cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic partitioning for array languages

The classical process of partitioning an array into subarrays is extended to a more useful array language operation. Various modes of partitioning are defined for different types of arrays, so that subarrays may vary over the original array in a nearly arbitrary manner. These definitions are motivated with several realistic examples to illustrate the value of partitioning for array languages.Of general interest is the data structure for partitioning. This consists of dynamic tree structures which are used to derive and maintain the array control information. These are described in sufficient detail to be of value in the design of other array languages. The description presented in this paper is implemented in a new array language, OL/2, currently under development at the University of Illinois.
Conductance behavior of long-chain amine hydrochlorides in 2-methoxyethanol

The solution behavior of octyl-, decyl-, dodecyl-, tetradecyl-, hexadecyl-, and octadecylamine hydrochloride in 2-methoxyethanol at 25°C was determined by conductance techniques. Data were evaluated by the Fuoss-Shedlovsky, Fuoss-Onsager, and the Fernandez-Prini expanded form of the Pitts and Fuoss-Hsia equations. As expected, the limiting equivalent conductances of the electrolytes decrease as the crystallographic radii of the cations of these salts increase. Little difference is observed in the extent of association of the six long-chain quaternary ammonium salts in 2-methoxyethanol; these salts appear to behave as simple 1∶1 electrolytes within the concentration range of 1–28×10−4M. Included in the present study is a discussion of the previously investigated conductance behavior of these colloidal electrolytes in water.
Size and Spectroscopy of Silicon Nanoparticles Prepared via Reduction of SiCl4

Synthesis of silicon nanoparticles of various sizes from 3 to 9 nm in diameter was accomplished via a low temperature solution route. These nanoparticles are prepared via reduction of SiCl4 with Na naphthalide in dimethoxyethane and capped with octasiloxane. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution (HR) TEM, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, UV–vis, photoluminescence, and their quantum yields were determined. TEM micrographs show that the nanoparticles are well dispersed and SAED and lattice fringes are consistent with diamond structured silicon. X-ray powder diffraction provides no diffraction peaks. UV–vis and photoluminescence show characteristic shifts corresponding to size, consistent with quantum confinement. The smallest sized nanoparticles show the largest quantum yield, consistent with an indirect bandgap nanoparticles.
Integrated Optics Comporents For Fiber Gyroscopes and Observation of the Photorefractive Effect in LiNbO 3 Directional Couplers at GaAs Wavelengths

The current status of integrated optics components for fiber gyro applications is reviewed. Progress on the reduction of loss in these components including coupling loss, propagation loss, and bending loss is summarized. Preliminary experimental results on the photorefractive effect in Ti-indiffused LiNbO3 directional couplers at GaAs wavelengths are presented. The photorefractive effect, measured as a drift in the switching state, has been observed for intensities (powers) as low as 32 W/cm2 (3.2 at 0.85© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identification of a Candida albicans Ferrichrome Transporter and Its Characterization by Expression inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae can accumulate iron through the uptake of siderophore-iron. Siderophore-iron uptake can occur through the reduction of the complex and the subsequent uptake of iron by the high affinity iron transporter Fet3p/Ftr1p. Alternatively, specific siderophore transporters can take up the siderophore-iron complex. The pathogenic fungus Candida albicans can also take up siderophore-iron. Here we identify a C. albicans siderophore transporter, CaArn1p, and characterize its activity. CaARN1 is transcriptionally regulated in response to iron. Through expression studies in S. cerevisiae strains lacking endogenous siderophore transporters, we demonstrate that CaArn1p specifically mediates the uptake of ferrichrome-iron. Iron-ferrichrome and gallium-ferrichrome, but not desferri-ferrichrome, could competitively inhibit the uptake of iron from ferrichrome. Uptake of siderophore-iron resulting from expression of CaARN1 under the control of the MET25-promoter in S. cerevisiae was independent of the iron status of the cells and of Aft1p, the iron-sensing transcription factor. These studies demonstrate that the expression of CaArn1p is both necessary and sufficient for the nonreductive uptake of ferrichrome-iron and suggests that the transporter may be the only required component of the siderophore uptake system that is regulated by iron and Aft1p.
Depression and economic self-sufficiency among inner-city minority mothers

This paper uses a newly available data set on African-American and Latina mothers living in an inner-city neighborhood of Chicago to study the role of depression as a potential barrier to economic self-sufficiency. Logit regressions that control for a rich set of background characteristics reveal that a short period of high depressive symptoms does not have major repercussions in the economic sphere. However, repeated episodes or a prolonged condition of high depressive symptoms is strongly associated with an elevated risk of subsequent welfare dependency.
Women's Work: Volunteer AIDS Care Giving in Northern Thailand

SUMMARY Because persons with AIDS in Thailand usually are cared for by their families, and because government AIDS policy relies upon this assistance for the care of the country's sick, the research reported here addressed the questions: Who are the home and community care givers for PWA? What kind of care do they give? And, What is the impact of care giving on the care giver(s)? Informants were drawn in 1998–99 from a long-term birth cohort study of a non-clinical urban population in the country's province of highest AIDS mortality, Chiang Mai. The study was part of a larger, exploratory ethnographic study of the interplay among health, reproduction and development among persons born in 1964 and their mothers that I began in 1973. Findings include that among care-givers, parents, overwhelmingly mothers, and wives considered it their place, duty and moral benefit to care for adult children or husbands sick with AIDS.
Non-Alumni Advisory Board Volunteers

Advisory boards typically offer guidance, support, social, and financial capital to academic units within colleges and universities. They are generally comprised of prominent volunteers from the community and appropriate industries or businesses. The results of this exploratory study found that non-alumni advisory board volunteers developed emotional connections and pride in serving the institution similar to alumni. The connections led most of the volunteers who participated in this study to have a high level of engagement with the institution that was meaningful to them and resulted in their desire to continue as volunteers, even without having earned a degree from the institution.
Marked augmentation of nocturnal melatonin secretion in amenorrheic athletes, but not in cycling athletes: unaltered by opioidergic or dopaminergic blockade.

Exercise of sufficient intensity during daylight hours has been demonstrated to result in an acute elevation of circulating melatonin levels. The possibility that repeated elevations of daytime melatonin secretion may result in alterations of the nocturnal maxima of the circadian rhythm in highly trained athletic women with and without amenorrhea was investigated. Twenty-four-hour melatonin profiles in matched cyclic sedentary (CS; n = 10) women, cyclic athletic (CA; n = 10) women, and amenorrheic athletic (AA; n = 8) women were compared. The roles of endogenous opioids and dopamine as potential modulators of melatonin secretion were also evaluated by comparing the melatonin profiles during sequential 24-h infusions of saline, followed by either naloxone or metoclopramide (both at 30 micrograms/kg.h). Elevated (P less than 0.05) mean daytime (1000-1700 h) melatonin levels were observed in both groups of athletic women compared to sedentary women. In contrast, nocturnal melatonin levels in sedentary and athletic cycling women were indistinguishable, while amenorrheic athletic women displayed a marked increase in nocturnal peak amplitude (P less than 0.001 vs. CS and CA) and a 2-h delay in offset (P less than 0.001 vs. CS and CA), which yielded a 2-fold amplification of the integrated nocturnal melatonin secretion (P less than 0.001 vs. CS and CA). The onset of the nocturnal rise did not differ among the three groups. Opioidergic and dopaminergic blockade with naloxone and metoclopramide at the doses used did not alter any parameter of melatonin secretion in any of the three groups of women. In conclusion, athleticism in women is associated with an elevation of daytime melatonin levels independent of menstrual status. AA women, but not CA women, display a 2-fold amplification of nocturnal melatonin secretion with a 2-h delay of offset, which does not seem to be linked to athleticism per se. The significance and neuroendocrine basis for the expanded melatonin secretion in athletic amenorrheic women remains to be elucidated.
Surgical Adrenalectomy with Diurnal Corticosterone Replacement Slows Escalation and Prevents the Augmentation of Cocaine-Induced Reinstatement in Rats Self-Administering Cocaine Under Long-Access Conditions

The loss of control over cocaine use and persistently heightened susceptibility to drug relapse that define human cocaine addiction are consequences of drug-induced neuroplasticity and can be studied in rats self-administering cocaine under conditions of daily long access (LgA) as escalating patterns of drug intake and heightened susceptibility to reinstatement. This study investigated the potential contribution of elevated glucocorticoids at the time of LgA cocaine self-administration (SA) to these behavioral indices of addiction-related neuroplasticity. Rats provided 14 days of 6-h access (LgA) to cocaine showed a progressive escalation of SA and were more susceptible to cocaine-induced reinstatement (10 mg/kg, i.p.) compared to rats self-administering under short-access (ShA; 2 h) conditions. A surgical adrenalectomy and corticosterone replacement (ADX/C) regimen that eliminated SA-induced increases in corticosterone (CORT) while maintaining the diurnal pattern of secretion failed to alter SA or reinstatement in ShA rats but slowed escalation and attenuated later reinstatement in LgA rats when applied before but not after chronic LgA SA testing. Although the contribution of other adrenal hormones cannot be ruled out, these data suggest that elevated glucocorticoids at the time of cocaine exposure may be required for the effects of LgA SA on cocaine intake and later reinstatement. The inability of daily CORT administration before daily ShA SA, at a dose that reproduced the response during LgA SA, to mimic the effects of LgA SA suggests that elevated glucocorticoids during SA may play a permissive role in cocaine-induced neuroplasticity that contributes to addiction.
Decision Support at the Point of Care: Challenges in Knowledge Representation, Management, and Patient-specific Access:

Many applications in a clinical information system can benefit from the incorporation of medical knowledge to provide patient-specific, point-of-care decision support. These include computer-based provider order entry, referral, clinical result interpretation, consultation, adverse event monitoring, scheduling, shared patient-doctor decision-making, and generation of alerts and reminders, among others. To be executable, knowledge must be represented in the form of rules, constraints, calculations, guidelines, and other logical/algorithmic formats. The main difficulty is that the integration of such knowledge into clinical applications, when it occurs, tends to be very system- and application-specific, often encoded in a programming language, or even in the formating specifications of a user interaction display. Also, the data references and services invoked are highly dependent on the system/platform and electronic medical record implementation. This makes it difficult and time-consuming to encode authori...
Involvement of chloride channels in IGF-I-induced proliferation of porcine arterial smooth muscle cells

Objective: The existence of Cl− channels in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has been increasingly investigated, but the biological functions are not yet clear. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I affects proliferation and migration of VSMCs, and dysregulation of this axis may be involved in atherogenesis and intimal hyperplasia. We examined the effects of Cl− channel blockers on IGF-I-induced proliferation in porcine VSMCs. The siRNA approach was used to support the role of ClC-2, a member of the volume-regulated Cl− channel family, in cell proliferation of VSMCs. Methods and results: The IGF-I-induced VSMC proliferation was significantly suppressed by the Cl− channel blockers NPPB and IAA94 but not by DIDS. IGF-I-induced cell proliferation parallels a significant increase in the endogenous expression of ClC-2 mRNA and protein. Inhibitors of PI3-kinase, LY294002 and wortmannin, significantly attenuated the IGF-I-upregulated ClC-2 expression and cell proliferation. We observed ClC-2-like Cl− current, and this current was augmented by IGF-I. SiRNA specifically targeted to ClC-2 abolished IGF-I-induced cell proliferation. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that ClC-2 plays a role in IGF-1-induced regulation of VSMC proliferation in cardiovascular diseases.
Split-phase currents as generator protection

SPLIT-PHASE currents in multicircuit generator windings exist only because of necessary manufacturing tolerances or because of winding faults. This article attempts to set forth something of the nature of these split-phase currents and discusses the type of current transformers and relays which can be used to afford generator winding protection.
Effect of rosiglitazone on spontaneous and clomiphene citrate–induced ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract Objective In women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), correction of hyperinsulinemia results enhances spontaneous ovulation or alternatively, the responsiveness to ovulation induction agents such as clomiphene citrate (CC). We investigated the effect of rosiglitazone maleate on ovulation induction in overweight and obese, CC-resistant women with PCOS. Design Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Setting Academic reproductive endocrinology clinic. Patient(s) Overweight and obese women with clinical and laboratory manifestations of PCOS who desired pregnancy and were resistant to CC. Intervention(s) Twenty-five women were randomized into two treatment groups. Subjects in Group I (n = 12) were randomized to receive rosiglitazone 4 mg b.i.d. with a placebo on cycle days 5–9. Group II (n = 13) was randomized to receive rosiglitazone 4 mg b.i.d. with CC on cycle days 5–9. The duration of the study was 2 months. Main outcome measure(s) The primary outcome was ovulation as defined by luteal serum progesterone greater than 5 ng/dL assessed on days 21, 24, and 28 of the cycle. Secondary outcomes were pregnancy and changes in insulin sensitivity, serum lipoproteins, and androgens. Result(s) Overall, 14 of 25 (56%) women, who were previously resistant to CC, successfully ovulated. In subjects taking rosiglitazone alone (Group I), 4 of 12 (33%) subjects ovulated compared with 10 of 13 (77%) women randomized to rosiglitazone with CC (Group II) ( P =.04, Fisher's exact). One subject in Group I became pregnant, resulting in one uncomplicated live birth; two subjects in Group II conceived, with one successful live birth and one first trimester, spontaneous abortion. For all subjects, fasting insulin declined from 29.4 ± 13.8 μU/mL to 17.3 ± 7.8 μU/mL after rosiglitazone ( P =.003, paired t -test). Although mean levels of total testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) did not decline significantly, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) did increase from 0.7 ± 0.3 μg/dL to 1.0 ± 0.3 μg/dL after rosiglitazone therapy ( P =.001, paired t test). There was also a decrease in luteinizing hormone (LH) from 9.4 ± 6.3 mU/mL to 7.2 ± 3.7 mU/mL ( P =.01). Lipoproteins including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides did not change. Conclusions Short-term rosiglitazone therapy enhances both spontaneous and clomiphene-induced ovulation in overweight and obese women with PCOS. Rosiglitazone therapy improves insulin sensitivity and decreases hyperandrogenemia primarily through increases in SHBG.
Can't get no SMADisfaction: Smad proteins as positive and negative regulators of TGF‐β family signals

The identification of Smad proteins as molecular components of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling cascade has enhanced our understanding of how ligand-mediated activation of TGF-beta receptors leads to modulation of target gene transcription. Recent studies have identified a distinct, structurally related class of Smads which inhibits, rather than transduces, TGF-beta family signals. The molecular mechanism of action and the exact signaling pathways that are targeted by antagonistic Smads are not completely understood. These proteins appear to participate in autoregulatory negative feedback loops in which signaling initiated by specific TGF-beta family ligands induces the expression of an inhibitory Smad that then functions to modulate the amplitude or duration of signaling. Negative feedback circuits such as these play important roles in fine-tuning the activity of multifunctional signaling molecules during embryonic patterning and in response to pathologic stimuli in adults.
An ATP‐sensitive conductance in single smooth muscle cells from the rat vas deferens.

1. The whole-cell voltage-clamp technique was used to study the effects of extracellular ATP on smooth muscle cells isolated from the rat vas deferens. 2. ATP (1-200 microM) elicited an inward-rectifying current that was rapid in onset (less than or equal to 100 ms), reached a peak value that depended on [ATP], and desensitized in the continued presence of ATP (half-time approximately 2 s). 3. Cells recovered from desensitization when incubated in the absence of ATP (resensitization half-time approximately 2 min). 4. A comparison was made of the ability of ATP and several of its structural analogues to stimulate inward current at a negative holding potential. ATP was by far the most effective compound among the series ATP, ADP, AMP, adenosine, GTP, UTP and ITP. ADP elicited a current that was 20-25% as large as that produced by ATP, while the other compounds were ineffective at a concentration which produced a maximal ATP response. 5. AMP-CPP (alpha, beta-methylene ATP), AMP-PCP (beta, gamma-methylene ATP), and AMP-PNP (beta, gamma-imido ATP), which are relatively resistant to hydrolysis, were similarly compared to ATP. While none of these analogues elicited a current resembling the ATP-induced current, AMP-CPP and AMP-PNP each produced a small, relatively sustained inward current; AMP-PCP had little or no effect. 6. The ATP-sensitive conductance is cation selective, but does not appear to discriminate strongly between Na+, K+ and Mg2+. 7. Analysis of the fluctuations which accompany the ATP-induced current suggests that ATP controls a population of channels with a unitary current greater than 0.5 pA at -130 mV. 8. The ATP-evoked current discussed in this report may be responsible for the depolarizing effect of ATP previously described in multicellular preparations of the vas deferens.
Novel human DNA alkyltransferases obtained by random substitution and genetic selection in bacteria

Abstract DNA repair alkyltransferases protect organisms against the cytotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects of alkylating agents by transferring alkyl adducts from DNA to an active cysteine on the protein, thereby restoring the native DNA structure. We used random sequence substitutions to gain structure-function information about the human O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.63), as well as to create active mutants. Twelve codons surrounding but not including the active cysteine were replaced by a random nucleotide sequence, and the resulting random library was selected for the ability to provide alkyltransferase-deficient Escherichia coli with resistance to the methylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Few amino acid changes were tolerated in this evolutionarily conserved region of the protein. One mutation, a valine to phenylalanine change at codon 139 (V139F), was found in 70% of the selected mutants; in fact, this mutant was selected much more frequently than the wild type. V139F provided alkyltransferase-deficient bacteria with greater protection than the wild-type protein against both the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, increasing the D37 over 4-fold and reducing the mutagenesis rate 2.7-5.5-fold. This mutant human alkyltransferase, or others similarly created and selected, could be used to protect bone marrow cells from the cytotoxic side effects of alkylation-based chemotherapeutic regimens.
Exploring Religion and Spirituality in Clinical Practice

This article is a report on a study designed with experienced clinicians to explore the question of spirituality, religion and practice. Using eight focus groups from around the United States, the data provided support for the importance of theoretically grounded practitioners who have integrated spiritual and religious practices into their personal and professional lives. The participants' discussions provide strong support for exploring spirituality and religious beliefs in the context of the ways clients make meaning of life circumstances. An interesting finding is the importance of paying attention to the place of spirituality and religion in clinical practice.
The Social Nature of Male Suicide: A New Analytic Model

Suicide is one of the leading causes of male mortality. In nearly every country in the world, more males than females end their life by suicide. Previous research indicates male-specific risk factors include social factors such as being unmarried, low income, and unemployment. An analytic model of male suicide is developed, proposing that the traditional male gender role creates a culturally-conditioned narrowing of perceived options and cognitive rigidity when under stress that increases male suicide risk. Suicide prevention and intervention require recognition of the role of high traditional masculinity, situating individual explanations within a broader social context. Based on this theory and the few existing empirical studies, testable hypotheses are proposed.
Dynamics of Interatrial Shunting in Children with Obstruction of the Tricuspid and Pulmonic Valves

The interatrial pressure-flow dynamics in patients with right-to-left shunting at the atrial level in the presence of right heart obstruction were studied. In tricuspid atresia most of the right-to-left gradient occurred during right atrial systole. This gradient, as well as the cineangiocardiograms, indicated that almost all systemic venous return was transferred from the right to the left atrium through the interatrial communication during right atrial contraction. Cine studies also suggesed that right atrial systole (1) contributed significantly to left ventricular filling and (2) produced regurgitant venous flow, especially into the hepatic veins. In two patients with secundum atrial defect and associated marked pulmonic valve stenosis, bidirectional shunting at the atrial level was defined by pressure gradient and cine and dye-dilution curve technics. The right-to-left gradient and shunt occurred during ventricular diastole with accentuation of this gradient by atrial contraction; the left-to-right i...
Mercury and selenium content and chemical form in vegetable crops grown on sludge-amended soil

The content and chemical form of mercury and selenium were assessed for several vegetable crops grown on sludge-amended and untreated soil. Total edible tissue mercury and selenium content of sludgegrown crops averaged four and two times higher, respectively, than that of crops grown on untreated soil. In terms of plant/soil concentration factors, selenium was more readily assimilated by crops than mercury. Crops from sludged and untreated soil had methylmercury levels averaging 14.0 and 4.4%, respectively, of the total tissue mercury content. An average of 24% of the total tissue selenium content was present as hexavalent selenium.
Rosacea The battle goes on

Rosacea presents an enigma to patients and physicians alike. Although new insights and a plethora of therapies provide hope, the underlying etiology remains unknown. This assures a certain amount of frustration as available treatments temporize rather than cure the disease. This article examines the current state of knowledge regarding this fascinating entity.
Design of FIR filters by complex Chebyshev approximation

The authors present an algorithm for designing an optimal FIR (finite impulse response) filter with real coefficients that best approximates an arbitrary complex-valued frequency response. This algorithm is theoretically guaranteed to converge with each iteration requiring O(N/sup 2/) computations, where N represents the filter length. The properties of the optimal filter are derived and presented, and particular attention is paid to the case where the desired filter has arbitrary constant group delay. >
Importance of Continuous Pulse Oximetry of the Ipsilateral Thumb/Index Finger during Transradial Angiography

We present a case of a 63-year-old male undergoing attempted basilar artery embolization using a right transradial artery approach in which continuous pulse oximetry of the ipsilateral thumb uncovered unanticipated hand ischemia during the procedure. A preprocedural evaluation using pulse oximetry of the right thumb demonstrated normal waveform and maintenance of normal oxygen saturation during manual compression of the right radial artery. This normal waveform and oxygen saturation was maintained after insertion of a 6Fr sheath into the radial artery. After insertion of a 6Fr guiding catheter into the right vertebral artery, near-complete dampening of the pulse oximetry waveform and precipitous decline in oxygen saturation were noted. Examination of the right hand demonstrated poor tissue perfusion. Immediate removal of the guiding catheter led to return of a normal waveform, oxygen saturation, and tissue perfusion. This case demonstrates the importance of continuous, intraprocedural monitoring of oxygenation of the ipsilateral hand during transradial angiography in order to avoid unanticipated perfusion abnormalities.
Elektrochemisches Verhalten von N‐Aryl‐Δ2‐pyrazolinen. III. Anodische Oxydation von 1‐Phenyl‐Δ2‐pyrazolin und Bis‐[1‐phenyl‐Δ2‐pyrazolinyl‐(3)]

Die anodische Dimerisierung von 1-Phenyl-Δ2-pyrazolin 1 in Acetonitril fuhrt wie die Oxydation mit Eisen(III)-chlorid uber die Zwischenstufe der Radikalkationen 3 dieser Verbindung mit guten Ausbeuten zu Bis-[1-phenyl-Δ2-pyrazolinyl-(3)] 2. Dieses von den 1-Phenyl-3,5-diaryl-Δ2-pyrazolinen abweichende Verhalten beweist, das das bei 3 unbesetzte Kohlenstoffatom 3 des Pyrazolinringes eine hohere Reaktivitat besitzt als das unter Bildung von Biphenylderivaten reagierende para-standige Kohlenstoffatom der N-Phenylgruppe. Die polarographische, oszillopolarographische, coulometrische und spektroskopische Verfolgung des elektrochemischen Verhaltens von 2 ergab, das letztere Position erst bei dessen Dikation 6 in Reaktion tritt, wobei ein Tetrameres von 1 entsteht. Die Radikalkationen 5 des Dimeren 2 sind hingegen in Acetonitril stabil.
Networks, Social Capital, and Social Liability: The Case of Pakistani ISI, the Taliban and the War against Terrorism

Pakistan is one of the most important players as well as a playground frontier of the global war on terrorism beginning from September 11 to the present. In this paper we delineate the complexities of the war against terrorism taking a social network approach. The paper argues that one of the main challenges for fighting terrorism in places such as Pakistan is the social network ties which exit between the different constituencies, sometimes constituencies which are seemingly on opposing sides. The paper uses social capital of organizations to map the capital and liabilities of strong and weak ties between the Pakistani intelligence service (ISI) and the Taliban and how they change over time.
Restructuring for Strategic Outcomes

Restructuring in higher education is ultimately based on the need to continuously improve the learning experience for students and to prepare them for a constantly changing job market. Engineering programs are expected to prepare their graduates for success and leadership in business, industry, consulting, government, and education. Such preparation, of necessity, must display agility in responding to changing needs during times of uncertain and dwindling resources. For this reason, the College of Engineering and Science of Louisiana Tech University has been restructured to achieve significant improvement in accomplishing its objectives. This article describes the rationale and process of restructuring the college, aligning the budget according to the new structure, and developing a strategic plan in the context of an integrated structure and with the goal of achieving strategic outcomes. Early measurable successes in undergraduate curriculum reform, graduate curriculum, and research activity are reported.
Rednecks, Queers, and Country Music

The social and political implications that surround the culture of country music offer a useful analytical departure point through which we might consider how class and queer subjectivities are def...
Environment of Ore Deposition in the Creede Mining District, San Juan Mountains, Colorado: Part VI. Maximum Duration for Mineralization of the OH Vein

The rate at which ore deposits form is one of the least well established parameters in all of economic geology. However, increased detail in sampling, improved technology of dating, and sophistication in modeling are reducing the uncertainties and establishing that ore formation, at least for the porphyry copper-skarn-epithermal base and precious metals deposit package, may take place in surprisingly brief intervals. This contribution applies another approach to examine the duration of mineralization. The degree to which compositional gradients within single crystals has flattened through solid-state diffusion offers a measure of the thermal dose (that is temperature combined with time) that the crystals have been subjected to since deposition. Here we examine the steepness of gradients in iron content within individual single sphalerite crystals from the epithermal silver-lead-zinc deposit in the OH vein at Creede, Colorado. Two initial textures are considered: growth-banded crystals and compositionally contrasting overgrowths that succeed crosscutting dissolution or fractured surfaces. The model used estimates the maximum possible time by assuming a perfectly sharp original compositional step, and it asks how long it would take at a known temperature for the gradient measured today to have formed. Applying the experimentally determined diffusion rates of Mizuta (1988a) to compositional gradients (ranging from 0.4–2.2 mol % FeS/μm) measured by the electron microprobe in 2-μm steps on banded sphalerite formed early in the paragenetic history yields a maximum duration of less than ~10,000 yr. Sphalerite from a solution unconformity in a position midway through the paragenetic sequence is indistinguishable from instantaneous deposition, supporting the conclusion of rapid ore formation. While this formation interval seems very brief, it is consistent with less well constrained estimates using entirely different criteria.
Viruses in wetland ecosystems

1. We review studies of viruses in natural and constructed wetlands, focusing on the importance of surfaces as viral habitat, and differences in viral ecology between wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems. 2. Viruses in natural wetlands are predominantly associated with sediment, macrophytes and other submerged surfaces. In constructed wetlands, these surfaces are critical to the removal of viral pathogens and indicator organisms from wastewater. 3. Interactions between viruses and other ecosystem components have rarely been examined in wetlands, and the role of viruses in regulating wetland microbial communities is unclear. Environmental factors such as temperature and flooding regime are important abiotic controllers of viral abundances in wetlands but few studies have examined how abiotic or biotic factors affect community structure. Even basic information on wetland viral diversity is lacking. 4. Future research should include broad surveys of different types of wetlands, an emphasis on differences between microhabitats, and an increased use of molecular approaches to examine wetland viral diversity and its relationship to microbial community structure. Such studies should consider wetlands as part of the broader landscape, and emphasize interactions between wetlands and adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Polyphenylaluminoxosiloxanes as catalysts

The isopropyl alcoholate of tris(triphenylsiloxy)aluminum, [(C6H5)3SiO]3Al · 3 iso-C3H7OH, evolves alcohol, propylene, and benzene as it is heated to 350°. The polyphenylaluminoxosiloxane which is formed retains about two-thirds of the phenyl groups. This material is not active for cumene dealkylation. When it is treated with small amounts of water there is formed one mole of benzene per mole of water and it becomes very active for cumene dealkylation. An apparatus which has been called a twin tube injector was developed for the study of the volatile products formed on heating the catalyst and for determining the activity of the catalyst after any thermal or chemical pretreatment.
Cost effectiveness comparison of certain transportation measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in San Diego County, California

Abstract California's overarching mandate to achieve 1990 levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in 2020 (AB 32, 2005), and the ensuing recent regulations (SB 375, CEQA updates) require local and regional governments to assess GHG mitigation policies, including on-road transportation. The regulations do not make cost-effectiveness a primary criteria for choosing measures but cost remains important to a variety of stakeholders. This communication summarizes results from GHG and cost analysis for seven actual San Diego County road transportation policies: telecommute, vanpools, a bicycle strategy, an increase in mass transit use, parking policies (parking pricing, preferred parking for electric vehicles), an increased local fuel tax and speed harmonization (signal re-timing, roundabouts). Net costs are calculated as the sum of direct costs and benefits to the administering agency, the employer and the individual. Net costs per metric ton GHG abated vary greatly across measures, from negative to high positive (more than US $1000). We find that local GHG cost cannot be sensibly compared to other carbon or GHG policy costs outside the local context for a variety of reasons, but especially because measures have not been adopted primarily for carbon or GHG abatement potential or on the basis of cost effectiveness.
How generic and how industry — specific is the project management profession?

Abstract A sample of 41 projects and their project managers includes five industries: construction, utilities, pharmaceuticals, information systems and manufacturing. The five industries are compared using an internally consistent scoring method for their typical project size characteristics, project management uncertainties, and their project managers' qualifications. The results would indicate the extent to which the project management profession is transportable across different industry sectors.
An experimental study of active base isolation control for seismic protection

Structural control technology has been widely accepted for the protection of structures against seismic hazards. Passive base isolation is one of structural control techniques that can be employed to enhance the performance of structures subjected to severe earthquake excitations. Isolation bearings employed at the base of structures naturally increase the structural flexibility, but concurrently result in large base displacements. The combination of base isolation with active control, i.e., an active base isolation, creates the possibility to achieve a balanced level of control performance in reductions of either floor accelerations or base displacements. Many theoretical papers have been written by researchers, on active base isolation for buildings and some experiments have been conducted for unidirectional excitations. However, earthquakes are intrinsically multi-dimensional, resulting in out of plane responses, including torsion responses of the structures. Hence, the focus of this paper is the development and experimental verification of active base isolation for buildings subjected to bi-directional seismic excitations. First, solutions to this control-orientated problem are given by a series of procedures in system identification using the proposed system identification procedure, control designs with considerations of realization based on the H 2 /LQG control algorithm, and methods to evaluate this control performance. Designed controllers for achieving balanced performance are validated on a six degree-of-freedom shake table in the Smart Structures Technology Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Remote characterization of a thick slab target with a pulsed laser

A scheme is derived for deducing the Legendre moments of the optical scattering function of a homogeneous, optically thick planar medium. The radiometer need only scan the backscattered light intensity over the azimuthal angle, for a fixed polar angle, at times long after irradiation of the scattering volume by a laser pulse.
Aerodynamic optimization of unstructured meshes with viscous effects

A method is presented for performing lift-constrained drag minimization based on the 3D Euler equations and the 2D laminar Navier-Stokes equations. For the 3D Euler equations, the optimization system is based on a flow analysis scheme which uses gradients calculated on an elemental basis. For the 2D Navier-Stokes system, a change was made in the flow analysis scheme to one based on gradients calculated using a finite volume approach due to the fact that this scheme has drastically reduced memory costs associated with the storage of the residual jacobian, and allows direct extension to 3D Navier Stokes. Optimization exercises are presented which demonstrate the effectiveness of the optimization system in finding credible optimal geometries.
The Battle over Brown's Legitimacy

Constitutional scholars have given few Supreme Court rulings the attention that they have lavished upon the celebrated decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Yet the literature of public law is surprisingly unedifying with regard to the process by which the desegregation decision achieved iconic status in American legal culture. Scholarly inattentiveness to the history of Brown's reputation is startling, given that southern politicians were not the only persons in 1954 to characterize the decision as a manifest instance of judicial legislation. Even persons sympathetic to desegregation conceded that the Justices had circumvented traditional legal constraints in rendering Brown. In the years immediately following the ruling, some scholars appealed to the notion of a “living Constitution” to defend Brown against charges that it conflicted with the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment and with the “separate but equal” doctrine that the Court had established in Plessy v. Ferguson. But critics, some of whom even accepted the concept of the “living Constitution,” also challenged the Court's reading of social fact—that is, its claims regarding the inherent inequality of segregated schools—which supposedly justified judicial recognition of a right that conflicted with precedent and with the intentions of the Framers of the Equal Protection Clause.
Pharmacokinetic predictions of optimum drug delivery rates from prodrugs designed for maximum duration

Recent interest in prodrugs as well as other drug delivery systems has included the control of drug release for the purpose of extending the duration of therapeutic blood levels. While zero-order release rates are generally considered ideal, many systems approach apparent first-order kinetics. These cases may successfully prolong duration if the rate constant for drug delivery (ka) is rate-limiting relative to the elimination rate constant (k or β). For a given drug there is only one optimum rate-limiting input constant which will provide the maximum duration of therapeutic activity for a given dose. This was demonstrated using computer simulations to examine the effect of variations in dose and R (R = ka/k or ka/β) upon the duration, T, of 1- and 2-compartment model drugs administered by rate-determining first-order input. When dose is held constant, an optimum R, Ropt, exists at which duration is maximal (T = Tmax). When ka is fixed, an optimum value for dose, [D0]opt, provides the greatest duration per unit mass. Equations were derived which enable estimation of Ropt, T, Tmax, and [D0]opt when input is rate-determining. The accuracy of these estimates was determined as a function of R. The equations provide estimates with less than 5% error when R ⩽ 0.09. The administration of a 1- or 2-compartment model drug at estimates within the limit, 0.09 < R ⩽ 0.34, provides a duration T ⩾ 0.95 Tmax. A practical approach for maximizing duration by manipulation of dose and ka is described for drugs with known biological half-life, Vd and minimum effective concentration. The results are significant in that they provide a means for both assessing the feasibility of increasing the duration of drug action by prodrug formation and for evaluating the experimental results by comparison with the theoretical optimum.
Orbital Control of the Color and Excited State Properties of Formylated and Fluorinated Derivatives of Azulene

New azulene derivatives containing resonantly electron withdrawing formyl and resonantly electron donating fluorine substituents on the seven- as well as the five-member ring have been prepared. Systematic color changes as a result of perturbation of HOMO, LUMO, and LUMO + 1 energies were discussed. Corresponding excited-state properties related to S2-fluorescence were determined.
Equilibrium and kinetic studies of Escherichia coli lac repressor-inducer interactions.

Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of the interactions of the lac repressor with a series of inducers have been examined. The fluorescence spectrum of the repressor is characteristic of tryptophan, and shows a single maximum at 338 nm which shifts to 330 nm in the presence of saturating levels of inducer. Binding constants obtained fluorimetrically are in good agreement with those obtained by other methods. The direction of the spectral shift suggests that at least one tryptophan per repressor subunit becomes less accessible to the solvent on inducer binding. This is consistent with the observation that quenching of the fluorescence with iodide ion is less effective after inducer binding. The fluorescence change is utilized to investigate the kinetics of repressor-inducer interactions by stopped-flow techniques. It is shown that the inducer isopropyl-β- d -thiogalactoside interacts with the lac repressor in two resolvable sequential steps. The first is bimolecular and proceeds at a rate much slower than expected for a simple diffusion-controlled reaction. The second is monomolecular and has been attributed to a conformational change (isomerization) in repressor resulting from inducer binding. Two- and three-step kinetic mechanisms consistent with these data are proposed. Circular dichroism measurements in the peptide region show that the conformational changes do not represent a major rearrangement of repressor secondary structure.
Improvements in electric field sensor sensitivity by exploiting a tangential field configuration

This paper presents improvements to slab-coupled optical fiber sensors (SCOS) for electric-field sensing. The improvements are based on changing the crystal cut and orientation of the slab waveguide in combination with altering the input light polarization. Traditional SCOS are fabricated using z-cut potassium titanyl phosphate crystals and are operated with TM polarized light. They have been shown to detect fields as low as 100 V/m. By using an x-cut crystal and TE polarized light, the sensitivity to electric fields is increased 8x due to, primarily, an increase in electric field penetration into the slab by exploiting a tangential boundary condition, and secondly, an increase to the effective electro-optic coefficient of the slab.
NGO research program: a collective action perspective

This paper outlines a collective action approach to study nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). We contend that while political scientists and sociologists have extensively written about NGOs, they have not systematically examined fundamental collective action issues such as why and where NGOs emerge, how they function, how they are structured, and what strategies they employ to mitigate agency conflicts and ensure accountability. Instead of theorizing about NGOs as a category, NGO scholars have developed descriptive typologies relevant to study small subsets of the NGO population. In contrast, the non-profit literature, which studies broadly the same actor category, has systematically focused on fundamental questions inherent in any collective endeavor. We conclude that by employing a collective action perspective, specifically the theories of firm, NGO scholars will be able to develop explanations about NGO origin, structure, and strategy that have superior explanatory power and are generalizable across NGOs.