cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural Hazard Predictions and Responses in Very Large Cities

This paper focuses on natural hazard prediction and associated responses in the context of large scale modern urbanization. It reviews evidence from a selection of large-city earthquake, storm and wildfire disasters and focuses on implications of the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989. It is suggested that, in large-city disasters of the future, issues of prediction and response are likely to be over-shadowed by other pressing management concerns.
Multibrowsing: Moving Web Content across Multiple Displays

Although ubiquitous computing hardware technology is widely available today, we believe one key factor in making ubiquitous computing useful is a framework for exploiting multiple heterogeneous displays, whether fixed or on mobile computing devices, to view and browse information. To address this issue, we propose multibrowsing. Multibrowsing is a framework that extends the information browsing metaphor of the Web across multiple displays. It does so by providing the machinery for coordinating control among a collection of Web browsers running on separate displays in a ubiquitous computing environment. The displays may be "public" (e.g. wall-sized fixed screens) or "private" (e.g. the screens of individuals' laptops or handhelds). The resulting system extends browser functionality for existing content by allowing users to move existing pages or linked information among multiple displays, and also enables the creation of new content targeted specifically for multi-display environments. Since it uses Web standards, it accommodates any device or platform already supported by the Web and leverages the vast existing body of Web content and services. We describe the design and implementation of multibrowsing and a variety of scenarios in which we have found it useful in our test bed ubiquitous computing environment.
Examination of glutamate transporter heterogeneity using synaptosomal preparations.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methods used to study the pharmacological properties of L-[ 3 H]glutamate transport in crude synaptosomes and the limitations of this approach. Synaptosomes are a membrane fraction enriched in synaptic nerve terminals that have pinched off from the cell bodies and resealed. Based on electron microscopic studies, the synaptosomes contain mitochondria and are presumably capable of generating ATP, which maintains the electrochemical gradients required for transporter activity. Although this membrane fraction is enriched in nerve terminals, these preparations are generally thought to be contaminated with glial elements. These glial elements can reseal to form gliosome. Therefore, it is possible that the transport activities in these preparations are caused by an uptake into neuronal or glial elements. For glutamate transporters, this may be a significant issue because there are different subtypes of transporters expressed by glia and by neurons.
STATE ETHICS REFORM: THE OKLAHOMA ETHICS COMMISSION

On June 30, 2001, the Ethics Commission of Oklahoma concluded its first decade of operations. The Ethics Commission (EC) was authorized in 1990 when the people voted by a sizable majority in favor of State Question No. 627, adding Article XXIX to the Oklahoma Constitution. It began work July I, 1991, and has since become a significant component of state government. Oklahoma is not alone among the states in having such a body, but it is virtually alone in having created one with such extensive powers and such a carefully-designed structure. I offer the following study as an attempt to build a preliminary record about this major experiment in political reform. I aim to describe the powers and activities of the EC and the circumstances under which it originated. The latter are quite revealing about the political culture of the state, so I discuss in some detail the events and maneuvers which led to the creation of the agency as well as to the unfolding of its powers in the first several years of activity. In the latter part of this study, I comment on some of the broad« issues of governmental ethics that are illuminated by the work of the EC and consider some of the obstacles encountered in the project to enforce ethics within a system of constitutional democracy.
Galileo UVS Results and Cassini Preview

UVS results from Jupiter show the Io torus colder and brighter than the Voyager observations. Aurora near Jupiter’s poles emit 1-4 MR from altitudes of 300–400 km. Ganymede and Callisto have extended hydrogen exospheres. The near-UV reflectance of the Galilean satellites shows SO2, magnetospheric alteration, and O3. Remote sensing of Jupiter’s stratospheric haze determines that it thickens and darkens towards higher latitudes.
Impact of temperature fluctuations on circuit characteristics in 180nm and 65nm CMOS technologies

Temperature fluctuations alter threshold voltage, carrier mobility, and saturation velocity of a MOSFET. Temperature fluctuation induced variations in individual device parameters have unique effects on MOSFET drain current. Device parameters that characterize the variations in MOSFET current due to temperature fluctuations are identified in this paper for 180 nm and 65nm CMOS technologies. Operating an integrated circuit at the prescribed nominal supply voltage is not preferable for reliable circuit operation under temperature variations. A design methodology based on optimizing the supply voltage for temperature variation insensitive circuit performance is presented. Circuits display a temperature variation insensitive behavior when operated at a supply voltage 45% to 53% lower than the nominal supply voltage in a 180 nm CMOS technology. Similarly, the optimum supply voltages are 68% to 69% lower than the nominal supply voltage for circuits in a 65nm CMOS technology. The optimum supply voltages are similar for a diverse set of circuits in both technologies. The proposed technique of operating large scale designs at an optimum supply voltage for diminishing the performance sensitivity to temperature fluctuations is demonstrated to be feasible.
Effect of light history on retinal antioxidants and light damage susceptibility in the rat

Albino rats were born and raised to 12 weeks of age in 12L:12D light regimes of 5, 300 or 800 lx. Upon killing, the activities of the following glutathione enzymes were measured in the neuroretina: (1) glutathione peroxidase; (2) glutathione-S-transferase; and (3) glutathione reductase. Also measured were vitamin E, ascorbic acid, and the levels of oxidized and reduced glutathione. Animals raised in 800-lx cyclic light have a significant increase in the retinal activities of the three glutathione enzymes over activities measured in animals raised in the two dimmer regimes. The retinal level of vitamin E, measured per nmol of lipid phosphorus, is directly and significantly correlated with rearing illuminance (P
The P300 component of the event-related brain potential as an index of information processing

Abstract Studies of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) have shown that attributes of the ERP can be used as dependent variables in the study of human information processing. These variables can complement the information gained from the study of overt, skeletal responses. The manner in which the P300 component of the ERP can be used to study human information processing is illustrated in this report. Specifically, we show that through an analysis of the covariation of the latency of the P300 component and reaction time, it is possible to examine the relation between the probability of a stimulus and the speed of response to that stimulus. Our data indicate that increases in the probability of a stimulus reduce reaction time by decreasing both stimulus-evaluation and response-production times. We also examine changes in reaction time and P300 latency induced by the match or mismatch between two stimuli presented consecutively, again as a function of probability. Models of the effects of stimulus matching on reaction time are evaluated.
Differential incorporation of fatty acids into and peroxidative loss of fatty acids from phospholipids of human spermatozoa

Intact human sperm incorporated radiolabelled fatty acids into membrane phospholipids when incubated in medium containing bovine serum albumin as a fatty acid carrier. The polyunsaturated fatty acids were preferentially incorporated into the plasmalogen fraction of phospholipid. Uptake was linear with time over 2 hr; at this time sufficient label was available to determine the loss of fatty acids under conditions of spontaneous lipid peroxidation. Loss of the various phospholipid types, the loss of the various fatty acids from these phospholipids, and the overall loss of fatty acids were all first order. The loss of saturated fatty acids was slow with first order rate constant k1 = 0.003 hr-1; for the polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, k1 = 0.145 and 0.162 hr-1, respectively. The rate of loss of fatty acids from the various phospholipid types was dependent on the type, with loss from phosphatidylethanolamine being the most rapid. Among the phospholipid types, phosphatidylethanolamine was lost at the greatest rate. Analysis of fatty acid loss through oxidation products was determined for radiolabelled arachidonic acid. Under conditions of spontaneous lipid peroxidation at 37 degrees C under air in the absence of albumin, free arachidonic acid was found in the medium, along with minor amounts of hydroxylated derivative. All the hydroperoxy fatty acid remained in the cells. In the presence of albumin, all the hydroperoxy fatty acid was found in the supernatant bound to albumin; none could be detected in the cells. Albumin is known as a very potent inhibitor of lipid peroxidation in sperm; its action may be explained, based on these results, as binding the damaging hydroperoxy fatty acids. These results also indicate that a phospholipase A2 may act in peroxidative defense by excising a hydroperoxy acyl group from phospholipid and providing the hydroperoxy fatty acid product as substrate to glutathione peroxidase. This formulation targets hydroperoxy fatty acid as a key intermediate in peroxidative degradation.
Refinement of the Structures of the Layer Silicates MCuSi4O10 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) by Rietveld Analysis of Neutron Powder Diffraction Data

The MCuSi[sub 4]O[sub 10] (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) compounds possess the gillespite (BaFeSi[sub 4]O[sub 10]) structure, which is tetragonal, P4/ncc, Z = 4. Data sets of 2365 step intensities were recorded for the tital compounds with [lambda] = 1.400 [Angstrom] at T = 295 K. For M = Ca, a = 7.3017 (3) [Angstrom], c = 15.1303 (6) [Angstrom], V[sub cell] = 806.66 (9) [Angstrom][sup 3], R[sub exp] = 0.0453, R[sub wp] = 0.0515, for 487 reflections. For M = Sr, a = 7.3707 (2) [Angstrom], c = 15.5904 (6) [Angstrom], V[sub cell] = 846.9 (1) [Angstrom][sup 3], R[sub exp] = 0.0433, R[sub wp] = 0.0489, for 521 reflections. For M = Ba, a = 7.4409 (3) [Angstrom], c = 16.1367 (8) [Angstrom], V[sub cell] = 893.4 (1) [Angstrom][sup 3], R[sub exp] = 0.0466, R[sub wp] = 0.0522, for 546 reflections. The gillespite structure contains an unbranched single silicate layer, which can be viewed as a tesselation of corner-linked Si[sub 4]O[sub 10] rings. The Cu in MCuSi[sub 4]O[sub 10] is in square-planar coordination with the nonbridging oxygens of the corrugations of the silicate layer. The alkaline-earth atom, in distorted cubic coordination, joins together adjacent [CuSi[sub 4]O[sub 10]][sup 2[minus]] slabs.more » Increasing the size of the alkaline-earth atom increases the cell dimensions anisotropically (i.e., [Delta]c > [Delta]a) due to the inflexibility of the silicate anion. Room-pressure experiments show no evidence for oxygen intercalation or polytypism. The lattice mismatch between the [CuSi[sub 4]O[sub 10]][sup 2[minus]] slabs of the gillespite structure type and the square-planar CuO[sub 2] layers of the superconducting cuprates is small, which suggests possible applications of these materials as exotic thin-film substrates for the high [Tc] cuprates or other novel structures having cuprate and silicate layers. 20 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less
Torque prediction at the shoe-surface interface using insole pressure technology

Excessive rotational traction between the foot and the playing surface has been shown to increase the risk of athletic injuries to ligaments in the knee and ankle. It is not currently feasible to accurately determine the free torque generated at the shoe–surface interface utilizing live participants without an embedded force plate. The goal of the current research was to predict the free torques that developed at the shoe–surface interface during voluntary internal and external rotations of the body relative to a planted foot using an insole pressure measurement system. Six participants fitted with a shoe containing an insole pressure measurement device performed trials on an embedded force plate. A pressure sensor mask of specific sensors was determined based on the degree of linear correlation between sensor pressure and the free torque. Linear regression analyses were utilized to develop a General Linear Regression Model and Participant-Specific Linear Regression Models. The results of this study indic...
Brain and bone aluminum: A comparison of aluminum intake in rats

Serum and bone aluminum concentrations were significantly higher in young rats fed pharmacological doses of aluminum for 29 d than in control rats that did not receive extra aluminum. The control rats had a serum aluminum level of 18 ± 3 (SE) ppb and a bone aluminum level of 19.1 ± 1.0 ppm; the aluminum-exposed rats had a serum aluminum level of 44 ± 7 ppm and a bone aluminum level of 27.2 ± 2.4 ppm. Rats fed a diet analogous to aluminum-contaminated foods had control levels of serum and bone aluminum. Increases of approximately 1 ppm (over the control level) in brain aluminum concentrations of both dosed groups of rats were not statistically significant. The aluminum intake correlated with serum and bone aluminum concentrations, and the serum aluminum concentrations correlated with the bone aluminum concentrations. However, the concentrations of brain aluminum did not correlate with either aluminum intake or serum aluminum levels.
Rationality and Allocating Scarce Medical Resources

In an article titled, "Who Shall Live When Not All Can?", James Childress proposes a system for allocating scarce lifesaving medical resources based on random selection procedures. Childress writes of random selection procedures, [They] "cannot be dismissed as a 'non-rational' and 'non-human' ...without an inquiry into the reasons, including human values which might justify it." My thesis is that once we concentrate on determining the rationality of random selection procedures, we will see that Childress's claim that we cannot dismiss such procedures as 'non-rational' is open to question. My claim will be that while both random selection and social worth procedures are rationally defensible systems, random selection procedures easily lead to specific choices that are objectively irrational, apart from the limited perspective of the random selection process itself.
Grand Canonical Mixed-State Wigner Function in a Magnetic Field:. de HAAS-van Alphen Oscillations

Kohn proved in 1961 that interactions between electrons did not change the de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) oscillation frequency for single electrons in the nondegenerate ground-state [Phys. Rev.123(4), 1242 (1961)]. It was proved recently that the pure-state Wigner function for an electron in a magnetic field carries this quantum and physical oscillation, and a quantum dielectric function, so the conductance can be calculated from the Wigner function [Int. J. Mod. Phys. B17(25), 4555 (2003)], [Int. j. Mod. Phys. B17(26), 4683 (2003)]. We present the first complete proof that at a finite temperature, the mixed-state Wigner function also shows dHvA oscillations with the same frequency. The Wigner function is a fundamental quantity, the fact that it carries observable physical information shows a great potential in the design of new quantum materials at the nanoscale. The definition of the mixed-state Wigner function involves a grand canonical partition function (GCPF). Although dHvA is a well-known phenomenon, we present the first complete proof of it happening in degenerate mixed-states, based on a GCPF, which requires reconciliation between the dHvA experimental condition of a fixed number of particles and the GCPF's sum over number of particles. The GCPF is applied to one of the two spin species, while both the spin and spin-magnetic moment interaction are considered. We show that the contour integration in ω(e) leads to a non-oscillatory term that is much larger than an oscillatory term, in the dHvA experimental conditions of high fields and low temperatures. This dominance of the non-oscillatory term explains the constancy of the chemical potential, allowing it to reduce to the Fermi energy in the limit of zero temperature. The obtained mixed-state Wigner function shows a fundamental period of oscillation with respect to B-1 that reduces to the Onsager's period for dHvA oscillations. This indicates that in mixed-states, dHvA oscillations depend on electrons of one spin species, this means the population of electrons of each spin species oscillates with the magnetic field. The temperature dependence in the Wigner function will allow a combination of phase-space and thermodynamics information for mesoscopic structures, and the study of phase-space density holes such as BGK modes in the quantum domain.
Analysis and synthesis of sampled-data control systems

The theory of sampled-data systems using the method of the z-transform is extended and clarified. In particular, the equivalence between the z-transform in its closed form and the infinite summation used by some investigators is shown. Important characteristics of the pulsed transfer function, and initial and final value theorems are developed for the z-domain. An extensive table is given of z-transform pairs covering the most important and most commonly encountered system functions and input functions. The technique for stabilizing and shaping the pulsed transfer locus is demonstrated. In particular, the application of linear compensating networks in the continuous part of the system is investigated. Design criteria are obtained which relate the transient response of sampled-data systems and the frequency response.
Interactions of chemical inducers and steroid enhancers of endogenous mouse type-C RNA viruses

Abstract Biologically distinguishable endogenous type-C RNA viruses of BALB c mouse cells are differentially affected by two classes of chemical inducers, halogenated pyrimidines and inhibitors of protein synthesis. In the present studies, the effects of these chemicals were compared on cells of genetic crosses involving BALB c , C58, and NIH Swiss mouse strains. Cycloheximide was found to activate xenotropic vius from those genetic crosses from which xenotropic virus was inducible by IdU. In contrast, NIH Swiss-tropic endogenous viruses of BALB c and C58 cells were much more resistant to activation by inhibitors of protein synthesis. Steroids possessing glucocorticoid activity enhanced virus release by cells exposed to either class of inducers. Unlike the inducers, which inhibited type-C virus release by exogenously infected cells, steroids augmented chronic virus production. These findings indicate that the mechanisms of action of inhibitors of protein synthesis and halogenated pyrimidines involve the virus-activation process, while steroids enhance rather than initiate virus synthesis.
Estimates of radiation by superluminal neutrinos

We show that the more energetic superluminal neutrinos with quadratically dispersed superluminalities $\ensuremath{\delta}={\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}1$, for $\ensuremath{\beta}=v/c$ where $v$ is the neutrino velocity, also lose significant energy to radiation to the $\ensuremath{\nu}+{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}+{e}^{+}$ final state in traveling from CERN to Gran Sasso as has been shown to occur for those with constant superluminality by Cohen and Glashow if indeed $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\simeq}5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$. In addition, we clarify the dependence of such radiative processes on the size of the superluminality.
Lifecycle changes and the activation of habitual voting: The case of Costa Rica

Under circumstances of substantial turnout reductions, the development of electoral habits may constitute a key factor to attenuate or even revert such tendency in the long term. Using a unique dataset I examine the extent to which age and lifecycle changes mediate the effects of prior turnout (habituation) on future electoral behavior. Three findings are highlighted. First, age and turnoutt-1 reinforce each other and boost turnout to higher rates. Second, even under favorable circumstances, residential mobility still can disrupt individuals' voting patterns, regardless of whether their behavior was already habituated. Finally, habitual voting is activated by the time individuals participate in their fourth election, and the sooner they cast their first vote.
Screening for depressive symptoms in patients with chronic spinal pain using the SF-36 Health Survey

Abstract Background data Depression is a common co-morbidity for patients with complaints of spinal pain, yet often goes undiagnosed in clinical practice. Depressed patients who are not identified do not receive a referral or recommendation for treatments that may help ease their total illness burden. Relative to the total outcomes of spine care this may increase costs, decrease overall functional outcomes, and limit patient satisfaction. Some spine care settings track functional outcomes using a general health status survey. Although a specific and reliable survey to detect depression could be employed, an additional survey would unnecessarily increase responder and analyst burdens if the general health status survey could be used instead. Objective To identify the Mental Component Summary (MCS) cutoff score from the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36) that best predicts a positive depression score as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Study–Depression Survey (CES-D). Study design An analysis of the diagnostic properties of the SF-36 MCS Scale as a predictor of depressive symptoms as measured by the CES-D. Outcome measures The SF-36 is a general health survey that contains a MCS score that represents the psychological well-being and general health perception of the respondent. This composite score is norm-based (mean=50, SD=10) with lower scores representing poorer health. The CES-D has been well-studied in patients with chronic pain complaints and was used as the gold standard for determining the MCS cutoff score. A CES-D score of 19 or greater was considered positive for depressive symptoms. Patient sample All patients entering our facility routinely complete the SF-36. Between February 2002 and October 2002, all patients scoring 30 or less on the MCS (MCS≤30) also completed the CES-D. Patients who scored 2 standard deviations below the mean (MCS=30 or less) were considered most at risk for depression. Patients scoring above 30 on their MCS (MCS>30) were considered less likely to have depressive symptoms and were randomly chosen to complete the CES-D. There were 420 patients who completed both surveys of which there were 99 MCS≤30 patients and 321 MCS>30 patients. Methods Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the SF-36 as a screening tool for detecting depressive symptoms. Results An MCS score of 35 has a sensitivity of 80% (76–83; 95% confidence interval), a specificity of 90% (87–93), an ROC area of 0.8517 (0.81–0.89), and correctly identified 87% of the sample. Conclusion The SF-36 provides the benefits of a general functional health status measure and additionally appears to provide a screening tool for depressive symptoms. A cutoff score of 35 or less on the MCS scale has a high degree of sensitivity and specificity and is able to identify depressive symptoms in patients with back pain, which can help identify patients who will benefit from mental health treatments.
The interaction of objective and subjective organizations in a localization search task

We investigated how both objective and subjective organizations affect perceptual organization and how this perceptual organization, in turn, influences observers’ performance in a localization search task. Two groups of observers viewing exactly the same stimuli (objective organization) performed in significantly different ways, depending on how they were induced to parse the display (subjective organization). In Experiments 1 and 2, the observers were asked to describe the location of a tilted target among a varying number of vertical or horizontal distractors. Subjective organization was induced by instructing observers to parse the display into either three horizontal regions (rows) or three vertical regions (columns). The position of the target was critical: location performance, as assessed by reaction time and errors, was consistently impaired at the locations adjacent to the boundaries defining the regions, producing what we refer to as thesubjective boundary effect. Furthermore, the extent of this effect depended on whether the stimulus-driven and conceptually driven information concurred or conflicted. This made location information more or less accessible. In Experiment 1, the strength of objective grouping was a function of the proximity of the items (near or far conditions) and their orientation in a 6×6 matrix. In Experiment 2, the strength of objective grouping was a function of similarity of color (items were color coded by rows or by columns) and the orientation of the items in a 9×9 matrix. The subjective boundary effect was more pronounced when the display promoted grouping in the direction orthogonal to that of the task (e.g., when observers parsed by rows but vertical distractors were closer together [Experiment 1] or color coded [Experiment 2] to induce global columns). In contrast, this effect decreased when the direction of both objective and subjective organizations was parallel (e.g., when observers parsed by rows and horizontal distractors were closer together [Experiment 1] or were color coded [Experiment 2] to induce global rows). A localization search task proved to be an ideal forum in which objective and subjective organizations interacted. We discuss how these results indicated that observers’ performance in a localization task was determined by the interaction of objective and subjective organizations, and that the resulting perceptual organization constrained coarse location information.
Further studies on an inhibitor of viral activity appearing in infected cell cultures and its role in chronic viral infections.

Abstract Fluids from primary human kidney and amnion cell cultures infected with a chick embryo-adapted strain of type 2 poliovirus inhibit the activity of several different viruses. The factor (or factors) responsible for this inhibition is inactivated by treatment with trypsin and is not dialyzable. It cannot be neutralized with type 2 poliovirus antiserum nor sedimented with infectious virus. Attempts to identify it either with ribonucleic acid or ribonuclease have failed. Evidence is presented indicating that the factor interferes with the spread of virus and with viral reproduction. The initiation and maintenance of a chronic infection with type 2 poliovirus in primary human amnion cell cultures depends at least in part upon the presence of this factor. It has been demonstrated in a chronic infection of HeLa cells, but here its role in maintaining the infection has not been finally established.
Violence: The malignancy of our times! Is there hope?

The article presents the 1992 Karen Horney Lecture of Elissa Benedek. The author argues that violence is analogous to malignancy, that we woefully underrate how much violence hurts. Domestic violence, for example, has emerged only recently from a cultural blind spot generated from consensual ignorance, fear, and helplessness. Spousal violence, along with child and elder abuse, are recent discoveries. Benedek places the matter squarely before us as the ultimate human degradation.
NADPH oxidase activity of neutrophil specific granules: requirements for cytosolic components and evidence of assembly during cell activation.

Neutrophils and other phagocytic cells support host defense by ingesting microbes and destroying them with reactive oxygen species or oxygen independent mechanisms. Production of ROS is initiated by the phagocyte NADPH oxidase (phox), an enzyme system composed of several constituents. During activation of the cell cytosolic phox proteins (p47phox, p67phox, p40phox, and Rac2) translocate to the plasma membrane and specific granules fuse with the plasma membrane increasing the amount of flavocytochrome b558. The resultant assembly of phox components results in formation of a complete complex and expression of activity. In this study, we evaluated the oxidase activity of specific granules. In the SDS cell-free system, specific granules expressed oxidase activity in the presence of cytosol in a manner similar to plasma membrane. In contrast to plasma membrane, activity of specific granules was latent, diminishing rapidly over time. In addition, this subcellular fraction contained an inhibitor, possibly related to contamination with azurophilic granules explaining previously published discrepant results. Experiments with recombinant p47phox, p67phox, and dilute cytosol or fractionated cytosol as a source of Rac demonstrated that specific granules have requirements identical to specific granules for oxidase activity. Finally, analysis of neutrophils stimulated with PMA demonstrated translocation of p47phox and to p67phox to specific granules as well as plasma membrane. Both plasma membrane and specific granules from PMA stimulated cells expressed oxidase activity with addition of NADPH demonstrating an assembled oxidase complex. These studies establish a critical role for specific granules as a site for assembly and activation of the oxidase enzyme system and an important constituent for the microbicidal activity of the neutrophil.
Synthesis of Nanosize Tin Dioxide by a Novel Liquid‐Phase Process

Well-dispersed tin(IV) oxide (SnO 2 ) nanosize crystallites were prepared by a novel liquid-phase process using Na 2 SnO 3 precursor of several micrometers in size. The product was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and BET. The nanosize SnO 2 powder formed has a narrow particle size distribution ranging between 1 and 7 nm, a very high surface area, and crystallizes in the tetragonal structure. A possible mechanism for the liquid-phase process, which is a combined effect of coprecipitation, hydrolization, and molecular decomposition, is proposed.
From the fractal dimension of the intermiss gaps to the cache-miss ratio

This work extends a model proposed by Voldman, Mandelbrot, et al. on the fractal nature of the gaps separating cache misses, and shows how the fractal dimension of the gap distribution can be used to predict the miss ratio experienced by the program that has generated the series of cache misses. This result supports the thesis that the fractal dimension of the distribution of the intermiss gaps is a potentially powerful measure for program characterization.
Kinematic Synthesis of a Spatial 3-RPS Parallel Manipulator

This paper presents the design of spatial 3-RPS parallel manipulators from dimensional synthesis point of view. Since a spatial 3-RPS manipulator has only 3 degrees of freedom, its end effector cannot be positioned arbitrarily in space. It is shown that at most six positions and orientations of the moving platform can be prescribed at will and, given six prescribed positions, there are at most ten RPS chains that can be used to construct up to 120 manipulators. Further, solution methods for fewer than six prescribed positions are also described.
Distributed, web-based microstructure database for brain tissue

Abstract A finite element model of the cerebral cortex enables a structured visualization of its gross anatomy and provides access to the neuronal databases associated with each finite element of tissue. Partitioned by finite elements, the distributed, web-based microstructure database serves as a tool for organizing neurons and neuronal forests, and for modeling local cortical microstructure by wiring up the forests. Embedding the database in XML adds structure and web accessibility to the inherent information. When integrated with the brain tissue scanner, the distributed, web-based microstructure database serves as a comprehensive infrastructure for organizing brain tissue at three different hierarchical levels: volume, neuronal morphology, and network.
Tb3N@C84: An Improbable, Egg-Shaped Endohedral Fullerene that Violates the Isolated Pentagon Rule

The structure of isomer 2 of Tb3N@C84 has been determined through single-crystal X-ray diffraction on Tb3N@C84·NiII(OEP)·2(C6H6). The carbon cage has a distinct egg shape due to the presence of a single pair of fused pentagons at one apex of the molecule. Thus, although 24 IPR structures are available to the C84 cage, Nature utilizes one of the 51 568 isomeric structures that do not conform to the IPR for this unusual molecule. The Tb3N portion of isomer 2 of Tb3N@C84 is strictly planar. One Tb atom is nestled within the fold of the fused pentagons, while the other Tb atoms are disordered over four pairs of sites.
A Linear Time Algorithm for Sequential Diagnosis in Hypercubes

This paper describes a new sequential diagnosis algorithm for hypercubes. The algorithm is based on the PMC model and it assumes the existence of a central observer for syndrome decoding. If we denote the total number of processors in a given hypercube by N, then the algorithm achieves ?(formula]) degree of diagnosability using only O(N) tests over all iterations of diagnosis and repair. The aggregated syndrome decoding time is also shown to be O(N) for this algorithm. The number of iterations of diagnosis and repair needed by the algorithm is O(log N).
Quantized Growth of CdTe Quantum Dots; Observation of Magic-Sized CdTe Quantum Dots

This work presents experimental observation of the quantized growth of CdTe quantum dots (QD) in the presence of hexadecylamine (HDA), hexylphosphonic acid (HPA), and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) above 200 °C. The crystal growth of CdTe QDs is monitored by in situ UV−vis absorption spectroscopy. The high-temperature absorption spectra indicate the evolution of multiple peaks corresponding to various sizes of QDs. Analysis of the growth kinetics suggests quantized growth of the CdTe QDs in the coordinating solvent mixture. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and electron diffraction pattern show that most of the QDs have the zinc blende crystal structure. The HRTEM images indicate nanotwinning and stacking faults in larger CdTe QDs. Domain sizes in the HRTEM images correlate well with the smallest observed magic-sized CdTe QDs, in agreement with the proposed aggregation growth mechanism under the experimental conditions. The smallest observed zinc blende CdTe QDs with the ...
Differential accuracy of silicone-body and self-curing resin interocclusal records and associated weight loss

Abstract Two types of one brand of silicone-body impression material and two brands of self-curing resin were tested as interocclusal recording materials to evaluate their dimensional stability and associated weight losses due to volatiles. Silicone-body interocclusal records were shown to be more reliable than self-curing resin records. However, all of the materials tested exhibited some degree of weight loss and dimensional change over time.
Synthesis and electron field emission of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes grown on stainless steel substrate

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) array was synthesized directly on stainless steel (SS) substrates with or without chemical etching or catalyst deposition via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. The effect of chemical etching on the SS substrates resulted in CNTs with uniform diameter and length. Electron field emission properties of CNT arrays synthesized on pristine SS and Ni/Cr coated SS substrates were measured. The results indicated that CNTs synthesized on pristine SS substrate exhibited lower turn-on electric field, lower threshold electric field, and a higher field enhancement factor as compared to the CNTs synthesized on Ni/Cr coated SS. The robust contact between the CNTs and the SS substrate resulted in the improved stability during the field emission.
Behavioral theory of the firm: hopes for the past; lessons from the future

This paper is a discussion of “behavioral theory of the firm”. It focuses on understanding aspects of the pre-history, the context, the reception and the evolution of some of the main ideas found in “behavioral theory of the firm” and in the key works associated with it (in particular the books “Organizations” and “A Behavioral Theory of the Firm”). I discuss the reception of these works, using both reviews and bibliometric illustrations. Unlike many modern contributors to organizational literature, Cyert and March (and Simon) made a point of doing interdisciplinary work engaging directly with “the disciplines” (engaging the audiences and disciplines of economics, sociology, political science and psychology), not just focusing on making contributions between them. That legacy – communicating and contributing to the disciplines not just between them – is often overlooked in other celebrations of behavioral theory ideas that often discuss specific developments within the field of organization studies itself.
Experiments on Water-Sediment Nutrient Partitioning Under Turbulent, Shear and Diffusive Conditions

Cultural eutrophication from excessive input of nutrients is a major problem for many water bodies around the world. Phosphorus and to a lesser degree nitrogen constitute the limiting elements for growth of plankton cells. Mobility, speciation and partition of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems depend on a number of physicochemical parameters. Experiments have been conducted for quantification of nutrient partition between ambient water and cohesive sediments. The experiments included nitrate and soluble phosphorus (superphosphate — 46% P2O5 fertilizer) partitioned between tap water and sediment slurries. The slurries involved kaolinite and bentonite as well as natural organic mud from, Lake Okeechobee, Florida. The nutrient exchange was promoted by sediment resuspension. Resuspension was induced either under homogeneous turbulent conditions in an oscillating-grid tank or by shear flow in a lock-exchange flume. The effects of phosphorus or nitrogen concentration, sediment concentration, water temperature, pH and salinity on nutrient partition were quantified. The results obtained through this study appear to be in agreement with data from other similar laboratory or field studies.
Lead concentrations in bullfrog Rana catesbeiana and green frog R. clamitans tadpoles inhabiting highway drainages

Abstract Lead concentrations were determined in sediment and tadpoles of bullfrogs Rana catesbeiana and green frogs R. clamitans from drainages along highways with different daily average traffic volumes (range, 4272 to 108 800 vehicles day−1) and from ponds ≥ 0·4 km from the nearest highway. Lead concentrations (mg kg−1 dry weight) in sediment (7·8 to 940) were usually greater (4–5 times) than those in the tadpoles (bullfrog, 0·07 to 270; green frog, 0·90 to 240 mg kg−1). Lead concentrations in sediment (r = 0·63) and in both species of tadpoles (bullfrog, r = 0·69; green frog, r = 0·57) were positively correlated with average daily traffic volume. Lead concentrations in both species of tadpoles (bullfrog, r = 0·76; green frog, r = 0·75) were also positively correlated with lead concentrations in sediment. At sites where both bullfrog and green frog tadpoles were collected, lead concentrations in the two species were closely related (r = 0·84). Lead concentrations in tadpoles living near highways may contribute to the elevated lead levels reported in wildlife that are potential tadpole predators. Dietary lead concentrations similar to those in our tadpoles have been associated with physiological and reproductive effects in some species of birds and mammals. However, additional data are needed to determine the hazards to predators of lead concentrations in tadpoles.
Effects of logging debris treatments on five-year development of competing vegetation and planted Douglas-fir

Although considerable research has focused on the influences of logging debris treatments on soil and forest regeneration responses, few studies have identified whether debris effects are mediated ...
Vicarious Ethics: Politics, Business, and Sustainable Development

An historical overview of the United Nations sustainable development initiative reflects a convergence of political and ethical concerns, and a need to incorporate business and the ethics of business into an inclusive perspective. Underlying all of the resolutions and recommendations ensuing from that initiative is the age-old question of “the one and the many,” with which theology and philosophy have grappled for centuries, and sociology and politics in more recent times. Inherent to sustainable development is a need to overcome that question, especially with respect to the power of the wealthier nations. Good old American Pragmatism offers a solution which, at once, respects individual and communal sovereignty while positing a dynamic interaction between the two. That interaction offers an optimistic approach to global business and to global business ethics.
Excited state dynamics and bimolecular quenching processes for NH2(Ã2A1)

Abstract Radiative lifetimes and quenching rate constants have been measured for the A 2 A 1 state of NH 2 , formed through ArF excimer laser photolysis of NH 3 at 193 nm. The NH 2 (A 2 A 1 → X 2 B 1 ) emission is discrete, allowing single vibrational and rotational levels to be isolated. An average radiative lifetime of 31 ± 4 μs and an NH 3 quenching rate constant of (6.1 ± 0.2) × 10 −10 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 is found to be independent of the K ″ a rotational level and ν′ 2 vibrational level for K ″ a = 1, 4, 5 and 6 and ν′ 2 = 6, 7 and 8. The 050 Σ level ( K ′ a = 0) lifetime is slightly longer (46 ± 6 μs) and its quenching rate constant somewhat lower [(5.0 ± 0.2) × 10 −10 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 ]. These lifetimes are interpreted as radiative lifetimes of levels of the A 2 A 1 state, unperturbed by Renner—Teller coupling with the ground state. The quenching by NH 3 is shown to be predominantely electronic quenching of the A 2 A 1 state, with vibrational and rotational relaxation within the excited state being at least ten times slower. A second, previously unobserved, long-lived component is found in the decay of broad-band emission, comprising about 15% of the fluorescence intensity between 620 and 890 nm. Its lifetime is ⩾ 100 μs, coupling between some levels of the A 2 A 1 and X 2 B 1 states.
Dry-Grind Processing of Corn with Endogenous Liquefaction Enzymes

ABSTRACT An amylase corn has been developed that produces an α-amylase enzyme that is activated in the presence of water at elevated temperatures (>70°C). Amylase corn in the dry-grind process was evaluated and compared with the performance of exogenous amylases used in dry-grind processing. Amylase corn (1–10% by weight) was added to dent corn (of the same genetic background as the amylase corn) as treatments and resulting samples were evaluated for dry-grind ethanol fermentation using 150-g and 3-kg laboratory procedures. Ethanol concentrations during fermentation were compared with the control treatment (0% amylase corn addition or 100% dent corn) which was processed with a conventional amount of exogenous α-amylase enzymes used in the dry-grind corn process. The 1% amylase corn treatment (adding 1% amylase corn to dent corn) was sufficient to liquefy starch into dextrins. Following fermentation, ethanol concentrations from the 1% amylase corn treatment were similar to that of the control. Peak and bre...
Phase Stability and Solidification Pathways in MoSi2 Based Alloys

The phase equilibria developed upon substitution of Ti in MoSi 2 along the pseudobinary MoSi 2 -TiSi 2 section has been investigated using x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy. The pseudobinary exhibits orthorhombic (C54), hexagonal (C40), and tetragonal (Cll b ) crystalline structures. A hexagonal (C40) ternary silicide (Ti 1-x Mo x )Si 2 was observed to exhibit a relatively wide range of solubility with x in the range of 0.50 to 0.75, in contrast to MoSi 2 which exhibits limited solubility for Ti. An analysis of the microstructural evolution following solidification reveals that the hexagonal β-(Ti,Mo)Si 2 phase forms via a peritectic reaction between liquid and MoSi 2 (Cll b ). The primary dendritic structure during solidification in (Ti l-x Mo 2 )Si 2 , where x z 0.80, has been determined to be tetragonal (Cll b ) MoSi 2 . The results of this study confirm that substitutional alloying on the transition metal sublattice (Mo) is an effective approach to control of the phase stability and crystal structure in intersilicide reactions.
‘Psychoanalysis and war’: a summary†

This paper develops a contrast between Buddhist and psychoanalytic perspectives on war. I discuss dissociative mechanisms that allow people, soldiers and civilians, to avoid coming to terms emotionally with the horror of war. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Legislatures, Initiatives, and Representation: The Effects of State Legislative Institutions on Policy

Policy advocates in many states may pursue their policy agendas either by traditional legislative politics or by direct legislation. I show that this choice matters: policy outcomes resulting from ...
YfiT from Bacillus subtilis is a probable metal-dependent hydrolase with an unusual four-helix bundle topology.

YfiT, a 19-kDa polypeptide from Bacillus subtilis, belongs to a small sequence family with members predominantly from Gram positive bacteria. We have determined the crystal structure of YfiT in complex with Ni2+ to a resolution of 1.7 A. YfiT exists as a dimer and binds Ni2+ in a 1:1 stoichiometry. The protein has an unusual four-helix bundle topology and coordinates Ni2+ in an octahedral geometry with three conserved histidines and three waters. Although there is no similarity in their overall structures, the coordination geometry of the metal and the residues that constitute the putative active site in YfiT are similar to those of metalloproteases such as thermolysin. Our structural analyses suggest that YfiT might function as a metal-dependent hydrolase.