cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Against the New Evidentialists

Evidentialists and Pragmatists about reasons for belief have long been in dialectical stalemate. However, recent times have seen a new wave of Evidentialists who claim to provide arguments for their view which should be persuasive even to someone initially inclined toward Pragmatism. This paper reveals a central flaw in this New Evidentialist project: their arguments rely on overly demanding necessary conditions for a consideration to count as a genuine reason. In particular, their conditions rule out the possibility of pragmatic reasons for action. Since the existence of genuine pragmatic reasons for action is common ground between the Evidentialist and the Pragmatist, this problem for the New Evidentialist arguments is fatal. The upshot is that the deadlock between these two positions is restored: neither side can claim to be in possession of an argument that could convince the other. As it happens, I myself favor Pragmatism about reasons for belief, and although I don’t claim to be able to convince a committed Evidentialist, I do make a prima facie case for Pragmatism by describing particular scenarios in which it seems to be true. It hen go on to develop my own preferred version of the view: Robust Pragmatism, according to which a consideration never constitutes a reason for believing a proposition purely in virtue of being evidence for it.
Molecular Cloning of a Novel Variant of the Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-activating Polypeptide (PACAP) Receptor That Stimulates Calcium Influx by Activation of L-type Calcium Channels

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a novel neuropeptide that produces its biological effects by interacting with G protein-coupled receptors. Molecular cloning of the PACAP receptor revealed the existence of five splice variant receptor forms differing in the third intracellular loop region, with four variants activating both adenylyl cyclase and phosphoinositide phospholipase C and one variant activating only adenylyl cyclase (Spengler, D., Waeber, C., Pantaloni, C., Holsboer, F., Bockaert, J., Seeburg, P. H., and Journot, L. (1993) Nature 365, 170-175). Here, we report cloning of a novel PACAP receptor variant, designated PACAPR TM4 (transmembrane domain IV), that differs from the previously cloned short form of the PACAP receptor (PACAPR) primarily by discrete sequences located in transmembrane domains II and IV. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and primer extension analyses demonstrated tissue-specific differential expression of mRNAs encoding PACAPR TM4 and splice variant forms of the PACAP receptor. PACAPR TM4 and PACAPR possess identical intracellular domains, implicated as primary determinants of G protein recognition by rhodopsin-like receptors. However, unlike the PACAPR, PACAPR TM4 does not activate either adenylyl cyclase or phosphoinositide phospholipase C in response to PACAP in either transient or stable expression systems. However, PACAP stimulates increases in [Ca2+]i in cells expressing PACAPR TM4 by activating L-type Ca2+ channels, a response not elicited by stimulation with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. The signaling phenotype of PACAPR TM4 is characteristic of the PACAP receptor involved in regulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta islets, a tissue expressing transcripts for PACAPR TM4 but not for PACAPR or its longer splice variant forms. These findings are consistent with a role of PACAPR TM4 in the physiological control of insulin release by PACAP in beta-islet cells. The finding that PACAPR TM4 has a unique signaling phenotype, although it possesses intracellular domains identical to those of the PACAPR, suggests that receptor-G protein recognition by rhodopsin-like receptors can be determined by sequences other than those located in intracellular receptor domains.
The Lysine 48 and Lysine 63 Ubiquitin Conjugates Are Processed Differently by the 26 S Proteasome

The role of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains in targeting proteins for proteasomal degradation is still obscure. We systematically compared proteasomal processing of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains with that of the canonical proteolytic signal, Lys-48 ubiquitin chains. Quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of ubiquitin chains in HeLa cells determines that the levels of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains are insensitive to short-time proteasome inhibition. Also, the Lys-48/Lys-63 ratio in the 26 S proteasome-bound fraction is 1.7-fold more than that in the cell lysates, likely because some cellular Lys-63 ubiquitin conjugates are sequestered by Lys-63 chain-specific binding proteins. In vitro, Lys-48 and Lys-63 ubiquitin chains bind the 26 S proteasome comparably, whereas Lys-63 chains are deubiquitinated 6-fold faster than Lys-48 chains. Also, Lys-63 tetraubiquitin-conjugated UbcH10 is rapidly deubiquitinated into the monoubiquitinated form, whereas Lys-48 tetraubiquitin targets UbcH10 for degradation. Furthermore, we found that both the ubiquitin aldehyde- and 1,10-phenanthroline-sensitive deubiquitinating activities of the 26 S proteasome contribute to Lys-48- and Lys-63-linkage deubiquitination, albeit the inhibitory extents are different. Together, our findings suggest that compared with Lys-48 chains, cellular Lys-63 chains have less proteasomal accessibility, and proteasome-bound Lys-63 chains are more rapidly deubiquitinated, which could cause inefficient degradation of Lys-63 conjugates.
Benthic invertebrate assemblages of Delaware Bay

During two consecutive summers, the first quantitative bay-wide survey (207 stations) of benthic invertebrates was conducted in Delaware Bay (USA). In 1972, 109 species were collected at 105 stations; and in 1973, 125 species were collected at 102 stations. A total of 169 different species were collected for both summers. The number of species and number of individuals increased with increasing salinity and increasing median grain size. These relationships were compared and were found similar to those in estuaries and bays throughout the world. Average density was 722 individuals m2, which is low compared to other estuaries. The relationship of low secondary production to pollution, macroscopic algae, sediment transport, predation, and hydrography is discussed. Deposit feeders comparised the major feeding type. Local species composition was similar to that in Chesapeake Bay, and dominant species occurred in estuaries throughout the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The benthic invertebrates of Delaware Bay were related to the cosmopolitan mode of estuarine faunas. Faunal assemblages were identified by cluster analysis. The assemblages were associated with sediment type and salinity. It was concluded that Delaware Bay comprises a mosaic of animal assemblages, some of which have relatively sharp boundaries similar to classical level bottom type communities, whereas the boundaries of others are almost impossible to detect, and these represent species distributed along an environmental continum.
Personality Differences Between Persisters and Withdrawers in a Small Women's College.

Differential effects of a particular small women's college environment on the attrition of its students were studied. Two separate entering classes, a total of 330Ss were classified into four categories, Persisters, Withdrawers, Academic Withdrawers, and Returners, and were compared on 35 personality and demographic characteristics, using as primary measures the 15 scales of the omnibus personality inventory. Conclusions, drawn from the data on persisters and withdrawers, were that: (a) no consistent differences appeared in demographic characteristics, (b) as hypothesized, students who withdrew were more complex and more autonomous, (c) the hypothesis that withdrawers would be more impulsive was not supported, and (d) as predicted, persisters differed from withdrawers on social introversion, intellectual disposition, and practical outlook. The study supports the thesis that important personality characteristics discriminate between persisters and withdrawers.
The role of local tunneling states in superconductivity at disordered interfaces

Abstract The origin of the enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature caused by the presence of disordered interfaces is studied. An enhancement mechanism involving the tunneling of the conduction electrons from metal into the local state coupled to the “two-level state systems” in the interfaces region, is considered. In this model, the reduction of the tunneling matrix elements by orthogonality blocking can be avoided.
Temperely-Lieb Algebras and the Four-Color Theorem

The Temperley–Lieb algebra Tn with parameter 2 is the associative algebra over Q generated by 1,e0,e1, . . .,en, where the generators satisfy the relations $$e^{2}_{i} = 2e_{i} ,{\kern 1pt} {\kern 1pt} e_{i} e_{j} e_{i} = e_{i}$$ if |i−j|=1 and eiej=ejei if |i−j|≥2. We use the Four Color Theorem to give a necessary and sufficient condition for certain elements of Tn to be nonzero. It turns out that the characterization is, in fact, equivalent to the Four Color Theorem.
Detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis gene using plasmonics nanoprobes

This paper describes the use of plasmonics-based nanoprobes for detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis gene. The plasmonics nanoprobe is composed of a silver nanoparticle pre-coated with a stem-loop DNA probe that is tagged with a Raman label at one end of the stem region, while the other end of the probe is covalently conjugated to the nanoparticle via a thiol-silver bond. The loop region is designed to detect a specific target gene sequence. In the absence of target, the Raman label is in close proximity to the metal surface, resulting in an intense SERS signal upon laser excitation. In the presence of the target DNA sequence, hybridization between the target and probe disrupts the stem-loop configuration, separating the Raman label from the metal surface and quenching the SERS signal. In this study, we successfully demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of using plasmonics nanoprobes for the detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis gene.
Stereocontrolled Total Syntheses of Isodomoic Acids G and H via a Unified Strategy

Marine neuroexcitatory compounds isodomoic acids G and H were efficiently synthesized from a common intermediate using a silicon-based cross-coupling reaction. Dividing each target compound into the core fragment and the side-chain fragment enabled the synthesis to be convergent. The trans-2,3-disubstituted pyrrolidine core fragment was accessed through a diastereoselective rhodium-catalyzed carbonylative silylcarbocyclization reaction of a vinylglycine-derived 1,6-enyne. A stereochemically divergent desilylative iodination reaction was developed to convert the cyclization product to both E- and Z-alkenyl iodides, which would eventually lead to isodomoic acid G and isodomoic acid H, respectively. The late-stage alkenyl−alkenyl silicon-based cross-coupling reaction uniting the core alkenyl iodides and the side-chain alkenylsilanol was achieved under mild conditions. Finally, two mild deprotections afforded the target molecules.
Maternal Expectations and Attributions about Coping in Anxious Children

Abstract This study examined maternal expectations and attributions regarding their child's ability to cope with a stressful situation. Children either met DSM III-R criteria for an Anxiety Disorder or were normal. Results indicated that it was not the perception of threat that differentiated the expectations of mothers in both groups, but rather their expectations for coping, both generally and in terms of specific behavior. Mothers of anxiety-disorder (AD) children expected their children to be more upset, less able to make themselves feel comfortable, and were less confident in their children's abilities to perform task related behavior. In general, maternal expectations for coping appear to reflect the actual lower coping ability of anxious children. Concerning attributions, mothers of AD children made fewer causal distinctions between high and low coping than did mothers of normal control (NC) children. Discussion considers how lowered expectations for coping may relate to protective parenting and how such patterns may unwittingly maintain anxious behavior in children. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
A Mixed Discrete-Continuous Optimization Scheme for Cyber-Physical System Architecture Exploration

We propose a methodology for architecture exploration for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) based on an iterative, optimization-based approach, where a discrete architecture selection engine is placed in a loop with a continuous sizing engine. The discrete optimization routine proposes a candidate architecture to the sizing engine. The sizing routine optimizes over the continuous parameters using simulation to evaluate the physical models and to monitor the requirements. To decrease the number of simulations, we show how balance equations and conservation laws can be leveraged to prune the discrete space, thus achieving significant reduction in the overall runtime. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our methodology on an industrial case study, namely an aircraft environmental control system, showing more than one order of magnitude reduction in optimization time.
Effects of the adductor pollicis and abductor pollicis brevis on thumb metacarpophalangeal joint laxity before and after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.

Abstract Purpose The intrinsic muscles and ulnar capsuloligamentous structures (UCLS), which consist of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), accessory UCL, dorsal capsule, and volar plate of the thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint are important for controlling the motion and stability of the MCP joint during pinch. The purpose of this cadaveric study was to determine the effects of the adductor pollicis (AdP) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) on the 3-dimensional MCP joint laxity before transection of the UCLS and after reconstruction of the UCL and repair of the dorsal capsule. Methods Loads were applied to the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) alone, to the AdP and FPL in combination, and to the APB and FPL in combination in 11 cadavers. This was done in the intact joint after the UCLS were transected and after the UCL was reconstructed for flexion angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°. The spatial positions of the proximal phalanx and the metacarpal of the MCP joint were measured with a 6-degrees-of-freedom digitizing system. Results In the intact joint combined loading of the AdP and FPL did not affect the position of the proximal phalanx. Combined loading of the APB and FPL changed the position of the phalanx from an ulnar to a radial shift and from an ulnar to a radial deviation and it increased pronation. After transection of the UCLS combined loading of the FPL and AdP increased supination of the MCP joint and combined loading of the FPL and APB increased radial shift, radial deviation, and pronation of the joint. Reconstruction of the UCL restored normal laxity to the MCP joint. Conclusions The AdP failed to affect MCP joint motion. The ABP produced a radial shift and radial deviation of the MCP joint and increased pronation of the thumb. Transection of the UCLS increased joint laxity for each of the combined loadings and reconstruction of the UCL restored normal laxity to the MCP joint.
Quantitative Spectroscopic Analysis of Stem “Tracheal” Fluids for Inorganic Constituents.

Summary(1) A rapid and reliable method for quantitatively analyzing “tracheal” fluid by emission spectroscopy has been described in detail. (2) Evidence has been presented showing that a correction should be made for electrode impurities. (3) Typical analyses of potato tracheal fluid for B. P. Mn, Mg, Cu, and Ca are presented.
Neonatal neurocritical care service is associated with decreased administration of seizure medication

This cohort study examines medication use in term neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and seizures before and after implementation of a Neonatal Neurocritical Care Service (N = 108), which included increased seizure monitoring. Nearly all neonates received phenobarbital (96% pre- vs 95% post-Neonatal Neurocritical Care Service) and total loading dose did not vary among groups (33 [95% confidence interval 29-37] vs 30 [26-34] mg/kg). After adjustment for seizure burden, neonates managed during the Neonatal Neurocritical Care Service era, on average, received 30 mg/kg less cumulative phenobarbital (95% confidence interval 15-46 mg/kg) and were on maintenance 5 fewer days (95% confidence interval 3-8 days) than those who were treated prior to implementation of the service. In spite of the enhanced ability to detect seizures because of improved monitoring and increased vigilance by bedside practitioners, implementation of the Neonatal Neurocritical Care Service was associated with decreased use of potentially harmful phenobarbital treatment among neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Determinants of leader behavior in an audit environment

Abstract Although leader or supervisory behaviors are generally thought to have a significant effect on subordinate performance, motivation and job satisfaction, the variables which affect an auditor's approach to supervision have not been investigated. In this paper we examine two categories of variables (situational variables and leader-person variables) which determine an auditor's use of key leader behavior. The determinants of leader behavior are examined in the context of an audit team composed of an accountant in charge (leader) and one or more staff assistants (subordinate). The results of our empirical tests provide some evidence that leader behavior is related to three variables: (1) the match between the accountant in charge's perception of the complexity of the task assigned to the staff assistant and the staff assistant's job experience, (2) the staff assistant's intolerance of ambiguity and (3) the accountant in charge's personality dominance.
Irradiation-induced creep of uranium dioxide

Abstract The in-pile and out-of-pile creep rates of 24.48% enriched UO 2 were measured in the temperature range 1030 to 1190 °C, in the stress range 1700 to 4000 psi and at fission rates of 4 × 10 12 and 1.2 × 10 13 fissions/ cm 3 ·sec. The in-pile creep rates are increased with respect to the out-of-pile creep rates, with the amount of enhancement increasing with increasing fission rate. At 1.2 × 10 13 fissions/cm 3 ·sec, the in-pile creep rates are approximately a factor of four greater than the out-of-pile creep rates. Both the out-of-pile and in-pile creep rates are proportional to stress to the first power. The in-pile creep rate is strongly dependent on temperature and has an activation energy close to the out-of-pile creep rate. The present results are compared to results obtained in several other recent investigations.
Automated high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of 7-ethoxycoumarin and umbelliferone.

Abstract An improved high-performance liquid chromatographic assay is presented for the determination of 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activity. Following a 30-min microsomal incubation, 7-ethoxycoumarin, 4-methylumbelliferone (internal standard), and the metabolite umbelliferone were extracted with chloroform. Separation was achieved with an isocratic mobile phase using a μBondapak phenyl (300 mm × 3.9 mm I.D.) analytical column. The effluent was monitored by fluorescence detection with an excitation wavelength of 360 nm and an emission wavelength of 470 nm. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 10 and 6%, respectively. A detection limit of 0.07 μg/ml was achieved, making this method suitable for characterizing P-450 activity of human livers.
Take Ten to Tag! Smithsonian Gardens Public Tagging Initiative

Over the past few years, the Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center has made significant strides in engaging online users through crowdsourcing initiatives. In this article the author will examine a month-long project in which the Smithsonian Gardens, a unit within the Smithsonian, focused on promoting the Archives of American Garden's digitized images in the attempts to encourage Smithsonian Garden's stakeholders to apply user generated metadata or public tags to catalog records metadata. In just one month, the Smithsonian Gardens demonstrated how much can be accomplished when resources are focused on outreach efforts. The challenge remains in trying to sustain contributions from virtual volunteers.
The Flanker Effect Does Not Reflect the Processing of "Task-Irrelevant" Stimuli: Evidence from Inattentional Blindness

It is often the case that stimuli (or aspects of a stimulus) are referred to as being “task-irrelevant.” Here, we recount where this label originated and argue that the use of this label is at odds with the concept of “relevance” that has arisen in the contingent-capture literature. This is not merely a matter of labels, but a matter of inference: When people describe a flanker stimulus as being “task-irrelevant,” they may be (and sometimes are) tempted to infer that the conditions that were studied in the flanker task generalize to other tasks and other types of stimuli. Here, we show that this generalization is not warranted. The flanker effect exists not because attention has failed at selecting only the target from the display, but rather, the effect arises precisely because attention succeeded at selecting target-like (i.e., attentionally relevant) stimuli from the display. As a result, the flanker effect should not be used to infer how stimuli that are entirely unrelated to a participant’s main task would be processed. We propose the use of a new terminology to replace this potentially misleading label.
Current Distributions on Helical Antennass

The current distribution on a uniform circular helix has been measured over a frequency band extending from 600 to 1,700 mc. Although the measured distributions are highly complex functions of distance and also change in an anomalous manner with frequency, it is possible to analyze the distributions in terms of traveling waves associated with three different transmission modes on the helix. The relative amplitude functions of these traveling waves, as well as their associated phase velocities, are approximated. Current distributions which have been calculated by superposing three or more traveling waves are in good agreement with the measured data.
Brain death declaration Practices and perceptions worldwide

Objective: To assess the practices and perceptions of brain death determination worldwide and analyze the extent and nature of variations among countries. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed globally to physicians with expertise in neurocritical care, neurology, or related disciplines who would encounter patients at risk of brain death. Results: Most countries (n = 91, response rate 76%) reported a legal provision (n = 63, 70%) and an institutional protocol (n = 70, 77%) for brain death. Institutional protocols were less common in lower-income countries (2/9 of low [22%], 9/18 lower-middle [50%], 22/26 upper-middle [85%], and 37/38 high-income countries [97%], p p Conclusions: Substantial differences in perceptions and practices of brain death exist worldwide. The identification of discrepancies, improvement of gaps in medical education, and formalization of protocols in lower-income countries provide first pragmatic steps to reconciling these variations. Whether a harmonized, uniform standard for brain death worldwide can be achieved remains questionable.
Major intrinsic polypeptide (MIP26K) from lens membrane: Reconstitution into vesicles and inhibition of channel forming activity by peptide antiserum

Bovine and human lens membrane, when reconstituted into lipid vesicles containing oxidized cytochrome C, will mediate the transmembrane passage of ascorbate into the vesicles, where the reduction of cytochrome C is measured spectrophotometrically. This channel forming activity is specifically inhibited by antiserum made against a synthetic octapeptide near the C-terminus of MIP26K. Together, these studies describe a direct and more sensitive assay system for measurement of channel-forming activity of MIP26K, and suggest that the C-terminus of this molecule may be particularly important in the regulation of channel formation.
Camptothecin analogs with enhanced activity against human breast cancer cells. I. Correlation of potency with lipophilicity and persistence in the cleavage complex.

The effect of 7-alkyl substitutions on growth inhibition in seven Camptothecin (CPT) ring systems with various groups at the ten position was evaluated in three human breast cancer cell lines that model (1) hormone-sensitive (MCF-7/wt), (2) hormone insensitive (MDA-MB-231), or (3) alkylator-resistant (MCF-7/4-hc) forms of disease. To assess the impact of persistence of cleavage complexes on antiproliferative activity, a post-exposure recovery period in drug-free medium was incorporated into the growth inhibition assay. This modification produced on average a twofold reduction in the growth inhibition endpoint (the IC50), suggesting a greater apoptotic response. The results further revealed a three log range in potency from a mean IC50 of 2 nM (7-butyl-10,11-methylenedioxy-CPT) to 2.5 μM (7-bromomethyl-10-hydryoxy-CPT). Increasing 7-alkyl chain length in six of the ten-substituted CPTs enhanced potency, which was directly correlated with persistence of topoisomerase I-induced DNA cleavage complexes in 10-hydroxy, 10-methoxy, and 10,11-methylenedioxy substituted CPTs. Modeling of the binding mode of 7-butyl-10-amino-CPT revealed a direct hydrogen bond contact for the 10-amino to the side chain of Glu-356 of Core Subdomain I of top1 in addition to known contacts found for other camptothecins. More important, residues 350–356 and 425–431 of Core Subdomain I may provide induced fit stabilization to the lipophilic alkyl moiety at the seven position.
Charles Merriam, Max Weber, and the Search for Synthesis in Political Science

This year we commemorate the centennial of Charles Edward Merriam's birth. Year after next we look forward to celebrating the bicentennial of the United States. The central link between these events, perhaps best reflected in his prophetic presidential address to this Association in 1925, lies in Merriam's 18th-century, rationalist-enlightenment faith that science and democratic government are mutually supportive and reinforcing. Nowadays such a statement of belief has an old-fashioned, even naive, ring. Yet no one was more aware than Merriam of the biological, material, and nonrational components of human personality and society. For him, however, these constituted not ineluctable, immutable causes, but the materials, the tools, with which the competent politician, political scientist, and citizen must work in acquiring the arts and understanding of government. We do not know how early Merriam acquired the "passion for politics," but he certainly exhibited it from the time he took his doctorate at Columbia in 1900 to the retirement years when he campaigned for his son Robert's election to the Chicago City Council. Throughout fifty years of active participation in university, municipal, foundation, and national public service, politics and governance never lost their fascination for him as the primary and natural, if not the most efficient, aspect of man's social relationship. Analytically, Merriam viewed the exercise of personal leadership, group processes of influence and power, and institutions of public order as the central, determining, "phylogenetic core" of those conceptual structures we call Society, Economy, and Culture. In the personalities of political actors, in the internal struggles of political groups, in the intergroup strategies and settlements of formal and informal public decision, Merriam saw the weaving and devising of those functional
ATP Assay of Terrestrial Soils: A Test of an Exobiological Experiment

The ATP content of twenty-five terrestrial soil samples was estimated by the firefly luciferase assay to range from 8 × 10−3 to 1.2 × 10−1 µg/g of soil. The firefly assay is a feasible tool for exobiological work.
SERT II thrusters - Still ticking after eleven years

The Space Electric Rocket Test II (SERT II) spacecraft was launched in 1970 with a primary objective of demonstrating long-term operation of a space electric thruster system. An overview is presented of all the SERT II testing conducted during the time from 1970 to 1981. Thruster testing and interaction results are considered, taking into account ion beam thrusting, distant neutralization, and the plasma beam thrust. In a discussion of durability testing, attention is given to the main cathodes, the neutralizer cathodes, the main keeper insulator, the H.V. grid insulators, the neutralizer propellant tanks, and the main propellant tanks. The most important result of the study is related to the confidence gained that mercury bombardment ion thruster systems can be built and operated in space on a routine basis with the same lifetime and performance as measured in ground testing.
Expressive negotiation over donations to charities

When donating money to a (say, charitable) cause, it is possible touse the contemplated donation as negotiating material to induce other parties interested in the charity to donate more. Such negotiation is usually done in terms of matching offers, where one party promises to pay a certain amount if others pay a certain amount. However, in their current form, matching offers allow for only limited negotiation. For one, it is not immediately clear how multiple parties can make matching offers at the same time without creating circular dependencies. Also, it is not immediately clear how to make adonation conditional on other donations to multiple charities, when the donator has different levels of appreciation for the different charities. In both these cases, the limited expressiveness of matching offers causes economic loss: it may happen that an arrangement that would have made all parties (donators as well as charities) better off cannot be expressed in terms of matching offers and will therefore notoccur.In this paper, we introduce a bidding language for expressing very general types of matching offers over multiple charities. We formulate the corresponding clearing problem (deciding how much each bidder pays, and how much each charity receives), and show that it is NP-complete to approximate to any ratio even in very restricted settings. We givea mixed-integer program formulation of the clearing problem, and show that for concave bids, the program reduces to a linear program. We then show that the clearing problem for a subclass of concave bids is at least as hard as the decision variant of linear programming. Subsequently, we show that the clearing problem is much easier when bids are quasilinear---for surplus, the problem decomposes across charities, and for payment maximization, a greedy approach isoptimal if the bids are concave (although this latter problem is weakly NP-complete when the bids are not concave). For the quasilinear setting, we study the mechanism design question. We show that anex-post efficient mechanism is impossible even with only one charity and a very restricted class of bids. We also show that there may bebenefits to linking the charities from a mechanism design stand point.
Sampling of tangential flow streams

The causes and characteristics of tangential flow in industrial stacks are described. Errors induced by tangential flow in the determination of volumetric flow rate and particulate concentration are analyzed. Experiments were conducted at the outlet of a cyclone collector in order to investigate the effect of tangential flow on the determination of emission rates. Straightening vanes were found to be useful in the reduction of error in flow rate measurements.
Ultraviolet action spectra for DNA dimer induction, lethality, and mutagenesis in Escherichia coli with emphasis on the UVB region.

—Ultraviolet (UV) action spectra were obtained for lethality and mutagenesis (reversion to tryptophan independence) in Escherichia coli WP2s for wavelengths 254–405 nm with detailed analysis in the UVB region (290–320 nm). Parallel chemical assay yields of pyrimidine dimers in DNA of E. coli RT4 were determined at the same wavelengths. Spectral regions isolated from a Xe arc and resonance lines from a high-pressure Hg-Xe arc lamp were both used for irradiation. In all cases, precise energy distributions throughout the isolated Xe bands regions were defined. Lethality, mutagenesis, and dimer induction all decreased in efficiency in a similar fashion as the wavelengths of the radiation increased. Between 300 and 320 nm, all characteristics measured showed differences of about two and a half orders of magnitude. Between these wavelengths, the values of the three end points used either coincide with or parallel the absorption spectrum of DNA. The mutagenesis action spectrum coincides closely with the absorption spectrum of DNA. The lethality spectrum is closely parallel to the mutagenicity spectrum; the points, however, consistently occur at about 2 nm longer wavelengths. A calculation derived from the slope of the UVB spectra reveals that a 1-nm shift of the solar UV spectrum to shorter wavelengths would result in a 35% increase in its mutagenic potential. At 325 nm, both biological action spectra show sharp decreases in slope. In addition, above 325 nm the spectra for lethality. mutagenicity, and dimer formation diverge sharply; lethalities at these UVA wavelengths were approximately tenfold greater relative to mutagenicity than at shorter wavelengths. The relative yield of dimer formation by 365 nm radiation is intermediate between the yields for lethality and mutagenesis.
Exaggerated primary endoscope deflection: initial clinical experience with prototype flexible ureteroscopes

The arrival of the flexible ureteroscope has been of great value to urologists, allowing access to virtually all parts of the collecting system. Authors from two centres in the New York area and Taiwan write in this section about their experience with new types of flexible ureteroscopes. Their views are sure to be of interest to readers. OBJECTIVE To increase the clinical usefulness of the actively deflectable flexible ureteroscope by making sequential changes in design and then using these prototypes clinically; and to develop a clinical series using the optimum prototype and contrast it with an extensive database of patients treated with the traditional flexible ureteroscope. METHODS A series of prototypic flexible ureteroscopes was developed and used clinically. The active deflection of the prototype ureteroscope was evaluated with and with no accessories in the working channel, and compared with a standard 7.5 F ureteroscope. Clinical data were then accrued and compared with a previously published database. RESULTS The progression of prototypes led to a final version which incorporated > 300° primary active deflection, shaft miniaturization (8.4 F) and an increase in endoscope shaft stiffness. The prototype flexible ureteroscope had significantly greater active deflection than the standard ureteroscope, especially when working channel accessories were used. In all, 115 endoscopic procedures were carried out, the indications for which included endoscopic lithotripsy for distal calculi (51), treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (27), diagnostic endoscopy (26) and retrograde endopyelotomy (three). No guidewire was required to place the flexible ureteroscope into the upper urinary tract in 27% of patients. Active intramural dilatation for access was only required in 3% of the procedures. All lower pole calyces were accessed with this instrument. CONCLUSIONS Adding exaggerated deflection is a timely advance in flexible ureteropyeloscopy. This and the other changes in design facilitated complex retrograde endoscopic procedures and increased the therapeutic potential of the instrument.
First-Principles Computation of the Vibrational Entropy of Ordered and Disordered Ni3Al

Experimental as well as theoretical work indicates that the relative stability of the ordered and the disordered states of a compound may be significantly affected by their difference in vibrational entropy. The origin of this difference is usually attributed to the fact that disordering reduces the number of stiff bonds between different atomic species in favor of soft bonds between identical atomic species. The results of previous theoretical investigations, however, suggest that this simple mechanism is significantly modified as a result of local atomic relaxations. To gain further insight regarding the importance of relaxations, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the magnitude of the vibrational entropy difference between the ordered and the disordered state of Pd3V. Our investigation reveals that bond stiffness changes due to relaxation entirely mask the large configurational dependence of vibrational entropy provided by bond stiffness differences. Our analysis also suggests a simple technique to estimate vibrational entropy based on the relationship between bond length and bond stiffness.
Metabolism of carbohydrate and lipid reserves in germinated cotton seeds.

Utilization of reserve lipid and carbohydrates during germination (0–12 h) and postgerminative growth (12–48 h) was studied in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings. Raffinose and stachyose were utilized during the germination period and early growth; mobilization was associated with α-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22) activity. Results from pulse-chase experiments with [3H]raffinose supplied exogenously to 4-h soaked seeds indicated that raffinose-derived catabolites contributed to the coincident increase in cotyledon sucrose and starch, and to the small increase in axis dry weight. Starch appears to be an alternative sink for end products of hydrolysis of reserve carbohydrates prior to the onset of rapid axis growth and cotyledon expansion. Mobilization of neutral lipid commenced at about 16 h after soaking, concomitant with development of key glyoxylate-cycle and other gluconeogenesis-related enzyme activities. Axis dry weight increased three-fold between 24 and 48 h. Results from pulse-chase (3 h, 16 h) experiments in which [2-14C]acetate was supplied to cotyledons of intact 22-h-old seedlings showed that acetate-derived metabolites were not transported exclusively to the axes, but were partitioned between axes and cotyledons. Only 27% of total incorporated radioactivity was recovered in axes following the chase, 18% was evolved as CO2, and the rest was recovered in water-soluble substances (20%) and polymers (31%) within the cotyledons. Of the polymers, 55% of the activity was in polysaccharides (Starch, pectic substances, hemicellulose, cellulose), 25% in protein, and 20% in unidentified neutral and acidic compounds. Considering these data, the amount of lipid mobilized, and various routes by which supplied [2-14C]acetate could be metabolized, it appears that lipidderived compounds contribute only 25–40% of axis dry-weight gain. Lipid-derived substances retained in the cotyledons likely are utilized for expansion and differentiation of the cotyledons into photosynthetic organs.
An integral-equation formulation of nonlinear deformation in a stack of buffered plates

An integral-equation formulation has been derived for nonlinear deformation in a stack of buffered Kirchhoff plates. The plates are assumed to follow a nonlinear bending moment-curvature law and the buffer material to follow the generalized Hooke’s law. By employing the recently derived special Green’s function for multilayers with interfacial membrane and flexural rigidities as the kernel, the integral-equation formulation only involves the surface loading area (for application to an indentation problem) and the portion of plates undergoing nonlinear deformation. Based on the integral equation, an efficient and accurate boundary element method has been derived to numerically solve the cylindrical indentation problem of the material with a bilinear flexural bending law for the plates. Numerical examples are presented to show a progressive damage process of yielding across a stack of plates as well as to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the present integral-equation formulation.
Preparative liquid chromatography of 1:1 adducts derived from the reaction of malondialdehyde with amino acids.

Abstract Purification of 1:1 adducts (enaminals) formed from the reaction of methyl esters of amino acids with either malondialdehyde or methylmalondialdehyde was accomplished by preparative liquid chromatography on the stationary phase Amberlite XAD-4. The enaminal was easily and rapidly separated from the by-products and starting materials by a EtOH-H2O mobile phase and then easily and rapidly recovered from the EtOH-H2O at good yield and high purity. Depending on column diameter, up to 50 mg of enaminal could be purified in one chromatographic step. Adducts derived from l -Arg, l -His, l -Tyr, and l -Cys were purified.
A novel automated method for enumeration of Chlamydia trachomatis inclusion forming units

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that primarily infects epithelial cells. Traditional methods for quantification of inclusion forming units (IFUs) rely upon infection of epithelial cell monolayers in vitro. Following incubation for approximately 2 days, inclusion bodies that result from infection of cells are detected by immunofluorescent staining with an antibody conjugated to a fluorescent dye. These inclusion bodies are then manually counted by microscopic examination of multiple, randomly selected fields of view. This requires substantial operator time and is subject to investigator bias. We have developed a novel method in which we utilize an automated microplate ImmunoSpot reader to count C. trachomatis IFUs. Following infection of epithelial cells in a 96-well plate and subsequent incubation, IFUs are fixed and detected with an anti-C. trachomatis LPS monoclonal antibody. Immobilized antibody is detected with a biotinylated secondary antibody and visualized enzymatically with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase and the colorimetric substrate nitro-blue tetrazolium chloride/5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-phospate (NBT/BCIP). IFUs are then enumerated with the ImmunoSpot system. This method has been used to quantify IFUs from all cell lines traditionally used for chlamydial propagation, including L929, McCoy, HeLa and HaK cells. IFU numbers obtained are comparable to those determined by traditional microscopic counting. In addition, the method can be applied to rapid determination of serum-neutralizing titers for vaccine studies, and we have also applied this approach to quantify Chlamydia recovered from vaginal swabs collected from infected animals. This method provides for rapid enumeration of IFU counts while minimizing investigator bias and has potential applications for both research and diagnostic use.
Using molecular dynamics simulations on crambin to evaluate the suitability of different continuum dielectric and hydrogen atom models for protein simulations.

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations of enzymes with enough explicit waters of solvation to realistically account for solute-solvent interactions can burden the computational resources required to perform the simulation by more than two orders of magnitude. Since enzyme simulations even with an implicit solvation model can be imposing for a supercomputer, it is important to assess the suitability of different continuum dielectric models for protein simulations. A series of 100-picosecond molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the X-ray crystal structure of the protein crambin to examine how well computed structures, obtained using seven continuum dielectric and two hydrogen atom models, agreed with the X-ray structure. The best level of agreement between computed and experimental structures was obtained using a constant dielectric of 2 and the all-hydrogen model. Continuum dielectric models of 1,1*r, and 2*r also led to computed structures in reasonably good agreement with the X-ray structure...
GaAs HBT's for microwave integrated circuits

The status of the microwave GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology is reviewed. Microwave circuits for advanced military and commercial systems continue to increase their dependence on the performance, functionality, and cost of active components fabricated using solid-state technology. The performance advantages provided by GaAs HBT's, for several critical circuit applications, have stimulated a worldwide development activity. Progress in HBT device technology and microwave circuit applications has been extremely rapid because of the broad availability of III-V compound semiconductor epitaxial materials and prior experience with GaAs field-effect transistors (FET's) and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's). The great flexibility of HBT's in microwave circuits makes them prime candidates for applications in complex multifunctional microwave/digital IC's in next-generation systems. >
Revisiting the Colonial in the Postcolonial: Critical Praxis for Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers in a TESOL Program

Although historically much teaching of English has been done by nonnative-English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), research on their concerns as English educators has been neglected. This article takes as its central focus the narrative of NNESTs in the context of critical praxis. It discusses a graduate seminar offered for perhaps the first time in a TESOL program for NNESTs. The article presents the process of interrogating the nativeness paradigm among NNESTs themselves via their own experiences and self-representation. It discusses the validity of conceptual tools designed to overcome disempowering discourses that may exist in TESOL programs and centers on the construction of identity among NNESTs that neither prescribes a limited role for them in the profession nor specifies definite boundaries to their capacities therein. The study suggests that the process of empowerment of NNESTs is neither linear nor simple but can nevertheless be generated within and by teachers engaged in critical praxis. It also demonstrates that many of the participants found a new relationship with their contexts, analyzed the causes of their powerlessness, and generated a new sense of agency as teachers and scholars in the field.
Behavioral and neurobiological characteristics of social stress versus depression in nonhuman primates

The focus of the review is on the behavioral and physiological manifestations of stress versus depression. The purpose of the review is to evaluate the conceptual approach of using stress models as surrogates for depression. Social stress and depression have many characteristics in common and promote each other. Both have adverse effects on social relationships and the quality of life, and increase risk of other diseases. However, they are not the same constructs. In human and nonhuman primates, the behavior and neurobiology of stressed individuals differ from that of depressed individuals. Some similarities in stress physiology in socially stressed and depressed individuals have been used to support the use of stressed animals as models of depression, and much has been learned from stress models of depression. However, the studies reviewed here also suggest that the depressed state also has different characteristics than the stressed state, and studying the differences may be important to furthering our understanding of each of these constructs as well as their mutual relationship.