cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antidiuretic responses to injected desmopressin, alone and with indomethacin.

Desmopressin (dDAVP) is a synthetic analog of arginine vasopressin which generally has been very effective, used intranasally, in the treatment of diabetes insipidus. There are several clinical situations, however, where a parenteral route of administration would be preferable. Using 6 patients with diabetes insipidus, we have shown a dose-response relationship between 0.5 and 4 μg of dDAVP injected sc. The nonsteroidal, antiinflammatory agent, indomethacin, augments the magnitude, but not the duration, of the response to 0.5 μg dDAVP. These observations suggest that injected dDAVP, generally in the amount of 1 or 2 μg, would be a valuable agent in the treatment of diabetes insipidus and that combined therapy with indomethacin is probably not warranted.
Comparative Analysis of Human and Dutch-Type Alzheimer β-Amyloid Peptides by Infrared Spectroscopy and Circular Dichroism

Abstract The 42 amino acid βA4 peptide is the major constituent of the senile plaques, one of the hallmark neuropathological lesions of Alzheimer′s disease. While C-terminally truncated variants were shown to be present in normal body fluids, a single Glu → Gln change in the 39 amino acid form of βA4 results in accelerated fibril formation in the brains of patients with Dutch-type hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis. In this study we used Fourier-transform infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopies on synthetic peptides to demonstrate that this mutation results in altered secondary structure in membrane mimicking solvents, characterized by a considerably higher β-structure content for the mutant peptide. Moreover, extreme high and low pH were less effective in eliminating the β-conformation for the Dutch-variant than for the normal human sequence.
Inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids on collagen synthesis by mouse sponge granulomas and granuloma fibroblasts in culture

Abstract The basis for the glucocorticoid-mediated decrease in tissue collagen was studied in mouse granulomas and in primary granuloma fibroblast cultures. Injection of mice for 12 days with dexamethasone (0.35 mg/kg body weight) resulted in a 50–70% inhibition of collagen synthesis and accumulation in polyvinyl sponge-induced granulomas whereas total protein synthesis was inhibited by only about 25%. The decreased collagen content of the granuloma was accounted for by both a reduced fibroblast number and diminished synthesis per cell. Growth rates, total protein synthesis and collagen synthesis were the same in granuloma fibroblast cultures derived from control or steroid-treated mice. However, addition of 3 · 10−7 M hydrocortisone to the culture medium caused a 30–50% inhibition of both collagen and non-collagen protein synthesis in fibroblasts from either source. These inhibitory effects were dose- and time-dependent with a lag time of 12–24 h. Prolyl hydroxylase activity was reduced both in sponge granulomas from glucocorticoid-treated mice and in hydrocortisone-treated fibroblast cultures. However, protein synthesis was inhibited to the same extent as the inhibition of prolyl hydroxylase activity and there was no effect on peptidyl prolyl hydroxylation. These results indicate that the glucocorticoid-induced reduction of collagen synthesis and accumulation observed in mouse granulomas and primary granuloma fibroblast cultures is not specific for this protein. Furthermore, glucocorticoid-induced inhibition of collagen synthesis cannot be attributed to under-hydroxylation of collagen prolyl residues.
Effects of anti-NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and anti-cytochrome b5 antibodies on the hepatic and pulmonary microsomal metabolism and covalent binding of the pulmonary toxin 4-ipomeanol.

An antibody prepared against purified rat liver NADPH-cytochrome c reductase inhibited both the pulmonary and hepatic microsomal covalent binding of 4-ipomeanol as well as the respective NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activities, findings which are consistent with previous studies which indicated the participation of cytochrome P450 in the metabolic activation of the toxin. An antibody prepared against purified rat liver cytochrome b5, which strongly inhibited both the rat hepatic and pulmonary NADH-dependent cytochrome c reductases, and was inactive against the respective NADPH-dependent cytochrome c reductases, had little effect on metabolic activation of 4-ipomeanol by hepatic microsomes, but strongly inhibited both the NADH-supported and the NADPH-supported pulmonary microsomal metabolism and covalent binding of the compound. These results suggest that metabolic activation of 4-ipomeanol involves a two-electron transfer in which transfer of the second electron via cytochrome b5 is rate-limiting in lung microsomes.
Attractors of finite‐sized particles: An application to enhanced separation

It is shown in the context of the periodically driven eccentric annular system that small rigid spherical particles advected in a time‐periodic bounded flow can be represented by a dissipative dynamical system with simple or strange attractors. The behavior of such particles differs significantly from the patterns in the fluid flow driving the dynamical system. This may have implications for transport, mixing, and separation in multiphase flows as well as in predicting the dispersion of trace substances in natural fluid media. Numerical results suggest that the sensitivity of the limit sets to parameter values may be used to separate species of particles differing slightly in the value of some physical property.
Genomic Research and Data-Mining Technology: Implications for Personal Privacy and Informed Consent

This essay examines issues involving personal privacy and informed consent that arise at the intersection of information and communication technology (ICT) and population genomics research. I begin by briefly examining the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) program requirements that were established to guide researchers working on the Human Genome Project (HGP). Next I consider a case illustration involving deCODE Genetics, a privately owned genetics company in Iceland, which raises some ethical concerns that are not clearly addressed in the current ELSI guidelines. The deCODE case also illustrates some ways in which an ICT technique known as data mining has both aided and posed special challenges for researchers working in the field of population genomics. On the one hand, data-mining tools have greatly assisted researchers in mapping the human genome and in identifying certain “disease genes” common in specific populations (which, in turn, has accelerated the process of finding cures for diseases that affect those populations). On the other hand, this technology has significantly threatened the privacy of research subjects participating in population genomics studies, who may, unwittingly, contribute to the construction of new groups (based on arbitrary and non-obvious patterns and statistical correlations) that put those subjects at risk for discrimination and stigmatization. In the final section of this paper I examine some ways in which the use of data mining in the context of population genomics research poses a critical challenge for the principle of informed consent, which traditionally has played a central role in protecting the privacy interests of research subjects participating in epidemiological studies.
Roger Myerson's Paean to Plutocracy

Our author doesn't believe Nobel laureate Roger Myerson for a second. No, fraud does exist in free markets, argues William Black. Myerson makes the elaborate case that it does not in his free market fundamentalism of a sophisticated if wrong-headed kind.
A high-NA solid immersion objective for imaging a Blue-ray disc and investigating subsurface damage

Nano-scale resolution in miniature optical systems has been realized in the optical data storage industry. Numerical apertures greater than unity have been achieved in by utilizing the high index material of a hemispherical Solid Immersion Lens (SIL), which increases the resolution of the backing objective by a factor that is related to the refractive index of the SIL. In this research, a custom Hyper-Blu-Disc (HBD) NA=1.4 SIL objective is utilized for high-fidelity readout of data pits beneath a 100μm thick cover layer on an optical Blu-Ray Disc. If realized commercially, the increase in data density could be 3X today’s Blu-Ray technology. A distinct difference between this work and other work with SILs in optical data storage is the relatively thick cover layer of 100μm. Recently, there has been interest in discovering new ways to apply the technology and methods used in optical data storage for other means. The inherent design of the HBD objective to image through a shallow layer of dielectric material may lend itself to be used as an effective means for characterizing subsurface damage in optical materials. This research will furthermore investigate the HBD objective as a means of detecting subsurface damage.
An electrically and mechanically self-healing composite with pressure- and flexion-sensitive properties for electronic skin applications

Pressure sensitivity and mechanical self-healing are two vital functions of the human skin. A flexible and electrically conducting material that can sense mechanical forces and yet be able to self-heal repeatably can be of use in emerging fields such as soft robotics and biomimetic prostheses, but combining all these properties together remains a challenging task. Here, we describe a composite material composed of a supramolecular organic polymer with embedded nickel nanostructured microparticles, which shows mechanical and electrical self-healing properties at ambient conditions. We also show that our material is pressure- and flexion-sensitive, and therefore suitable for electronic skin applications. The electrical conductivity can be tuned by varying the amount of nickel particles and can reach values as high as 40 S cm−1. On rupture, the initial conductivity is repeatably restored with ∼90% efficiency after 15 s healing time, and the mechanical properties are completely restored after ∼10 min. The composite resistance varies inversely with applied flexion and tactile forces. These results demonstrate that natural skin's repeatable self-healing capability can be mimicked in conductive and piezoresistive materials, thus potentially expanding the scope of applications of current electronic skin systems. A supramolecular polymer with embedded nanostructured Ni particles shows mechanical and electrical self-healing capabilities as well as piezoresistive properties, making it a good candidate for electronic skin applications.
Mammalian β-polymerase promoter: phosphorylation of ATF/CRE-binding protein and regulation of DNA binding

The gene for the mammalian DNA repair enzyme DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) is constitutively expressed in most cells, but is regulated in a tissue-specific fashion and can be induced in response to some types of DNA damaging agents. The promoter for the human beta-pol gene has been characterized and found to be TATA-less, but it does have multiple GC boxes and one ATF/CRE-binding site located within 50 residues 5' of the major mRNA start site. The ATF/CRE-binding site has been found to be essential for activity of the cloned promoter. We report that a bovine testes DNA-binding protein with specificity for the beta-pol promoter ATF/CRE-binding site is phosphorylated in vivo and contains several phosphorylation sites. Sequence specific DNA-binding by the purified protein is reduced when the natural protein is dephosphorylated or when it is hyperphosphorylated by protein kinase A (cKA) in vitro. These results suggest the possibility that phosphorylation systems may change binding of this ATF/CRE-binding protein to the beta-pol promoter and in turn modulate the promoter. Possible correlation of the results with transient expression activity of the cloned beta-pol promoter fusion gene was obtained in 293 cells. Cotransfection with a cKA expression plasmid to elevate phosphorylation was found to strongly reduce promoter activity.
Dissolved oxygen dynamics of streams draining an urbanized and an agricultural catchment

The extreme value method (EVM), based on the maximum and minimum dissolved oxygen (DO) deficits, was derived to estimate metabolism rates (photosynthesis and respiration) in streams. The proposed method was applied to DO concentrations that were measured in two creeks located in urbanized and agricultural watersheds, respectively. The results obtained by the EVM agree with the delta method used for the estimation of metabolism rates in streams. Diurnal DO variations were explained using a DO mass balance equation with the estimated daily metabolism rates. A comparison between the metabolism rates obtained in two creeks indicates that the creek located in a non-urban watershed has higher metabolism rates than the creek located in an urban watershed. The non-urban creek was periodically autotrophic, and the urban creek was heterotrophic during the measurement period. Simulations conducted by using 1-day metabolism rates and augmenting the basic DO mass balance equation with the dimensionless relationships between the metabolism rate and discharge in creeks followed actual diurnal DO concentrations measured in the streams.
How SPC can help cut costs

Many companies use Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts to manage and control quality. But they also provide valuable signals about why your company incurs costs—and reveal opportunities to cut costs. So SPC can help you implement many different types of cost-reduction strategies. The author explains the basics of SPC and shows how you can use it to spot opportunities to reduce costs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risk factors for and sequelae of headaches in schoolchildren with clinical implications from a psychosocial perspective.

Functional headache, by definition, is a headache not associated with organic diseases. It is a common symptom in school children and can cause potentially serious health problems, affecting their growth and development. Therefore, this report synthesizes the literature about functional headaches in schoolchildren from a psychosocial perspective. This report examines the research on risk factors and sequelae of headaches in children, presents a framework to guide the conceptualization of this phenomenon, and suggests an application of this framework for clinical practice. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Body Size Effects on the Acoustic Structure of Pigtail Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) Screams

Scream vocalizations produced by pigtail macaques during agonistic encounters were classified according to caller body weight (small, medium, large) on the basis of six frequency-related acoustic variables using direct discriminant analysis. Separate discriminant analyses were run for: 1. calls produced when the attack involved an opponent higher-ranking than the victim and contact occurred, and 2. calls produced when the opponent was higher-ranking, but no contact occurred. Screams were correctly classified as to the caller's weight class at levels significantly above those expected by chance alone. Screams given during contact aggression were classified significantly better than those given in the absence of contact. The effect of greater arousal level (fear) on the frequency range of calls may account for this difference. Macaque screams are representational signals that are important in the solicitation of agonistic aid from allies in the social group. That a relationship between body size and the frequency of screams is nonetheless evident argues for the fundamental nature of the relationship.
THE RELATIVE REACTION WITHIN LIVING MAMMALIAN TISSUES : I. GENERAL FEATURES OF VITAL STAINING WITH LITMUS.

The present paper is the first of a series of reports on the relative reaction of living tissues as determined by vital staining with indicators. It is possible to bring about a localized and a general coloration of living rats and mice with litmus. The animals remain in good health and the coloration of some of the tissues persists for months. Much of the dye is stored in cell granules, especially in those of the reticulo-endothelial elements, but a diffuse staining of certain tissues occurs, notably of bone, epidermis, cartilage, and connective tissue everywhere. In the intensity and localization of the bony coloration litmus has resemblances to madder. Diffuse staining with it renders blue most, if not all, of the tissues affected, while a granular staining causes others to become notably pink, owing to the fact that the indicator, though introduced into the organism in the blue form and circulating as such in the body fluids, is ordinarily red when stored in cells. The polymorphonuclear elements and macrophages of a peritoneal exudate, may become so laden with material colored red by litmus that the blue color of the fluid constituent is masked and the exudate appears a deep, turbid red. The phenomenon is but one manifestation of a notable acidity within cell granules throughout the organism. Like many another in the stained animals it would appear to be of physiological import. Some of the questions suggested by the work will be dealt with in the paper immediately following.
Unified Representations of Nonlinear Splines

Golomb and Jerome's framework is modified and extended. The new framework is more general since it also handles interpolants which are not allowed to “slide” at the nodes. The space of interpolants of variable length is shown to be a smooth manifold. If the length is fixed, and there are no nodes, then the space of interpolants is a manifold. When there is at least one node, and at least one node is not on the line segment between the endpoints, then the space of interpolants of fixed length is a smooth manifold. Sufficient conditions are given which ensure the space of interpolants continues to be a smooth manifold in the presence of additional constraints such as clamping and pinning. A new fundamental finite-dimensional equation is derived. When it is solved it yields all nonlinear splines, and every nonlinear spline appears in this way. An important feature is that the same symbolic equation is used for all possible combinations of the constraints considered. It is shown how to take the solutions of the fundamental equation and use them to express the corresponding nonlinear splines in terms of a pair of elliptic functions. An inequality is derived that specifies which elliptic function appears along each section of the spline. The nonlinear splines are in a unified way shown to beC2for all possible combinations of the constraints considered.
The Chloroplast trnT – trnF Region in the Seed Plant Lineage Gnetales

The trnT–trnF region is located in the large single-copy region of the chloroplast genome. It consists of the trnL intron, a group I intron, and the trnT–trnL and trnL–trnF intergenic spacers. We analyzed the evolution of the region in the three genera of the gymnosperm lineage Gnetales (Gnetum, Welwitschia, and Ephedra), with especially dense sampling in Gnetum for which we sequenced 41 accessions, representing most of the 25–35 species. The trnL intron has a conserved secondary structure and contains elements that are homologous across land plants, while the spacers are so variable in length and composition that homology cannot be found even among the three genera. Palindromic sequences that form hairpin structures were detected in the trnL–trnF spacer, but neither spacer contained promoter elements for the tRNA genes. The absence of promoters, presence of hairpin structures in the trnL–trnF spacer, and high sequence variation in both spacers together suggest that trnT and trnF are independently transcribed. Our model for the expression and processing of the genes tRNAThr(UGU), tRNALeu(UAA), and tRNAPhe (GAA) therefore attributes the seemingly neutral evolution of the two spacers to their escape from functional constraints.
DISCRETE RELAXATION TIMES IN NEUTRON THERMALIZATION

On the basis of the Van Hove theory, an analysis is given of those properties of the neutron-scattering law which influence the decay constants (the reciprocal relaxation times) in neutron thermalization. It is shown how the known differences in the long-time behavior of the correlation functions for a gas, a liquid, and a solid are reflected in the different behavior of the differential cross sections at low energies. This behavior ultimately determines the general character of the spectrum of decay constants for a uniform neutron distribution in an infinite medium. For a gaseous moderator, either there is an infinite set of discrete decay constants, strongly accumulating towards the lower limit ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{*}=min[v\ensuremath{\Sigma}(v)]$ of the continuous spectrum, or else the spectrum below ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{*}$ is empty altogether. On the other hand, for a solid, the set of discrete decay constants is always finite, or possibly empty. The liquid appears to allow, in principle, all three possibilities, but normally the spectrum is expected to resemble that of a solid. In any case, the existence of the lowest decay constant ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}$ (and hence the existence of an infinite set for a gas) is trivial whenever absorption is absent or of the $\frac{1}{v}$ kind. Only an absorption rate $v{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{a}(v)$ which strongly increased in the small-$v$ region could cause the complete disappearance of the discrete spectrum. In this event any initial neutron distribution slowly evolves towards a singular distribution containing a $\ensuremath{\delta}(v)$ term, or some weaker singularity, and the decay rate approaches ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{*}$.
The proper evaluation of bile acid mutagenicity by a fluctuation test.

Commentaire de l'article de Venitt et al. (1987): «Lack of mutagenic activite of bile acids in bacterial fluctuation test», et reponse des auteurs
Improving Frequency Management to Facilitate Global Communications

In summary, then, I would note first the similarity between the United States and international frequency management problems. We are dealing with substantially sovereign groups in each instance. We should apply the improved management processes indicated to each of the groups of administrative facilities. As the decision is made that each step is complete, we can move to the next. All along the way, we should make maximum use of the work already done, for example, the President's Communication Policy Board Report. Frequencies will never become finally "managed." The management process is never complete. The process is a dynamic one -- analysis, proposal, trial, evaluation, modification, new trial, evaluation, etc. If this process is followed, however, it does appear that the objective stated at the beginning of this paper will be more nearly realized, that is, that the use of radio frequencies may provide maximum satisfaction to the users compatible with equitable means for settlement of dissatisfactions which may arise from time to time.
Tetracyanoquinodimethane mediated glucose sensor based on a self-assembling alkanethiol/phospholipid bilayer

An amperometric tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) mediated biosensor for glucose is described, based on a self-assembling alkanethiol/phospholipid bilayer laid down onto a gold surface. Gold was sputter deposited onto chromium coated silicon wafers to a thickness of 200 nm. A monolayer of alkanethiol was allowed to self-assemble from an ethanolic solution of dodecanethiol onto a freshly cleaned gold electrode in an overnight incubation. The monolayer was characterized by ellipsometric, impedance and cyclic voltammetry measurements (capacitance = 1.60 +/- 0.06 microF/cm2, and thickness 1.34 +/- 0.15 nm). A mixture of phospholipid liposomes containing free amino groups was placed on the monolayer and allowed to incubate overnight. The self-assembly of a phospholipid monolayer and allowed to incubate overnight. The onto the alkanethiol monolayer, resulted in the formation of a bilayer. The formation of bilayer was again characterized by impedance and cyclic voltammetry measurements (capacitance = 0.98 +/- 0.09 microF/cm2, and thickness = 1.85 +/- 0.22 nm). TCNQ has been incorporated into the liposomes before the formation of the bilayer. Glucose oxidase was cross-linked with the amino-groups of the phospholipids using bis [2-(sulphosuccinimiidooxicarbonyloxy) ethyl] sulphone. TCNQ which was incorporated in the bilayer acted as an efficient mediator to regenerate glucose oxidase. Cyclic voltammetry of the modified electrode and a response curve for the glucose sensor are reported.
Venous thromboembolism: EINSTEIN transforms anticoagulant therapy in acute PE.

The EINSTEIN-PE trial showed that rivaroxaban has equal efficacy and a lower rate of bleeding than coumarins in the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. We anticipate regulatory and consumer acceptance for rivaroxaban, representing the first new anticoagulant treatment for venous thromboembolism since the introduction of warfarin compounds 50 years ago.
Synthesis of 15N,15N‐imidazoleacetic acid

15N,15N-imidazoleacetic acid was synthesized from 15N, 15N-DL-histidine (>99 atom % 15N). The latter, oxidized with sodium hypochiorite, formed 15N,15N-imidazoleacetonitrile. The free acid was prepared after acid hydrolysis of the nitrile, elution from an anion exchange column with acetic acid, then drying. Formation of by-product(s), produced when other methods were used, and which may contaminate some commercial sources of imidazoleacetic acid, was avoided with this method.
Personalized Search Based on a User-Centered Recommender Engine

Designing personalized search engines based on a recommender system that takes into consideration the user situated moment in relation to the subject matter and the context that governs user interest has been largely ignored. In this paper, we present a novel approach to integrating user interests into search within a recommender system that is guided by the semantic representation of the user and the content. In addition, our research tackles two problems of creating any recommender system: (a) the initial stage problem (how to provide recommendations to a user if the system hasn't been used yet) and (b) user context (providing the same user with different recommendations based on the context of their recent activity). Also the design of our recommender system is modular. It integrates and accommodates user's preferences by using User Relevance Feedback. Finally, we describe how the personalization aspects can increase the recommendation quality.
The Youth Ministry Mission Trip as Global Tourism: Are we OK with this?

Abstract: This article explores the rise of the short-term mission trip in youth ministry. It argues that this escalation has much to do with transformations of globalization. This reality requires that the mission trip confront the conundrum of dealing with dichotomies between its service and its tourist activities. By exploring the work of sociologist Zygmunt Bauman we see why we face such dichotomies. The article concludes by providing some theological thoughts connected to Karl Barth's theology of the word that might help us move past these tensions between global service and global tourism.
“Delayed Response” as Tested by three Methods and its Relation to Other Learning Situations

(1940). “Delayed Response” as Tested by three Methods and its Relation to Other Learning Situations. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 103-130.
The Effects of a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist on Ovulation and Steroidogenesis during Perfusion of Rabbit and Rat Ovaries in vitro*

The ability of a GnRH agonist (GnRHa) to exert direct effects on rat and rabbit ovaries was examined in vitro. Ovaries of estrous rabbits and immature, PMSG-primed rats were surgically removed and perfused with a defined medium via an aortic cannula. In this system, the ovary remains viable and capable of undergoing ovulation in response to LH. Samples of perfusion medium were taken for steroid measurements and the number of ovulations determined by direct observation (rabbit) or oocyte recovery (rat). Follicles of ovaries perfused with medium alone rarely ovulated. GnRHa (0.1 μg/ml) induced ovulations in 6 of 7 rat ovaries (4 to 22 ovulations per ovulating ovary) and this effect was blocked by a GnRH antagonist. In contrast, a much higher dose of the agonist (10 μg/ml) induced ovulations in only 7 of 15 rabbit ovaries. GnRHa caused small but significant increases in progesterone levels in the perfusion medium in both species in comparison to no treatment. Mean estradiol levels also tended to be higher in...
Rabi cycling of two pulses in a mode-locked ring laser cavity with electro-optical control

The intensities of the circulating pulses in a mode-locked ring laser are shown to be analogous to the population transfer (Rabi cycle) in a two-level system. We present an experimental demonstration of this analogy.
Viewing lepton mixing through the Cabibbo haze

I explore the hypothesis that the Cabibbo angle is an expansion parameter for lepton as well as quark mixing. Cabibbo effects are deviations from zero mixing for the quarks but are deviations from unknown mixings for the leptons, such that lepton mixing is veiled by a Cabibbo haze. I present a systematic classification of parametrizations and catalog the leading order effects. This phenomenological approach has practical merit both as a method for organizing top-down flavor models and as a guideline for planning future experiments.
Lateral constraint in a cracked, three dimensional elastic body

Three dimensional elastic body fracture analysis, considering lateral constraint factor contour plots
Soil nitrogen mineralization not affected by grass species traits

Species N use traits was evaluated as a mechanism whereby Bromus inermis (Bromus), an established invasive, might alter soil N supply in a Northern mixed-grass prairie. We compared soils under stands of Bromus with those from three representative native grasses of different litter C/N: Andropogon gerardii (Andropogon), Nassella viridula (Nassella) and Pascopyrum smithii (Pascopyrum); in ascending order of litter quality. Net mineralization (per g soil N) measured in year-long laboratory incubations showed no differences in comparisons of Bromus with two of the three native grasses: Andropogon and Nassella. Higher mineralization in Pascopyrum stands relative to Bromus was consistent with its higher litter quality. However, an unusually high occurrence of an N-fixing legume in Pascopyrum stands, potentially favoring high mineralization rates, confounded any conclusions regarding the effects of plant N use on N mineralization. Instead of an initial flush of net mineralization, as would be expected in laboratory incubation, we observed an initial lag phase. This lag in net N mineralization coincided with high microbial activity (respiration) that suggests strong N limitation of the microbial biomass. Further support for the importance of immobilization initially came from modeling mineralization dynamics, which was explained better when we accounted for microbial growth in our model. The absence of strong differences in net mineralization beneath these grasses suggests that differences in plant N use alone were unlikely to influence soil N mineralization through substrate quality, particularly under strong N control of the microbial biomass.
Ongherese, Fandango, and Polonaise: National Dance as Classical-Era Topic

National dances—or “character” dances—have remained on the periphery of studies of the eighteenth-century musical vocabulary of topics and styles, much as the countries from which they hailed were viewed as tangential to the European mainstream. Yet, dances such as the ongherese, fandango, and polonaise carried affective content beyond their nationality. The stereotypes associated with these three countries—Hungary, Spain, and Poland, respectively—illuminate what composers sought to project in their uses of such dances. The ongherese had a dual cultural significance, evoking both Hungarian national pride and the fierce independence of the Gypsies who usually played it—eventually developing into what became the nineteenth-century style hongrois. The use of the fandango went beyond local color to imply the more negative elements of an older Spanish stereotype—including arrogance, haughtiness, and the unbridled exercise of power—both directly and as mocking irony. In contrast, the polonaise—as a noble presen...
The nature of the polypeptide chain termination signal.

Abstract An experiment was carried out to test whether UAA and UAG are used as termination signals for polypeptide synthesis in Escherichia coli . Amber and ochre mutants which suppress these triplets for premature polypeptide chain termination by inserting tyrosine residues were used. We have detected the misreading of the natural chain termination signals by measuring the amount of extra C-terminal tyrosine inserted by tyrosine-inserting UAA and UAG suppressor strains of E. coli . The experiment was designed to yield a positive result only if there is a termination signal in addition to the UAA or UAG termination triplet. The experiments show that UAG as well as UAA is used as a natural polypeptide chain-termination triplet. Sometimes these triplets are immediately followed by an additional termination signal. It is suggested that polypeptide chain-termination signals are often two nonsense triplets in tandem, as observed in the case of the R17 coat gene by Nichols (1970). In the course of carrying out these experiments, we found that the amino acid distribution at the C-terminus of E. coli proteins seems to be about the same as the natural abundance of the amino acids in total protein. In addition, the proteins of strains containing a nonsense suppressor transfer RNA do not have a measurably larger molecular weight distribution than wild-type E. coli .
The Limitations of Self‐Paced Instruction in Latin

After four years of experimentation with self-paced instruction in elementary and intermediate latin at The Ohio State University, evidence has demonstrated that this mode of instruction works quite well at the skill-building levels of the language, but becomes unwieldy and ineffective at the intermediate levels. Part of the reason for this result is the fact that most Latin programs expect to have the students reading continuous prose by at least the third or fourth term of study. The transition from grammar and syntax to reading comprehension seems to work best in the classroom, where students can learn more from a group effort than they could from a one-to-one meeting with an instructor. Likewise, the self-paced program at the intermediate levels becomes much more of a tutorial, in which time is consumed in a most inefficient manner, since the same material will have to be covered by an instructor with individual students rather than with groups.
Psychological Contracts and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Employee Responses to Transactional and Relational Breach

Purpose This study extends the research on counterproductive work behavior (CWB) by examining the psychological contract breaches that trigger employee CWB. Specifically, we explored the relationship between transactional and relational contract breach and five forms of CWB (abuse, production deviance, sabotage, theft, and withdrawal). Further, we considered the role of situational and individual factors that mitigate CWB engagement and examined the moderating effects of organizational policies meant to deter CWB and personality (conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability).
The Effect of Temporal Resolution on the Accuracy of Forecasting Models for Total System Demand

Abstract This paper examines the practical implications of using telemetry data at temporal resolutions ranging from finest to coarsest to accurately forecast daily water consumption.The algorithm implemented performs a new fit for every model following a sliding- window approach where new parameters are estimated and forecasts are generated every 24 h. Models with weekly periodic structures are found to more efficiently remove the autocorrelations with respect to models of the daily periodic type. In addition, it is observed that smaller estimation windows positively affect the ability of the models to adapt to sudden changes in the water demand time series. The daily stochastic model structure in combination with the selected estimation characteristics are shown to significantly improve the production estimates for the water utility used as a case study.
Hybrid asynchronous algorithm for parallel kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of thin film growth

We have generalized and implemented the hybrid asynchronous algorithm, originally proposed for parallel simulations of the spin-flip Ising model, in order to carry out parallel kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. The parallel performance has been tested using a simple model of thin-film growth in both 1D and 2D. We also briefly describe how the data collection must be modified as compared to the case of the spin-flip Ising model in order to carry out rigorous data collection. Due to the presence of a wide range of rates in the simulations, this algorithm turns out to be very inefficient. The poor parallel performance results from three factors: (1) the high probability of selecting a Metropolis Monte Carlo (MMC) move, (2) the low acceptance probability of boundary moves and (3) the high cost of communications which is required before every MMC move. We also find that the parallel efficiency in two dimensions is lower than in one-dimension due to the higher probability of selecting an MMC attempt, suggesting that this algorithm may not be suitable for KMC simulations of two-dimensional thin-film growth.
An Investigation of Offender and Victim Relationships in a Sample of Juvenile Homicides in California

Homicide is the one of the most heinous crime however in most cases it is related to social interaction between people. Disaggregating the homicide data based on victim-offender relationship can provide additional information that would otherwise have been overlooked. This study seeks to determine the relationship between the selected situational and socio-demographic variables and the victim-offender relationship among the juvenile homicides. The situational and demographic variables that were statistically significant in the Chi Square test were also significant in the logistic regression model using acquaintance homicide as the dependent variable. This research revealed that among the demographic variables- gender, marital status, education and race were all statistically significant. Routine activity theory provided an excellent framework for understanding crime but also for implementation and intervention strategies for different types of homicide
Roots of Identity: Language and Literacy in Mexico

Roots of Identity: Language and Literacy in Mexico. Linda King. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1994. 193 pp.
Understanding the Importance of Microphysics and Macrophysics for Warm Rain in Marine Low Clouds. Part I: Satellite Observations

The importance of macrophysical variables [cloud thickness, liquid water path (LWP)] and microphysical variables (effective radius re, effective droplet concentration Neff) on warm drizzle intensity and frequency across the tropics and subtropics is studied. In this first part of a two-part study, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) optical and CloudSat cloud radar data are used to understand warm rain in marine clouds. Part II uses simple heuristic models. Cloud-top height and LWP substantially increase as drizzle intensity increases. Droplet radius estimated from MODIS also increases with cloud radar reflectivity (dBZ) but levels off as dBZ . 0, except where the influence of continental pollution is present, in which case a monotonic increase of re with drizzle intensity occurs. Off the Asian coast and over the Gulf of Mexico, re values are smaller (by several mm) and Neff values are larger compared to more remote marine regions. For heavy drizzle intensity, both re and Neff values off the Asian coast and over the Gulf of Mexico approach re and Neff values in more remote marine regions. Drizzle frequency, defined as profiles in which maximum dBZ .2 15, increases dramatically and nearly uniformly when cloud tops grow from 1 to 2 km. Drizzle frequencies exceed 90% in all regions when LWPs exceed 250 g m 22 and Neff values are below 50 cm 23 , even in regions where drizzle occurs infrequently on the whole. The fact that the relationship among drizzle frequency, LWP, and Neff is essentially the same for all regions suggests a near universality among tropical and subtropical regions.
Benzodiazepine-induced and anticholinergic-induced delirium in the elderly.

Encompassing the range from subtle cognitive impairments to frank delirium, toxicity due to benzodiazepines and to anticholinergic-containing compounds is reviewed. For benzodiazepines, an extensive literature suggests that they impair immediate and delayed memory, psychomotor performance, and subjective complaints of station. This, in several studies, results in increased patient morbidity (e.g., increasing risk of hip fractures). Anticholinergic compounds are widely utilized in managing elderly patients, particularly nursing home residents. Toxicity from anticholinergic compounds, detected by anticholinergic drug levels, is significantly correlated with the presence and severity of delirium in a number of settings including postoperative patients and elderly nursing home residents. Possible means of identifying the syndrome by prediction of dose and type of medication, as well as by quantitative EEG, are reviewed.
Local names in SPKI/SDSI

We analyze the notion of "local names" in SPKI/SDSI. By interpreting local names as distributed groups, we develop a simple logic program for SPKI/SDSI's linked local-name scheme and prove that it is equivalent to the name-resolution procedure in SDSI 1.1 and the 4-tuple-reduction mechanism in SPKI/SDSI 2.0. This logic program is itself a logic for understanding SDSI's linked local-name scheme and has several advantages over previous logics. We then enhance our logic program to handle authorization certificates, threshold subjects, and certificate discovery. This enhanced program serves both as a logical characterization and an implementation of SPKI/SDSI 2.0's certificate reduction and discovery. We discuss the way SPKI/SDSI uses the threshold subjects and names for the purpose of authorization and show that, when used in a certain restricted way, local names can be interpreted as distributed roles.
A note on polar decomposition based Geršgorin-type sets

Abstract Let B ∈ C n × n denote a finite-dimensional square complex matrix. In [L. Smithies, R.S. Varga, Singular value decomposition Gersgorin sets, J. Linear Algebra Appl. 417 (2004) 370–380; N. Fontes, J. Kover, L. Smithies, R.S. Varga, Singular value decomposition normally estimated Gersgorin sets, Electron. Trans. Numer. Anal. 26 (2007) 320–329], Professor Varga and I introduced Gersgorin-type sets which were developed from singular value decompositions (SVDs) of B. In this note, our work is extended by introducing the polar SV-Gersgorin set, Γ PSV ( B ) . The set Γ PSV ( B ) is a union of n closed discs in C , whose centers and radii are defined in terms of the entries of a polar decomposition B = Q | B | . The set of eigenvalues of B, σ ( B ) , is contained in Γ PSV ( B ) .
Successful surgical repair of a massive window duct in a 1-month old with aniridia and pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis

The window duct is a rare congenital anomaly that is physiologically similar to an aortopulmonary window but is extrapericardial at the distal pulmonary trunk. The diagnosis is challenging, and surgical management is complex. Our patient is the first and the youngest to be reported with successful closure and diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging.
A Comparison of Discrete Linear Filtering Algorithms

Seven filter algorithms were presented in a recent survey paper [2], and were compared computationally (operations count) when relatively few observations were to be processed. These algorithms are elaborated further in this paper. Details of the computations are presented, and it is shown that for problems with even moderately large amounts of data, the information matrix and square-root information matrix formulations are computationally more efficient than the other methods considered (conventional Kalman, stabilized Kalman, and square-root covariance mechanizations). It is pointed out that Schmidt's matrix factorization-Householder transformation technique leads to the same equations as those obtained via Potter's method. Several improvements in the equation mechanization are given.
Four-Dimensional Variational Assimilation of Satellite Temperature and Sea Level Data in the Coastal Ocean and Adjacent Deep Sea

Incremental, Strong constraint, 4-dimensional variational data assimilation is used to initialize operational forecast models of mesoscale ocean circulation in continental shelf and associated boundary current regimes. In the East Australia Current and the Mid-Atlantic Bight, data assimilation in the deep ocean adjacent to the shelf imposes the influence of remote-ocean forcing on coastal dynamics. Observations assimilated are satellite surface temperature (SST), satellite altimeter sea level anomalies (SLA), and subsurface temperature and salinity from ships, autonomous underwater vehicles and/or profiling floats. The models use boundary data from operational basin-scale circulation models and weather forecast meteorological forcing. Control variables of the data assimilation are the initial conditions of each assimilation window, and the model trajectory through each interval is deemed the best-estimate analysis for initializing the subsequent forecast. We evaluate model skill from a large set of multi-day forecasts starting from different initial mesoscale states. Forecast skill is enhanced, and uncertainty reduced, when empirical statistical subsurface pseudo-observations and/or so-called balance constraints are used to augment surface satellite data.
Psychoactive plants and ethnopsychiatric medicines of the Matsigenka.

Abstract For the Matsigenka of the Peruvian Amazon, health and well-being in daily life depend upon harmonious relationships within the social group and with the spirit world. Psychoactive plants play a crucial role in curing disrupted social relationships while giving humans access to the otherwise remote, parallel world of spirits. Different species and cultivars of psychoactive plants, as well as varying admixtures and doses, are used to obtain different intensities and qualities of psychoactive experience, depending upon the individual's goals. Strongly psychoactive plants are used by shamans to travel to the realm of spirits. A number of mild to strongly psychoactive plants are used by male hunters to purify their souls and improve their aim. Mildly psychoactive plants are used to improve women's concentration for spinning and weaving cotton, to control negative emotions such as grief and anger, to manipulate the content of dreams, and to pacifysick or frightened children. A majority of such remedies...
Director Independence and Insider Trading

We provide evidence that outside directors’ trading and ratification decisions are incrementally useful in assessing their independence. Because crises test the independence of boards, we first investigate the CEO replacement decision in firms caught intentionally misreporting earnings. We predict and find that outside directors’ selling that emulates selling by the CEO and inside directors makes them appear aligned and thus less willing to replace the CEO. Our findings derive from opportunistic rather than routine selling, and from collusive selling involving inside and outside board members rather than from selling by outside directors alone. We also predict and find that outside directors who ratify one or more value-destroying mergers in the misreporting period are less willing to replace the CEO. We further test the usefulness of our proxies for board independence on the Execucomp universe and find that firms whose boards exhibit collusive trading and ratify value-destroying mergers overpay their CEOs and are less likely to force CEO turnover.