cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Justice Within Social Dilemmas

The defining feature of social dilemma situations is the inherent conflict faced by those involved: should one act in his or her own individual best interest or sacrifice a measure of one's personal payoff to help maximize the joint payoff of the group as a whole? In such dilemmas, those making individualistic and defecting choices are always at a competitive advantage relative to those who choose to cooperate. One seemingly inevitable consequence of the resulting resource allocation asymmetry is that it must challenge and threaten the cooperator's sense of fairness and justice, and it is the reaction of those caught in social dilemmas to this injustice and unfairness that is the focus of this article. We examine how justice processes-distributive justice, procedural justice, restorative justice, and retributive justice operate in social dilemmas. Within this examination, we consider ideas from classic and contemporary conceptual analyses of justice to provide a broader context within which to understand ...
Biofeedback therapy for children with dysfunctional voiding

Abstract Objectives. Biofeedback therapy has been recognized as a treatment option for children with classic dysfunctional voiding (DV) where there is inadequate pelvic floor relaxation during voiding. However, there are few articles that discuss methodology and limited sites where it is available. In the hope of making biofeedback a more practical and accessible option, we report our indications, easy to duplicate methodology, and results. Methods. Twenty-one consecutive children diagnosed with DV refractory to standard therapy were enrolled in our biofeedback program. Therapy consisted of extensive age-appropriate explanations of DV and demonstrations of normal and abnormal voiding patterns. Cyclic uroflow studies with pelvic floor electromyography are performed, which the child monitors on analog chart and audio recorders. The child returns weekly until consistent relaxation of the pelvic floor during voiding is demonstrated. Timing between sessions is then increased to monitor progress and retention of concepts previously taught. Results. An excellent clinical response was one in which there was consistent relaxation of the pelvic floor throughout voiding, normal flow pattern, and no residual urine volume (urodynamic response), coupled with profound resolution of voiding symptoms. Seventeen of 21 (81%) had an excellent response, 3 (14%) had a fair response, and 1 (5%) was too inconsistent to rate. The average number of sessions to achieve a consistent urodynamic response was 3.7 (range 2 to 14) and full clinical response somewhat longer. Average follow-up since beginning therapy has been 34 months (range 14 to 51). Conclusions. Biofeedback therapy is an effective method for treating DV with poor pelvic floor relaxation. Although initially labor intensive, it yields sustained positive results in most patients in a short time.
Assessing De Novo transcriptome assembly metrics for consistency and utility.

Background: Transcriptome sequencing and assembly represent a great resource for the study of non-model species, and many metrics have been used to evaluate and compare these assemblies. Unfortunately, it is still unclear which of these metrics accurately reflect assembly quality. Results: We simulated sequencing transcripts of Drosophilamelanogaster. By assembling these simulated reads using both a “perfect” and a modern transcriptome assembler while varying read length and sequencing depth, we evaluated quality metrics to determine whether they 1) revealed perfect assemblies to be of higher quality, and 2) revealed perfect assemblies to be more complete as data quantity increased. Several commonly used metrics were not consistent with these expectations, including average contig coverage and length, though they became consistent when singletons were included in the analysis. We found several annotation-based metrics to be consistent and informative, including contig reciprocal best hit count and contig unique annotation count. Finally, we evaluated a number of novel metrics such as reverse annotation count, contig collapse factor, and the ortholog hit ratio, discovering that each assess assembly quality in unique ways. Conclusions: Although much attention has been given to transcriptome assembly, little research has focused on determining how best to evaluate assemblies, particularly in light of the variety of options available for read length and sequencing depth. Our results provide an important review of these metrics and give researchers tools to produce the highest quality transcriptome assemblies.
Spectral efficiency of signal processing radios in interference limited environments: Array processing, MIMO, and MUD

Radio networks using array processing or Single-Input Multiple-Output (SIMO); Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) with and without Channel State Information (CSI) feedback; and Multi-User Detection (MUD) were all compared to baseline Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) networks to estimate possible improvements to area-spectral-efficiency. Two scenarios were investigated, a Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) with random interference transmitter locations, and Air-to-Ground (ATG) links with interference located on a grid. Radio propagation was subject to both Rice fading and log-normal shadowing with loss coefficients that increased with range. Substantial improvements were observed in the MANET scenario, by factors of 10 to 34 when link reliability was 90%, SIMO and MIMO radios used four-element arrays, and MUD signals had 12 dB processing gain. Smaller but still significant gains by factors of 2 to 6 were observed in the ATG scenario, where link reliability was 99%. Differences between MANET and ATG were attributed to a lower limit on interference range and reduced propagation variability in the ATG scenario.
A search for the bound trineutron from 7Li + n reactions

Abstract A search was made for bound trineutrons produced by bombardment of a lithium target with 19 MeV neutrons. Direct detection of the trineutrons at forward reaction angles was attempted with a helium-recoil scintillator. Trineutrons could be partially separated from a background of neutrons by correlating the time of flight between target and detector with the pulse height produced by the recoiling 4He ion. No evidence for the existence of a trineutron was found over a binding-energy range of ≈ 0 to 7 MeV. The upper limits for the differential and total cross sections are 0.1 mb/sr and 1 mb respectively for the reaction 7Li(n, 3n)5Li and 0.8 mb/sr · MeV and 10 mb respectively for the reaction 7 Li ( n, p ) 7 He , 7 He → 3 n + 4 He .
MITOCHONDRIA in Monocytes and Macrophages-Implications for Translational and Basic Research

The mitochondrion plays a crucial role in the immune system particularly in regulating the responses of monocytes and macrophages to tissue injury, pathogens, and inflammation. In systemic diseases such as atherosclerosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD), it has been established that disruption of monocyte and macrophage function can lead to chronic inflammation. Polarization of macrophages into the pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes results in distinct metabolic reprograming which corresponds to the progression and resolution of inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the role of the mitochondrion in monocyte and macrophage function and how these cells specifically influence the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and CKD. We propose that assessing monocyte bioenergetics in different disease states could (1) enhance our understanding of the energetic perturbations occurring in systemic inflammatory conditions and (2) aid in identifying therapeutic interventions to mitigate these disorders in patients.
Heat Treatment of Metal Surfaces by a Conformal Electron Beam

The electron beam formed between a conformal plasma cathode and a metal workpiece can be used to heat treat the workpiece. Analyses of the electron energy deposition profiles, heat conduction rates, and austinitizing rates show that it is possible to heat the entire surface of an object to a depth of ∼1 mm within microseconds, to hold the temperature above the austinitizing critical point in the near-surface volume without melting the surface for milliseconds, and to self-quench rapidly. This leads to the prospect of surface hardening of metals by a conformal electron beam.
Developing G-quartet oligonucleotides as novel anti-HIV agents: focus on anti-HIV drug design

Recently, a new class of oligonucleotides, forming G-quartet structures, has been developed as novel anti-HIV agents. Several critical structure-activity relationships between HIV-1 integrase and G-quartet oligonucleotides have been demonstrated. In addition the mechanism of the inhibition of HIV-1 integrase by G-quartet oligonucleotides, such as T30695 and its derivatives, has been explored. This review summarises the preliminary studies of developing G-quartet oligonucleotides as novel anti-HIV agents in several aspects including structure-activity relationship, stability-activity correlation, mechanism of HIV-1 integrase inhibition, substitution of phosphorothioates and targeting HIV-1 integrase in infected cells, which, hopefully, could help for developing a novel, efficient anti-HIV agent.
Evaluation of parameters in stimulated backward Brillouin scattering

A perturbation analysis of stimulated backward Brillouin scattering (SBBS) in single mode optical fibers is presented. The nonlinear interaction between the pump and Stokes waves, optical loss and Bragg diffraction have been all considered. The analytic expressions of the threshold, output Stokes intensity, efficiency for the SBBS fiber amplifiers and lasers are derived. We show that the stronger Bragg diffraction will increase the Brillouin diffraction efficiency and decrease the threshold of SBBS. Effects of acoustic guidance conditions of optical fibers on the above SBBS parameters will be discussed.
Office screening test for intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency: pediatric Foley catheter test.

Objective: To evaluate an office-based test as a screening method for intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Methods: One hundred seventy-three women with urinary incontinence were evaluated prospectively by complete urodynamic studies. After catheterization, the pediatric Foley catheter test was performed on an empty bladder by withdrawing the inflated bulb of an 8-French Foley catheter through the urethra. The test was considered positive if the inflated catheter bulb could be withdrawn completely through the urethra. Women with grade 3 genital prolapse or higher were excluded. Intrinsic sphincter deficiency was defined as the presence of genuine stress incontinence and low maximum urethral closure pressure (at most 20 cm H2O). Results: Seventy-six of 173 women (44%) had positive tests and 97 (56%) had negative tests. Seventy-six percent of those with positive tests were diagnosed with intrinsic sphincter deficiency, compared with 19% in women with negative tests (P < .001). All women with positive tests and negative cotton swab tests had intrinsic sphincter deficiency. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for diagnosing intrinsic sphincter deficiency were 76, 81, 76, and 81%, respectively. Conclusion: A positive pediatric Foley catheter test in the absence of urethral mobility strongly suggests intrinsic sphincter deficiency. The pediatric Foley catheter test may be useful in screening for intrinsic sphincter deficiency.
Classroom interventions to reduce failure & course withdrawal in CS1 (abstract only)

This poster reports on a set of classroom interventions at a public urban university to reduce the failure and withdrawal rate in CS1. Though unsuccessful in their original goal of reducing the number of students withdrawing from the course or receiving poor grades, the interventions provided valuable information suggesting contributors to poor course outcomes. These included concurrent full-time enrollment and full-time employment and lack of foundational skills. We also found that at-risk students could be identified with a one-page quiz the third week of the semester. We have made several course revisions going forward, including restructuring programming assignments and adding online practice problems, and revised our academic advising procedures.
Using Weighted Rankings in the Analysis of Complete Blocks with Additive Block Effects

Abstract The standard nonparametric procedures for testing the hypothesis of no treatment effects in a complete blocks experiment depend entirely on the within-block rankings. If block effects are assumed additive, however, then between-block information may be recovered by weighting these rankings according to their credibility with respect to treatment ordering. (For the special case of only two treatments, the sign test exemplifies use of unweighted rankings and the signed-rank test weighted.) A general family of weighted-rankings test statistics for comparing two or more treatments is presented. They are simple to compute, are strictly distribution free, and have asymptotic chi-squared distributions.
Effect of adsorbed water on the critical surface tension of wetting on metal surfaces

Abstract Contract angles of a variety of pure nonhydrophilic liquid polar and nonpolar compounds, covering a wide range of surface tensions, were measured on clean smooth surfaces of fourteen metals and one metal oxide. At 0.6% relative humidity (RH) and 95% RH, each of these high-energy, solid surfaces was converted at 20°C to one of much lower critical surface tension of wetting (γc) by the physical adsorption of a thin film of water. The formation of only a fraction of a monolayer at 0.6% RH decreased γc to about 45 dynes/cm for each metal surface; additional water adsorption at 95% RH to form a more condensed film further lower γc to a common value of 38 dynes/cm. Since γc values were nearly identical for each surface at each extreme of the RH, the surface energy of these hydrophilic solids must be independent of the constitution of the underlying solid substrate and dependent only upon the surface concentration of the adsorbed water.
Senescence, telomere shortening and telomere maintenance.

No Abstract Available Commentary to: Title: Telomerase Protects Cancer-Prone Human Cells from Chromosomal Instability and Spontaneous Immortalization Authors: Lynne W. Elmore, Kristi C. Turner, Lauren S. Gollahon, Melissa R. Landon, Colleen K. Jackson-Cook and Shawn E. Holt Page Numbers: 391-397
Inductive and deductive science

An important unfinished problem is the theory of transition from deflagration to detonation DDT. The understanding of this problem is critical for the safe handling of explosives. Some of the successes of deflagration and detonation theory are outlined. For detonation to occur in a cylindrical explosive, for example, one must remember that as a shock wave moves into cold explosive the shock loses energy and is dying out. Behind a developed wave front there is a succession of increasingly exothermic reaction surfaces rising to a maximum at the Chapman-Jouguet surface where rarefaction begins. A sufficiently sharp blow or an intense beam of laser light falling on unreacted explosive generates this type of structure which travels through the material as a self supporting shock wave. How to avoid forming such structures which will grow into travelling self supporting waves has many aspects. Here we consider: 1. Starvation kinetics which arise from a change of reaction mechanism due to the sudden introduction of unburned material into a hot environment. As the gradient from unburned to burned material rises a situation develops where the fastest way to get energy into the bond that breaks is not directly from translation to this bond but through a reservoir which readily communicates energy. This shifts the developing bottle neck of energizing the molecule (starvation kinetics) to a new pathway with interesting consequences; 2. Turbulence promotes initiation of detonation by sharpening the concentration and temperature gradients between unburned and burned materials; 3. The dependence of shock wave velocity, due to momentum loss out the side is related to the diameter of the explosive; and 4. The curvature of the wave front is related to drag of telescoping cylinders on the central axis of the cylindrical explosive.
Protein Encapsulation in Unilamellar Liposomes: High Encapsulation Efficiency and A Novel Technique to Assess Lipid-Protein Interaction

To encapsulate a large amount of protein (superoxide dismutase, SOD) into unilamellar liposomes using a simple process and to investigate the lipid-protein interaction. To achieve protein encapsulation, preformed unilamellar empty liposomes were mixed with SOD and subjected to freeze-thaw cycling. To investigate the lipid-protein interaction, a novel light scattering technique was used. Up to 50% protein encapsulation was achieved at ∼150 nm. There was no significant change in particle size following the freeze-thaw cycling. SOD had a strong interaction with DPPC liposomes containing high concentration of cholesterol. Light scattering data revealed that in some cases the SOD molecules were present inside the lipid bilayer. The method reported here allows great flexibility in the manufacturing process as the liposome preparation and protein-loading operations can be separated. Accordingly, empty liposomes can be prepared without concern about protein stability, making the manufacturing process more flexible and easy to control and ultimately leading to improved product quality. To explain the SOD-lipid interaction, a “pocket-embedding” theory was proposed. The encapsulation method reported here can be applied to hydrophilic small molecules as well as most hydrophilic proteins to achieve high encapsulation efficiency.
Phase I trial of edatrexate in advanced breast and other cancers.

Edatrexate (EDX) (10-ethyl-10-deazaaminopterin or 10-EDAM) is an analogue of methotrexate with improved pre-clinical antitumor activity, more selective cellular uptake, and with more extensive formation of intracellular polyglutamate metabolites. A phase I trial in advanced cancer using EDX was initiated to determine the toxicities associated with the use of a biweekly schedule of intravenous EDX, and to carry out a dose escalation to define the maximum tolerated dose employing this schedule.Thirty-four patients were enrolled in this phase I trial. Thirty-three patients were treated in cohorts of at least three patients (except at one dose level, 210 mg m−2, where there were only two patients). Dose escalations of EDX were administered starting with 100 mg m−2, and progressing through 120, 140, 160, 180, 210, 240, and 270 mg m−2. Edatrexate was administered by intravenous infusion over 20 min, and cryotherapy using ice chips was given prophylactically for 5 min before, during, and 15 min after each EDX tr...
MODELING OF ORGANELLE ENTRY IN AN AXON AND DENDRITE

The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical description of cargo transport in the entrance regions of axons and dendrites. The model accounts for the difference in microtubule (MT) orientation between axons and dendrites: axons have a uniform MT polarity orientation while dendrites have a mixed MT polarity orientation. Because of that, cargos pulled by dynein motors can enter dendrites but cannot enter axons. It is thus assumed that cargos are targeted to axons by associating them with kinesin motors and cargos are targeted to dendrites by associating them with dynein motors. Analytical solutions of the developed equations describing cargo concentrations in the entrance regions of axons and dendrites are obtained.
K distribution: an appropriate substitute for Rayleigh-lognormal distribution in fading-shadowing wireless channels

The Rayleigh-lognormal distribution, which has proved useful for modelling fading-shadowing wireless channels, has a complicated integral form. The authors have accurately approximated it by the K distribution. This distribution is simpler and thus more appropriate for analysis and design of wireless communication systems.
Natural history of the dermatophytes and related fungi

Dermatophytes are a highly specialized group of fungi that, through long evolutionary processes, became adapted to invade, colonize and nourish themselves on the keratinized tissues of animals. Various investigators have shown that these disease producing moulds possess enzymatic systems that enable them to digest keratins (139, 140), a highly specilized class of proteins elaborated by epithelial cells. These cells form the horny layer of the epidermis and the epidermal appendages. The growth of dermatophytes on feathers, hair, nails, and skin elecits responses in their hosts that manifest themselves in a variety of diseases. These infections are generally referred to as tineas or ringworm-names that reflect the ignorance that prevailed in the past about the true etiology of these diseases. Although dermatophytes undoubtedly existed in prehistoric times and have plagued lower animals and mart for millions of years, the infections were long endured before their true nature was realized. The first recorded reference to a dermatophyte infection is attributed to Aulus Cornelius Celsus, the Roman encyclopedist, who in his 'De Re Medicina' written around 30 A.D., described a suppurative infection of the scalp that came to be known as the kerion of Celsus (118). In his era and down through the Middle Ages the various dermatophytoses were described as tineas. The term tinea was first used for the clothes moth and in fact, the generic name of the various species of keratin destroying moths is Tinea (50). Since the holes made by moths in woolen garments are circular and dermatophyte lesions are ringtike on smooth skin, our Anglo Saxon ancestors coined the word 'ringworm' for these infections at least as far back as the 16th century. This term described the form of the lesion and relates it to the Roman tinea. Not until the 19th century was the mycotic etiology of these skin infections discovered. In 1837 Robert Remak, a Polish physician on the medical faculty of Berlin University, noted hyphae in the crusts of the disease known as favus (14, 77). This was an epochal discovery since for the first time a microorganism was incriminated as being the cause of a human disease. In 1841 Remak's discovery was independently confirmed
Line widths and intensities in H2O-CO2 mixtures II. high-resolution measurements on the v2-fundamental of water vapor

Abstract High-resolution measurements have been made at 295°K on twelve rotational lines in the v-band of water vapor. Half widths are presented for CO2-broadened lines and are compared with the widths computed using the Anderson-Tsao-Curnutte Theory. Agreement between theory and experiment is excellent; experimental errors are within the bounds determined by the accuracy of the quadrupole moment QCO2 =8.6 × 10-26 e.s.u.-cm2. Remeasured intensities for six previously reported lines are now in excellent agreement with all other available data and an explanation is offered for the errors involved in our earlier effort.
Kink model for extended defect migration in the presence of diffusing impurities: theory and simulation

Abstract The mobility of extended defects in solids (e.g., grain boundaries, anti-phase boundaries, dislocations, ferroelectric and magnetic domain walls) is often controlled by their interactions with impurities that can move diffusively. In this paper, we develop a theoretical model for extended defect migration in the presence of diffusing impurities which is valid in cases where impurity drag is significant. Model predictions of boundary velocity versus driving force, bulk impurity concentration, impurity diffusivity and temperature were shown to be in good agreement with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations based on an Ising model. At low temperatures and/or sufficiently large bulk concentrations, the kink model predicts that the boundary mobility is independent of the bulk impurity concentration. The activation energy for boundary migration is shown to depend on the formation energy of kinks on the boundary, the heat of segregation and the activation energy for bulk diffusion. The dependence on the kink formation energy remains even in the strong impurity drag limit. The present model is compared with earlier continuum models.
Aspect differences in above- and belowground carbon allocation: a Montana case-study

Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and belowground gross primary production (BGPP) of all vegetation were measured in eight young, paired plots on a north and south aspect in western Montana. Stands of high and low overstory tree leaf area index (LAI) were compared. BGPP increased with ANPP, though they were not directly proportional. ANPP ranged from 1550 to 4400 kg C ha(-1) year(-1) and BGPP ranged from 1360 to 3500 kg C ha(-1) year(-1). ANPP and BGPP were both significantly related to LAI and aspect, where both were greater on the north aspect at any given LAI. Litterfall represented the largest share of ANPP; increases in overstory biomass represented the next largest share. Soil CO2 flux was higher on the north aspect. We conclude that growth differences were not simply a matter of re-allocating carbon between root production and ANPP. Rather, both production and allocation were different among the sites.
The Incident Flux Response Expansion Method for Heterogeneous Coarse Mesh Transport Problems

A generalization of the response expansion previously used to develop a variational heterogeneous coarse mesh transport method has been accomplished. This allows a broad class of response functions to be employed within the framework of the original variational principle. New finite element equations were derived based on the general expansion, along with an additional assumption that seemingly breaks the tight coupling that created numerical difficulties in previous work. In addition, the nonvariational method was developed in a new and more thorough manner by considering the implications of the fission source treatment imposed by the response expansion. Results are presented for several heterogeneous light water reactor benchmark problems in the one‐dimensional, multigroup, discrete ordinates approximation. An efficient set of response functions was constructed using the discrete Legendre polynomials as boundary conditions. It was found that the expansion could be truncated at a low order without a sign...
Proposal for an all-optical code-division multiple access for local area networks

Two configurations that use spread-spectrum code-division multiple access (DCMA) for local area networks are proposed. They exploit both optical processing and the superior performance of bipolar signalling through the application of nonlinear optical devices.
A fuzzy trace analysis of categorical inferences and instantial associations as a function of retention interval

Abstract Two experiments on children's inferences and associative memory provided a test of predictions from fuzzy-trace theory. Specifically, it was expected that gist-based false recognitions would increase with age and that false recognitions would be uncorrelated with verbatim memory. In Experiment 1, children in Grades 1 through 5 heard lists of category labels, clustered instances from categories, and individual instances. On an immediate test, children indicated whether or not they had previously heard a series of individually presented test words. This list consisted of old words, new words, or words that were categorically or semantically related to the studied word clusters. Children made more false recognition errors for instances than for categories. Verbatim memory and inferences were unrelated. In Experiment 2, the effect of a test delay on categorical inferences and associated instances was examined with children in Grades 1 to 6. With delay, false recognition of associated instances declined for children at all grade levels. In contrast, categorical inferences increased with delay for older children. Verbatim memory and inferences were uncorrelated under immediate and 1-day delay conditions, but there were some low but significant correlations across grades under the 7-day delay. The results of the two experiments are interpreted as supporting fuzzy-trace theory.
Sense and antisense transcripts of the apolipoprotein E gene in normal and ApoE knockout mice, their expression after spinal cord injury and corresponding human transcripts

The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene has been linked to maladies such as hypercholesterolemia, CNS injury and disease. In this study, we present evidence that, in addition to the known transcript (ApoE S1) that translates into ApoE, there are three additional transcripts in mice. Two of these transcripts, ApoE S2 and ApoE S3, which are predicted to be transmembrane proteins, are transcribed from the sense strand. ApoE AS1 is transcribed from the antisense strand and is complementary to exon 4 of ApoE S1. The open reading frame of ApoE AS1 is conserved between human and mouse. The antisense transcript falls within the region of the human epsilon 4 allele that has been linked to the familial onset form of Alzheimer's disease. We also demonstrate the expression of ApoE S3 and ApoE AS1 in ApoE knockout mice, and ApoE S1 and ApoE S2 do not get transcribed. We had previously identified ApoE S1 as being upregulated in mice after spinal cord injury. In this study, we show that in spinal cord-injured C57BL/6 mice, both ApoE S1 and ApoE S3 transcripts are 10-fold upregulated and the antisense ApoE AS1 is 100-fold upregulated compared with normal levels. Such data suggest that these alternate transcripts are involved in the molecular pathogenesis of CNS disease and perhaps in ApoE expression in general, as we show that ApoE S2 and AS1 are also transcribed in human.
A decision-theoretic approach to the generation of side information in frequency-hop multiple-access communications

The use of side information can provide increased coding gains in frequency-hop multiple-access communication systems. The internal generation of this side information by the receiver is investigated in the paper. Methods to determine which received signals to erase prior to decoding are derived from Bayesian decision theory. The performance of synchronous and asynchronous frequency-hop systems with Reed-Solomon coding is analyzed for channels with Rayleigh fading, multiple-access interference, and wideband Gaussian noise. The performance of the Bayesian technique is compared with that of receivers that make erasure decisions using the Viterbi ratio-threshold test. The Bayesian method is found to provide better performance. >
Firm entry through e-commerce in the U.S. agricultural input distribution industry

US agricultural input supply chains have been chronically burdened with excess inventories and inefficient coordination. In the late 1990s, new e-commerce firms sought to streamline the chain by efficiently connecting end-users with upstream suppliers while displacing incumbent intermediaries. Despite promising conditions, e-commerce entrants have been only marginally successful in the US agricultural input markets while incumbents have remained firmly in place. In this paper, we develop a theoretical model to examine the conditions under which e-commerce firms could enter and disintermediate agricultural input markets. We then evaluate these conditions against empirical evidence for the 1998-2000 period — when most e-commerce firm entry occurred in the US-and provide an explanation for the apparent failure of many of the early entrants.
Database query languages embedded in the typed lambda calculus

It is shown how to naturally embed, in the typed lambda -calculus with equality, many database query languages, including the relational calculus/algebra, inflationary Datalog, and the complex object calculus/algebra. The embeddings considered are such that a database is a lambda -term coding list of tuples and a query is a lambda -term which when applied to the input database normalizes to the output database. In addition, if the query expressed is a PTIME query, then the normal form can be computed in a number of reduction steps polynomial in the size of the input database. It is also shown that, for all PTIME queries, there is such an embedding in the order-three typed lambda -calculus with equality. >
Cryptochromes Are Required for Phytochrome Signaling to the Circadian Clock but Not for Rhythmicity

The circadian clock is entrained to the daily cycle of day and night by light signals at dawn and dusk. Plants make use of both the phytochrome (phy) and cryptochrome (cry) families of photoreceptors in gathering information about the light environment for setting the clock. We demonstrate that the phytochromes phyA, phyB, phyD, and phyE act as photoreceptors in red light input to the clock and that phyA and the cryptochromes cry1 and cry2 act as photoreceptors in blue light input. phyA and phyB act additively in red light input to the clock, whereas cry1 and cry2 act redundantly in blue light input. In addition to the action of cry1 as a photoreceptor that mediates blue light input into the clock, we demonstrate a requirement of cry1 for phyA signaling to the clock in both red and blue light. Importantly, Arabidopsis cry1 cry2 double mutants still show robust rhythmicity, indicating that cryptochromes do not form a part of the central circadian oscillator in plants as they do in mammals.
Insomnia as a predictor for symptom worsening following antipsychotic withdrawal in schizophrenia

Sleep disturbances have been associated with schizophrenia, and are an especially prominent feature during the prodrome preceding psychotic relapse. In this study, we examined the changes in sleep quality following withdrawal of antipsychotic treatment, as well as the predictive value of sleep disturbances on symptom exacerbation. One hundred twenty-two patients with schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or schizoaffective disorder underwent a 3-week medication wash-out prior to neuroimaging studies. Sleep quality was rated using items on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), while symptom severity was measured using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS). Sleep quality deteriorated progressively following antipsychotic discontinuation. Total insomnia score prior to antipsychotic withdrawal had a significant effect on the severity of psychotic symptoms at the last weekly assessment, while baseline terminal insomnia had a significant effect on disorganized symptoms at the end of the medication-free period. These findings were independent of baseline symptom severity. Our findings suggest that schizophrenia patients with sleep disturbances are at a greater risk for worsening of positive symptoms after antipsychotic discontinuation. The implications of these findings in research and clinical settings are discussed.
Illusions of plenty: the role of search engines in the structure and suppression of knowledge

This paper explores aspects of how publicly accessible Web search engine database content is edited and shaped. It includes an exploration of search engine publicly espoused procedures and policies on content and speculates on what remains unstated. It includes a discussion of the related technological and programmatic issues involved in the preprocessing and filtering of information. Questions of whether the policies and mechanisms can be used as devices to shape content are raised and possible areas of censorship are explored. The paper offers examples of obvious and subtle content shaping and gatekeeping and raises issues for future consideration. It also includes a perspective information naivete within the social and intellectual setting in which the shaping of the data occurs. It includes comments on the possible implications for scholars as well as for independent learners.
Curvilinear immersed boundary method for simulating fluid structure interaction with complex 3D rigid bodies

The sharp-interface CURVIB approach of Ge and Sotiropoulos [L. Ge, F. Sotiropoulos, A numerical method for solving the 3D unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in curvilinear domains with complex immersed boundaries, Journal of Computational Physics 225 (2007) 1782-1809] is extended to simulate fluid structure interaction (FSI) problems involving complex 3D rigid bodies undergoing large structural displacements. The FSI solver adopts the partitioned FSI solution approach and both loose and strong coupling strategies are implemented. The interfaces between immersed bodies and the fluid are discretized with a Lagrangian grid and tracked with an explicit front-tracking approach. An efficient ray-tracing algorithm is developed to quickly identify the relationship between the background grid and the moving bodies. Numerical experiments are carried out for two FSI problems: vortex induced vibration of elastically mounted cylinders and flow through a bileaflet mechanical heart valve at physiologic conditions. For both cases the computed results are in excellent agreement with benchmark simulations and experimental measurements. The numerical experiments suggest that both the properties of the structure (mass, geometry) and the local flow conditions can play an important role in determining the stability of the FSI algorithm. Under certain conditions the FSI algorithm is unconditionally unstable even when strong coupling FSI is employed. For such cases, however, combining the strong coupling iteration with under-relaxation in conjunction with the Aitken's acceleration technique is shown to effectively resolve the stability problems. A theoretical analysis is presented to explain the findings of the numerical experiments. It is shown that the ratio of the added mass to the mass of the structure as well as the sign of the local time rate of change of the force or moment imparted on the structure by the fluid determine the stability and convergence of the FSI algorithm. The stabilizing role of under-relaxation is also clarified and the upper bound of the under-relaxation coefficient, required for stability, is derived.
Stable over-expression of PPARβ/δ and PPARγ to examine receptor signaling in human HaCaT keratinocytes

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPARβ/δ) function and receptor cross-talk with other nuclear receptors, including PPARγ and retinoic acid receptors (RARs), was examined using stable human HaCaT keratinocyte cell lines over-expressing PPARβ/δ or PPARγ. Enhanced ligand-induced expression of two known PPAR target genes, adipocyte differentiation-related protein (ADRP) and angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), was found in HaCaT keratinocytes over-expressing PPARβ/δ or PPARγ. Over-expression of PPARβ/δ did not modulate the effect of a PPARγ agonist on up-regulation of ADRP or ANGPTL4 mRNA in HaCaT keratinocytes. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) increased expression of a known RAR target gene, yet despite a high ratio of fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) to cellular retinoic acid binding protein II, did not increase expression of ANGPTL4 or 3-phosphoinositide-dependent-protein kinase 1 (PDPK1), even in HaCaT keratinocytes expressing markedly higher levels of PPARβ/δ. While PPARβ/δ-dependent attenuation of staurosporine- or UVB-induced poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage was not observed, PPARβ/δ- and PPARγ-dependent repression of UVB-induced expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines was found in HaCaT keratinocytes over-expressing PPARβ/δ or PPARγ. These studies suggest that FABP5 does not transport atRA or GW0742 to PPARβ/δ and promote anti-apoptotic activity by increasing expression of PDPK1, or that PPARβ/δ interferes with PPARγ transcriptional activity. However, these studies demonstrate that stable over-expression of PPARβ/δ or PPARγ significantly increases the efficacy of ligand activation and represses UVB-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 6 (IL6), or IL8 in HaCaT keratinocytes, thereby establishing an excellent model to study the functional role of these receptors in human keratinocytes.
The MEK kinases MEKK4/Ssk2p facilitate complexity in the stress signaling responses of diverse systems

Themammalian JNK/p38MAP kinasekinase kinase MEKK4and theSaccharomyces cerevisiaeSsk2p are highly homologous. MEKK4 can replace all of the known functions of Ssk2p in yeast, including functioning in the high osmolarity glycerol(HOG) MAPK pathwayand the recentlydescribedactinrecoverypathway. MEKK4and Ssk2p sharea number of conserved domains and appear to be activated by a similar mechanism. Binding of an activating protein to the N-terminal region alleviates auto-inhibition and causes the kinase to auto-phosphorylate, resulting in activation. In this reviewwewillexaminetheroleoftheMAPkinasekinasekinaseisoformSsk2p/MEKK4intheadaptationofbothyeastand mammalian systems to specific external stimuli. Recent work has provided a wealth of information about the activation, regulation,andfunctionsoftheseMEKKkinasestoextra-cellularsignals.Wewillalsohighlightevidencesupportingarole for MEKK4 in mediating actin recovery following osmotic shock in mammalian cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 34-43, 2007. 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Revaluing Ethics: Aristotle's Dialectical Pedagogy By Thomas W. Smith. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001. 325p. $75.50 cloth, $25.95 paper.

Like Socrates, Thomas Smith's Aristotle practices philosophy as a way of life. The Nicomachean Ethics is Aristotle's protreptic and therapeutic introduction to this way of life. It is not a didactic treatise but a teaching that aims at the improvement of its readers' souls. It therefore begins from reputable opinions (endoxa) and employs dialectical argumentsâ€”not the best arguments simply, but the best available for improving the lives of Aristotle's audience.
Analysis of the Injection Force of Solostar® Compared with Other Disposable Insulin Pen Devices at Constant Volume Flow Rates

Insulin pen devices have greatly enhanced the portability and accessibility to insulin therapy for millions of people with diabetes. Comparison research data should be reviewed thoroughly.In this issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, the study presented by Thomas van der Burg is balanced in number of samples tested, same tensile meter, and identical units per second delivery rate into an open beaker. Mean plateau force of SoloSTAR® and KwikPen® were Significantly lower. KwikPen and SoloSTAR utilized 5-mm length 31-gauge (G) needles vs 6-mm 31G needles for FlexPen® and Next Generation FlexPen®, perhaps skewing results in favor of shorter needles instead of device design.Individual understanding of correct insulin use, appropriate self-monitoring of blood glucose, vision and dexterity capability, and affordability of therapy must be considered first. SoloSTAR holds one unique market advantage, delivery of up to 80 units of insulin per injection.
Two Simple Procedures for Testing for a Unit Root When There are Additive Outliers

This paper presents some results on testing for a unit root in the presence of additive outliers. Two procedures are proposed. The first procedure is to ignore the possibility of additive outliers and use modified Phillips–Perron statistics. The second procedure uses a new and very simple outlier detection statistic to identify outliers and then properly adjust standard Dickey–Fuller unit root tests. Simulations show that these procedures are robust to additive outliers in terms of size and power.
From bad to good: an investigation of question quality and transformation

Social question answering (SQA) services are a popular way for people to exchange information. Unfortunately, the quality of information exchanged can be variable and few studies focus on the quality of questions asked. To address this, we explored the influence of textual features on question quality based on 126 questions taken from five different categories of Yahoo! Answers labeled as "Bad" by human assessors and then revised to be "Good" by them. Findings indicate significant differences between the means of each feature before and after revision, suggesting the potential for an automated system that could flag questions of poor quality. In addition, by exploring the relationship between features contributing to good quality questions, we suggest a simple set of strategies askers can take when writing a question in order to improve its chances of receiving a satisfactory answer.
Overcoming the limitations of conventional vector processors

Despite their superior performance for multimedia applications, vector processors have three limitations that hinder their widespread acceptance. First, the complexity and size of the centralized vector register file limits the number of functional units. Second, precise exceptions for vector instructions are difficult to implement. Third, vector processors require an expensive on-chip memory system that supports high bandwidth at low access latency.This paper introduces CODE, a scalable vector microarchitecture that addresses these three shortcomings. It is designed around a clustered vector register file and uses a separate network for operand transfers across functional units. With extensive use of decoupling, it can hide the latency of communication across functional units and provides 26% performance improvement over a centralized organization. CODE scales efficiently to 8 functional units without requiring wide instruction issue capabilities. A renaming table makes the clustered register file transparent at the instruction set level. Renaming also enables precise exceptions for vector instructions at a performance loss of less than 5%. Finally, decoupling allows CODE to tolerate large increases in memory latency at sub-linear performance degradation without using on-chip caches. Thus, CODE can use economical, off-chip, memory systems.
Contextualizing Sex Offender Management Legislation and Policy: Evaluating the Problem of Latent Consequences in Community Notification Laws:

Sexual victimization has become one of the most publicized and researched social problems in society. However, potential linkages between the intended and unintended effects of sex offender management legislation have gone largely unaddressed in social science literature. This article addresses these linkages by applying a social-systems model to help better understand the problems of managing sex offenders. Additionally, latent consequences of current and proposed sex offender legislation, including community notification laws, are examined. It is argued that sex offenders (and the community at large) may face a considerable variety of problems not intended by such legislation. In addition, we examine the “one-dimensional monster” stereotype of a sex offender and how this ostracism may discourage offenders from reporting their behavior and seeking counseling. Finally, we provide proposals for addressing these issues with the use of the therapeutic jurisprudence model.
A predictive, decentralized load balancing approach

The growth of load balancing system raises the issue of scalability, and decentralized load balancing architecture has been proposed to address this issue. In this paper, we investigate how a load balancing architecture can be built on decentralized policies based on CORBA and enhanced by predictive algorithm. The L/sub 2/E predictive filtering model was used to supply workstations with robust cluster load information, which allows them to make more accurate independent allocation decisions. Experimental results showed that our decentralized load balancing approach was able to suppress thrashing and oscillations compared to other load monitoring and prediction techniques, and it was able to achieve a highly balanced system than Sun Grid Engine.