sensitive. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
FTIR Measurements of N2-Induced Pressure Broadening of Allene (C3H4) in the ν10 Band

Abstract Nitrogen pressure-broadening coefficients have been measured in the 841 cm −1 ν 10 band of allene (H 2 CCCH 2 ). The high-resolution absorption infrared spectra were recorded by a FTIR spectrometer at a temperature of 201 K. The Voigt line profile, convolved with a sinc instrument function, was applied to the fit of the observed rovibrational lines. No regular J or K dependence of the broadening coefficients was observed for this strong symmetric-top-molecule band. The power-exponential-gap (PEG) fitting law and the infinite-order-sudden (IOS) scaling law were modified for the fit of the N 2 -broadening coefficients. The wavefunction mixing arising from the ν 10 /ν 9 Coriolis resonance was taken into account for the IOS law. A total of 180 broadening coefficients measured at 201 K were reproduced with an accuracy of 8.6 and 7.9% by the PEG and IOS laws, respectively.
Relationship Between Physician Supply and Breast Cancer Survival: A Geographic Approach

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, accounting for nearly 30% of all female cancers. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women in the US. During the last two decades, the benefits of early detection, early intervention, and postoperative treatment have resulted in decreased breast cancer mortality in the US general population. However, the distribution of breast cancer mortality varies among geographic regions of the US. The reasons for this variation remain largely unknown. We choose to look for a possible association between the numbers of physicians in each city within the State of Florida and breast cancer survival among women aged 40+ residing in that particular city. Using Cox Proportionate Hazard Modeling, we found a direct association between the number of physicians practicing in a particular city and breast cancer survival in that particular city (P = 0.0153), while controlling for other known risk factors affecting survival. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report an association between physician supply and cancer survival within defined geographic areas. This association shows as physician density consistently dropped in a defined geographic area so did time of survival among women with breast cancer.
Observation of Feshbach resonances between two different atomic species.

We have observed three Feshbach resonances in collisions between $^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}$ and $^{23}\mathrm{N}\mathrm{a}$ atoms. The resonances were identified as narrow loss features when the magnetic field was varied. The molecular states causing these resonances have been identified, and additional $^{6}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}^{23}\mathrm{N}\mathrm{a}$ resonances are predicted. These resonances will allow the study of degenerate Bose-Fermi mixtures with adjustable interactions and could be used to generate ultracold heteronuclear molecules.
Overview of the titan-II reversed-field pinch aqueous fusion power core design

TITAN-II is a compact, high-power-density Reversed-Field Pinch fusion power reactor design based on the aqueous lithium solution fusion power core concept. The selected breeding and structural materials are LiNO 3 and 9-C low activation ferritic steel, respectively. TITAN-II is a viable alternative to the TITAN-I lithium self-cooled design for the Reversed-Field Pinch reactor to operate at a neutron wall loading of 18 MW/m 2 . Submerging the complete fusion power core and the primary loop in a large pool of cool water will minimize the probability of radioactivity release. Since the protection of the large pool integrity is the only requirement for the protection of the public, TITAN-II is a level 2 of passive safety assurance design.
Enzymes of Ethylene Biosynthesis

The properties of enzymes involved in ethylene biosynthesis are reviewed and progress toward the purification of these enzymes is described. The enzyme whose activity usually limits ethylene biosynthesis is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase. Even though its level in plants is extremely low, it has now been purified from several sources. The enzyme that converts ACC to ethylene does not survive homogenization, apparently because it is membrane-bound and because its activity requires membrane integrity. Properties of this enzyme have been elucidated in vivo and in vacuolar preparations which possess the capacity to convert ACC to ethylene.
Effect of drawing on structure and properties of a liquid crystalline polymer and polycarbonate in - situ composite

Fibers (strands) with various draw ratios were spun from the liquid crystalline state of a pure aromatic liquid crystalline copoly(ester amide) and the melts of its blend with polycarbonate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEMI, wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to investigate the structure and properties of the resulting fibers. Mechanical properties of the fibers were also evaluated. It was found that both the crystallite size and heat of fusion of the liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) increase steadily with draw ratio. However, the crystal-nematic transition temperature of the LCP is virtually unaffected by drawing. Moreover, heat of fusion of LCP is much smaller than that of isotropic condensation polymers despite the presence of very sharp dmraction peaks in WAXS measurements. These results are ascribed to the (semi)rigid rod nature of the LCP chains and the persistence of an ordered structure in the LCP melt, i.e., entropy effect. It was further observed that tensile modulus and tensile strength along fiber axis rise with draw ratio for the composite fibers. The elastic modulus of the composite fibers were found to be as high as 19 GPa and tensile strength reached 146 MPa with draw ratios below 40 and an LCP content of 30 wt%. Compared with the thermoplastic matrix, the elastic modulus and tensile strength of the in-situ composite have increased by 7.3 times and 1.4 times, respectively, with the addition of only 30 wt% LCP. This improvement in mechanical properties is attributed to fibrillation of the LCP phase in the blend and the increasing orientation of the LCP chains along the fiber axis during drawing.
‘You Meant Evil Against Me’: Dialogic Truth and the Character of Jacob in Joseph’s Story

This article argues for the existence of two competing voices/theologies in the Joseph story, and that these voices do not line up with traditional source-critical observations. One voice is represented by both the speech and actions of Joseph, the other by the speech and actions of Jacob. The former posits a worldview in which God’s dealings with humanity support a benevolent cosmic order; the latter subverts this view, insisting that God, acting through Jacob, is not above inflicting evil on humanity to forward divine purposes. This reading is accomplished through a close literary examination (utilizing Bakhtinian socio-linguistic categories, primarily) of the discourse and actions of both primary characters.
Controlling overfitting in software quality models: experiments with regression trees and classification

In these days of "faster, cheaper, better" release cycles, software developers must focus enhancement efforts on those modules that need improvement the most. Predictions of which modules are likely to have faults during operations is an important tool to guide such improvement efforts during maintenance. Tree-based models are attractive because they readily model nonmonotonic relationships between a response variable and its predictors. However, tree-based models are vulnerable to overfitting, where the model reflects the structure of the training data set too closely. Even though a model appears to be accurate on training data, if overfitted it may be much less accurate when applied to a current data set. To account for the severe consequences of misclassifying fault-prone modules, our measure of overfitting is based on the expected costs of misclassification, rather than the total number of misclassifications. In this paper, we apply a regression-tree algorithm in the S-Plus system to the classification of software modules by the application of our classification rule that accounts for the preferred balance between misclassification rates. We conducted a case study of a very large legacy telecommunications system, and investigated two parameters of the regression-tree algorithm. We found that minimum deviance was strongly related to overfitting and can be used to control it, but the effect of minimum node size on overfitting is ambiguous.
Computing the minimal distance of cyclic codes

We describe an algorithm that improves on the standard algorithm for computing the minimal distance of cyclic codes.
Discovery of meaningful associations in genomic data using partial correlation coefficients

Motivation: A major challenge of systems biology is to infer biochemical interactions from large-scale observations, such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. We propose to use a partial correlation analysis to construct approximate Undirected Dependency Graphs from such large-scale biochemical data. This approach enables a distinction between direct and indirect interactions of biochemical compounds, thereby inferring the underlying network topology. Results: The method is first thoroughly evaluated with a large set of simulated data. Results indicate that the approach has good statistical power and a low False Discovery Rate even in the presence of noise in the data. We then applied the method to an existing data set of yeast gene expression. Several small gene networks were inferred and found to contain genes known to be collectively involved in particular biochemical processes. In some of these networks there are also uncharacterized ORFs present, which lead to hypotheses about their functions. Availability: Programs running in MS-Windows and Linux for applying zeroth, first, second and third order partial correlation analysis can be downloaded at: http://mendes.vbi.vt.edu/tiki-index.php?page=Software Supplementary information: Supplementary information can be found at: URL to be decided
On the Accuracy of Computed Excited-State Dipole Moments

The dipole moments of furan and pyrrole in many electronically excited singlet states have been determined using coupled cluster theory including large one-electron basis sets. The inclusion of connected triple excitations is shown to uniformly decrease the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) excitation energies by 0.04-0.24 eV, with an average reduction of 0.08 eV. Using a basis set larger than DZP (++)D (double-zeta plus polarization augmented with atom- and molecule-centered diffuse functions) uniformly increases the computed EOM-CCSD excitation energies by 0.03-0.29 eV, with an average increase of 0.20 eV. The corresponding shifts in excited-state dipole moments are more erratic. Including connected triple excitations changes the computed dipole moments by an rms amount of 0.17 au. More importantly, using a larger basis set shifts the dipole moments by an rms amount of 0.52 au, with an increase or a decrease being equally likely. The CC dipole moments are compared to those from time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) computed by Burcl, Amos, and Handy [ Chem. Phys. Lett. 2002, 355, 8]. For 29 excited states of furan and pyrrole, the predicted TD-DFT dipole moments differ from the CC results by rms amounts of 1.6 au (HCTH functional) and 1.5 au (B97-1 functional). Including the asymptotic correction to TD-DFT developed by Tozer and Handy [ J. Chem. Phys. 1998, 109, 10180; J. Comput. Chem. 1999, 20, 106] reduces the rms differences for both functionals to 1.2 au. If those Rydberg excited states with very large polarizabilities are excluded, the rms differences from the CC results for the remaining 17 excited states become 1.31 au (HCTH) and 0.88 au (B97-1). For asymptotically corrected functionals and this subset of states, the rms differences from the CC results are only 0.54 au (HCTHc) and 0.34 au (B97-1c). Thus, the Tozer-Handy asymptotic correction for TD-DFT significantly improves the predictions of excited-state dipole moments. For excited states without very large polarizabilities, good agreement is achieved between excited-state dipole moments computed by coupled cluster theory and by the asymptotically corrected B97-1c density functional.
Construction and characterization of a highly regulable expression vector, pLAC11, and its multipurpose derivatives, pLAC22 and pLAC33

A number of different expression vectors have been developed to facilitate the regulated overproduction of proteins in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. Some of the more popular ones include pKK223-3, pKK233-2, pTrc99A, and the pET family of expression vectors. These vectors were designed to be regulable and can be grown under conditions that repress protein production or under conditions that induce protein production. Unfortunately, however, numerous researchers have found that these vectors produce significant amounts of protein even when grown under repressed conditions. We describe here a new expression vector, pLAC11, which was designed to be more regulable and thus more tightly repressible when grown under repressed conditions. The tight regulation of pLAC11 was achieved by utilizing the O3 auxiliary operator, CAP binding site, promoter, and O1 operator that occur in the wild-type lac control region. The pLAC11 vector can be used to conduct physiologically relevant studies in which the cloned gene is expressed at levels comparable to that obtainable from the chromosomal copy of the gene in question. In experiments in which a bacterial cell contained both a null allele in the chromosome and a second copy of the wild-type allele on pLAC11, we observed that cells grown under repressed conditions exhibited the null phenotype while cells grown under induced conditions exhibited the wild-type phenotype. Two multipurpose derivatives of pLAC11, pLAC22, and pLAC33 have also been constructed to fulfill different experimental needs.
Development of Intermediate-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for Direct Utilization of Hydrocarbon Fuels

Abstract In this study, we compare the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) having composite Cu-based anodes but made with the following low-temperature electrolytes: samaria-doped ceria (SDC), Sr- and Mg-doped lanthanum gallate (LSGM), and scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ). Performance (V-I) curves and impedance spectra were measured using H2 and n-butane fuels at 973 K. The results suggest that the use of electrolyte materials with higher ionic conductivity can lead to improved anodes for direct-utilization SOFC, although the performance of each of the cells in n-butane appears to be at least partially limited by the electrochemical oxidation reaction.
Well Discharge Optimization Using Analytic Elements

Using superpositioned analytic functions (elements), it is possible to directly solve the following well discharge optimization problems in general flow models: 1. Determine the discharge of well A which will produce a certain head or drawdown at location B. 2. Determine the discharge of well A which will produce a specified component of aquifer discharge at location B. These problems often arise while designing contamination remediation systems, designing dewatering systems, or making ground-water resource allocation decisions. Such problems are solved by trial and error with nonoptimized models, or solved iteratively with standard optimizing methods. With this analytic formulation, they can be solved directly. This approach can be used to optimize the performance of a single well or to simultaneously optimize the performance of numerous wells. For example, it is possible to solve directly for the combination of discharges at wells A, B, C, D, and E that will produce specified heads at locations F and G while producing specified aquifer discharges at locations H, I, and J. Applications of the method are demonstrated using TWODAN, a program for analytic two-dimensional flow modeling.
Synthesis, characterization, and X-ray crystal structure of a trimetallic diporphyrin complex

Treatment of two equivalents of cis -5,15-bis( o -[2-nicotinoylamido]phenyl-2,8,12,18-tetraethyl-3,7,13,17-tetramethylporphyrinato nickel(II), [Ni(DPE)-(NH-CO-py) 2 ], with [M(DMSO) 4 ](ClO 4 ) 2 in methanol produces trinuclear complexes, [Ni(DPE)-(NH-CO-py) 2 ] 2 M(ClO 4 ) 2 where M is Pd or Pt. The trinuclear Ni 2 Pd complex crystallizes from CHCl 3 to yield an octasolvate. An X-ray structure determination for NiO 2 N 8 C 56 H 52 ] 2 Pd(ClO 4 ) 2 ·8HCCl 3 was carried out. Crystal data are as follows: monoclinic, P 2 1 / n (No. 14), a =14.378(7), b =23.413(6), c =21.140(6) A, β=105.30(3)°, V =6865(4) A 3 , Z =2, R =0.076 and R w =0.082.
A subspace GLRT for vector-sensor array detection

Signal detection using the generalized likelihood ratio test is examined for data obtained from an arbitrary array of vector sensors. Vector sensors are sensing devices that simultaneously measure all six time-dependent, electromagnetic field quantities at a point in space. A signal model is developed for a point narrowband source with unknown amplitude. The maximum likelihood estimator for the signal amplitude is derived in the presence of colored multivariate Gaussian noise. The detection test statistic and its probabilities of false alarm and detection are obtained in closed form. A non-adaptive transformation is derived that compresses a high dimensional detection problem into a two-dimensional detection problem with no signal loss. >
A Study of Internet User Attitudes Toward Focused Broadcasting on the World Wide Web

Amidst the debate on the relative merits of push versus pull technologies, the role of in- formation dynamics over the Internet in shaping truly compelling use of the medium for electronic commerce is being recognized. Focused Broadcasting, a business model of matching classified and want ads using the World Wide Web, is positioned as an example of a balanced approach whose success may be predictable based on market research and analysis. This article reports on a study conducted in New Zealand of Internet user attitudes toward this type of service.
Alkaline phosphatase mono- and diesterase reactions: comparative transition state analysis

Enzyme-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer reactions have frequently been suggested to proceed through transition states that are altered from their solution counterparts. Previous work with Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP), however, suggests that this enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters through a loose, dissociative transition state, similar to that in solution. AP also exhibits catalytic promiscuity, with a low level of phosphodiesterase activity, despite the tighter, more associative transition state for phosphate diester hydrolysis in solution. Because AP is evolutionarily optimized for phosphate monoester hydrolysis, it is possible that the active site environment alters the transition state for diester hydrolysis to be looser in its bonding to the incoming and outgoing groups. To test this possibility, we have measured the nonenzymatic and AP-catalyzed rate of reaction for a series of substituted methyl phenyl phosphate diesters. The values of beta(lg) and additional data suggest that the transition state for AP-catalyzed phosphate diester hydrolysis is indistinguishable from that in solution. Instead of altering transition state structure, AP catalyzes phosphoryl transfer reactions by recognizing and stabilizing transition states similar to those in aqueous solution. The AP active site therefore has the ability to recognize different transition states, a property that could assist in the evolutionary optimization of promiscuous activities.
Acute and Chronic Regulation of Thick Ascending Limb Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase by Statins

Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase inhibitors, acutely increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and chronically increase eNOS expression in endothelial cells. NO decreases transport in thick ascending limbs (TAL). We hypothesized that statins inhibit TAL trans- port by acutely activating eNOS, thereby increasing NO pro- duction and chronically enhancing eNOS expression. Oxygen consumption (QO2) by TAL suspensions from Sprague-Daw- ley rats was used as a measure of active NaCl reabsorption. Na/K ATPase activity was assessed by measuring ATP hydrol- ysis in the presence and absence of ouabain. eNOS expression was measured by Western blot. A total of 50 M pravastatin decreased QO2 by 18.6 3.4% (P 0.01). In the presence of 500 M furosemide and 200M amiloride, transport blockers, QO2 remained the same after pravastatin was added. Na/K ATPase activity was not different from controls and TAL treated with 50 M pravastatin (0.33 0.07 versus 0.29 0.04 nmol Pi/g protein/min, where Pi is inorganic phosphate). Nystatin stimulated QO2 to 178 13.7 in pravastatin-treated TAL and 195 11.5 in furosemide-treated TAL. The inhibi- tory effect of pravastatin on QO2 was blocked by L-nitroargi- nine methyl ester, an NOS inhibitor. In addition, pravastatin increased NO production as measured by the fluorescent dye DAF-2A. Pravastatin at a dose of 10 mg/kg per d had no effect on eNOS protein at 1 d (24.1 2.7 versus 25.5 1.1 arbitrary units (AU)) or 7 d (24.1 2.7 versus 20.9 1.3 AU). Similarly, at 1 d, 50 mg/kg per d had no effect on expression (24.1 2.7 versus 21.2 3.6 AU). At 7 d, this dose decreased eNOS protein from 24.1 2.7 to 11.8 4.4 AU. It is concluded that pravastatin acutely decreases NaCl entry into the TAL by releasing NO. Pravastatin does not chronically increase eNOS expression in TAL. Statins are a group of drugs that inhibit the enzyme 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting step of cholesterol synthesis in the liver. This class of drugs has been shown to acutely increase nitric oxide (NO) synthesis (1-5) and enhance endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression by endothelial cells (1, 3, 5-9). NO is produced by many cells in the kidney (10), and NO increases urinary volume and Na excretion without changes in GFR or renal blood flow, i.e. ,b y increasing fractional Na excretion (11-13). Similar to NO, statins have been shown to increase urinary volume and Na excretion by increasing fractional Na excretion (14). These data indicate that statins, like NO, inhibit reabsorption of salt along the nephron. The thick ascending limb (TAL) of the loop of Henle plays a critical role in regulating urinary volume and Na excretion, and it also expresses eNOS (15-17). NO produced by eNOS acts as an autacoid to inhibit Na reabsorption (18, 19) by reducing Na entry into the cell via the Na/K/2Cl co-transporter (20) and Na/H exchanger (21) in the TAL. NO production in
Initial health status of patients at outpatient physical therapy clinics

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was to characterize the health status of individuals upon initiation of treatment in outpatient physical therapy clinics. Subjects. Six outpatient clinical sites participated in the study. Three clinics were hospital based, and three clinics were privately owned by physical therapists. Patients who were referred with muscular, skeletal, or peripheral nerve involvement and who were not postoperative were included in the study. Methods. One hundred nine patients completed the SF-36 health status questionnaire, which assessed eight health concepts: physical function, role physical (ie, limitations in role functioning such as duties in the home or at work due to physical problems), bodily pain, vitality, social function, role emotional (ie, limitations in role functioning due to emotional problems), mental health, and general health. Results. Patients referred for treatment to hospital-based or privately owned clinics had similar ages and diagnoses. No differences in health status were found between patients to be treated at hospital-based clinics and those to be treated at privately owned clinics, or between male and female patients. Only physical functioning scores were lower in patients with lower-quarter (lumbar or lower-extremity) disorders versus patients with upper-quarter (cervical or upper-extremity) disorders. All health concept scores, except general health, were found to differ from previously published normative data on the US population. Conclusion and Discussion. A subgroup of patients seeking outpatient physical therapy had lower health concept scores than did the general population in not only the physical domain of health but also the psychological and social domains. These data reinforce the concept that physical impairment interacts with the emotional and social aspects of health. In addition, the health concept scores of our sample as compared with other patient groups who have responded to the SF-36 revealed some similarities and some marked differences. The results suggest that these types of data will provide practicing clinicians, as well as third-party payers and policymakers, with a greater understanding of the severity of the patient's condition. Because the SF-36 provides information on health not routinely assessed by physical therapists, it may be a useful screening tool.
Philadelphia chromosome‐negative chronic myelogenous leukaemia: a morphological reassessment

Summary Morphological re-examination of 25 cases classified as Ph1-negative chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), with particular attention to the recent French-American-British (FAB) group proposals for the diagnosis of the myelodysplastic syndromes, led to reclassification of all but one of these cases. Upon review of pretreatment material, seven of the 25 cases (28%) were considered to represent myeloproliferative and reactive conditions other than CML. Of the remaining 18 cases, 17 (94%) were reclassified as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). These included one case of refractory anaemia (RA), three of refractory anaemia with excess of blasts (RAEB), four of RAEB in transformation (RAEBT), and nine of chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMMoL). Haematological findings in these 17 patients were compared to those in 50 randomly selected patients with Ph1-positive CML. Whereas an absolute basophilia in the peripheral blood was a nearly constant feature in the Ph1-positive group, it was lacking in all but one of the patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Differences in the pattern and degree of dysplasia were also noted. Only one of the 25 cases studied was considered morphologically and clinically indistinguishable from Ph1-positive CML. It appears that Ph1-negative CML constitutes a heterogeneous group of prognostically distinct disorders and the, in most instances, careful morphologic examination will permit precise classification.
Stress Corrosion Crack Growth Rates in Type 304 Stainless Steel in Simulated BWR Environments

Stress corrosion cracking of type 304 stainless steel has been studied with fracture-mechanics-type standard 25.4-mm-thick compact tension specimens in simulated boiling-water reactor environments at 289/sup 0/C and 8.3 mpa. Tests were performed with either constant or cyclic loading. The latter tests used a positive sawtooth waveform with an unloading time of 1 or 5 S, a load ratio R (minimum load to maximum load) of 0.2 to 0.95, and a frequency F of 8 x 10-/sup 4/ to 1 x 1/sup -1/ hz. Crack lengths and crack growth rates were determined by the compliance method; crack mouth opening displacement was measured with in-situ clip gauges. Fractography was used to examine the mode of cracking and to confirm the compliance method for crack length determination. The test environments were high-purity deionized water with 0.2- to 8-ppm dissolved oxygen, and water with 0.2-ppm dissolved oxygen and 0.1-ppm sulfate (as H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/). Two heats with a carbon content of 0.06 wt percent were investigated in solution-heat-treated and furnace-sensitized conditions. Degree of sensitization varied from approx. = 0 to 20 c.cm/sup 2/ as measured by the electrochemical potentiokinetic polarization method. The first heat was tested in water with 0.2- and 8-ppm dissolved oxygenmore » and with 0.2-ppm dissolved oxygen and 0.1-ppm sulfate. The loading conditions encompassed the range F=8 x 10/sup -2/ to 8 x 10/sup -4/ hz, K/sub max/=28 to 72 mpa. M/sup 1/2/, and R=0.95.« less
Interferometric measurements on a triggered plasma opening switch source

Plasma opening switches (POS) have a long history in the pulsed-power field[1, 2]. The key idea behind the POS is to use plasma as a high conductivity, low mass conduction channel that acts as a low impedance shunt until displaced by magnetic fields. The Triggered Plasma Opening Switch (TPOS) at Sandia National Laboratories is a unique device that exploits these plasma properties, and opens by applying a magnetic field to move the plasma on a ten-nanosecond time scale.
Behavioral cusps, basic behavioral repertoires, and cumulative-hierarchical learning.

Much behavior development is cumulative and hierarchical in that subsequent learning is dependent on prior learning. The behavior or behavioral changes that produce subsequent important behavioral changes are referred to as basic behavioral repertoires or behavioral cusps. This progression of learning is called “cumulative-hierarchical learning,” and it may be an important concept for understanding much complex human behavior. Despite its potential importance, there has been little systematic study of the concept within behavior analysis or psychology in general, which limits our understanding of complex human behavior. One reason for the lack of research may be the difficulty in studying cumulative-hierarchical learning and identifying behavioral cusps. Methods to study cumulativehierarchical learning are described.
Measurement of the 6Li + natSi reaction cross section at 18 to 28 MeV with a magnetic spectrograph and position-sensitive Si detector

Abstract The average reaction cross section σ R for 6 Li in nat Si was determined from the 6 Li energy spectrum in a two-dimensional position-sensitive Si detector in the focal plane of a magnetic spectrograph. The average σ R for 18 to 28 MeV 6 Li, 1490±80 mb, is compared with specific optical and strong absorption model calculations. Good agreement is obtained for certain models. This method for measuring σ R may be particularly useful when only small particle fluxes (≤100/s) are available; e.g., for radioactive nuclear beams.
Evaluation of Electromagnetic Radiative Noise Magnetostrictively Coupled to Elastic Vibrations in Steel Pipes

An experimental and theoretical study was conducted on the generation of electromagnetic radiative noise produced by elastic wave vibrations in a steel pipe. Vibrations were introduced into the pipe, which in turn introduced current in a coil wrapped around the pipe inside a larger coil that produced a bias field. Based on the current developed by the vibrations, it was established, using modeling, that the predicted radiative noise agreed with the general range of radiative noise measured by others in similar situations where elastic vibrations were present, even in the presence of stress.
The Role of Anticipation in the Emergence of Language

We review some of the main theories about how language emerged. We suggest that including the study of the emergence of artificial languages, in simulation settings, allows us to ask a more general question, namely, what are the minimal initial conditions for the emergence of language? This is a very important question from a technological viewpoint, because it is very closely tied to questions of intelligence and autonomy. We identify anticipation as being a key underlying computational principle in the emergence of language. We suggest that this is in fact present implicitly in many of the theories in contention today. Focused simulations that address precise questions are necessary to isolate the roles of the minimal initial conditions for the emergence of language.
Divergent Patterns of Variation in Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Alleles Among Antarctic Phocid Pinnipeds

The 4 species of phocid pinnipeds that live in pack-ice habitats of the Antarctic have been relatively isolated from infectious diseases that are prevalent in mammals elsewhere. Consequently, patterns of genetic variability at key immune system loci in these seals might be primarily related to other selective factors correlative with interspecific differences in life history, demography, and ecological niches. To test that hypothesis, we investigated nucleotide-sequence variation in a 162-base pair region of DQa exon 2 in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga), Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii), and leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) from the Ross Sea of Antarctica. We found substantial differences in patterns of population genetic diversity among these seals. Crabeater seals were the most diverse, with 2 DQa loci, 39 distinct alleles among 30 seals, and at least 93% observed heterozygosity. Leopard seals were the least diverse, with only 1 allele detected in 13 seals. Weddell and Ross seals had intermediate diversity, with 11 alleles in 35 Weddell seals (89% observed heterozygosity) and 2 alleles in 42 Ross seals (21% observed heterozygosity). These patterns are congruent with extant knowledge of interspecific variation in life histories, population biology, and ecological niches of these species and consistent with previously reported patterns of microsatellite genetic variability. Moreover, our findings suggest that responses to past evolutionary pressures have differed in each species and that interspecific variation in future responses to introduced infectious diseases also may vary substantially.
New Perspectives on the Information Content of Dividend Initiation Announcements: The Special Case of Information Technology Firms

This paper examines dividend initiation announcements made by firms in the information technology sector. This sector is the subject of intense investor interest and has long been characterized with hyper growth, high margin, high volatility, and high risk. Also, the corporate life cycle of these firms is different than firms in older, more traditional industries. On the basis of a modern classification of the information technology industry, we examine a wide range of corporate performance and management measures to discriminate between the two theories of the information revealed by the announcement of dividend initiations, the signaling and life cycle theories. Our empirical results are more consistent with the corporate life cycle theory of dividends than with the information signaling hypothesis. This finding helps clarify the nature of the information revealed by the announcement. Moreover, it has clear implications for investors who are interested in the growth prospects of technology firms, or for others interested in their prospective stability and degree of maturity.
The Changing Budget Outlook: Causes and Implications

[© Brookings Institution] In this report, the authors trace the extent, causes, and implications of the recent rapid decline in short- and medium-term budget prospects. In May 2001, the Congressional Budget Office's baseline budget projected surpluses of $5.6 billion in the unified budget and $3.1 trillion outside of social security for fiscal years 2002 to 2011. By October 2001, each of those figures had fallen by about $3 trillion. Since fiscal 2002 did not begin until October 1, 2001 the figures imply that almost all of the non-social-security surplus for the coming decade was used up before the decade even began....