cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of debt and bankruptcy statutes in facilitating tacit collusion

Using a two-period model this paper examines the quantity decisions of leveraged duopolists that are vulnerable to bankruptcy in the first period. When the firms have symmetric costs, a bankrupt firm reorganizes under Chapter 11. If a Chapter 11 firm experiences marginal cost relief, each firm produces a collusive output in period one in order to prevent its rival's financial demise. When the firms have asymmetric costs, the less efficient firm is liquidated under Chapter 7 upon bankruptcy. A predatory equilibrium exists, whereby the inefficient firm is driven from the market. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An incomplete assembly with thresholding algorithm for systems of reaction-diffusion equations in three space dimensions IAT for reaction-diffusion systems

Solving systems of reaction-diffusion equations in three space dimensions can be prohibitively expensive both in terms of storage and CPU time. Herein, I present a new incomplete assembly procedure that is designed to reduce storage requirements. Incomplete assembly is analogous to incomplete factorization in that only a fixed number of nonzero entries are stored per row and a drop tolerance is used to discard small values. The algorithm is incorporated in a finite element method-of-lines code and tested on a set of reaction-diffusion systems. The effect of incomplete assembly on CPU time and storage and on the performance of the temporal integrator DASPK, algebraic solver GMRES and preconditioner ILUT is studied.
The role of cytokines in the behavioral responses to endotoxin and influenza virus infection in mice: effects of acute and chronic administration of the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist (IL-1ra).

Following infection with influenza virus, animals display decreased locomotor activity and feeding behavior and loss of body weight. It has been suggested that these effects may be mediated by cytokines, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), induced by the infection. To assess the potential role of IL-1, we tested the ability of a naturally occurring IL-1-receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) to antagonize the changes in feeding behavior induced by IL-1, endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), and infection with influenza virus. Feeding behavior was assessed by measuring the daily intake of food pellets and sweetened milk in a 30-min period. Acute injection of IL-1β decreased milk intake, but mouse IL-6 and mouse TNF-α did not. However, TNF-α decreased food pellet intake slightly, especially when it was injected at the beginning of the dark phase. The reductions in milk intake induced by mouse IL-1β were largely prevented by IL-1ra pretreatment (100 μg/mouse i.p.). The LPS-induced reductions in milk intake were attenuated, but not blocked, by IL-1ra treatment (300 μg/mouse). LPS still induced significant decrements in the presence of the antagonist. In influenza virus-infected mice, IL-1ra was administered either by repeated subcutaneous (s.c.) injections, or by continuous s.c. infusion from osmotic minipumps. These IL-1ra treatments produced small, but statistically significant, attenuations of the depression in milk and food pellet intake in the virus-infected mice. In several experiments, IL-1ra treatment increased the survival of influenza virus-infected mice. Thus the attenuation of the hypophagia may have been caused by this IL-1ra-induced increase in survival. The results suggest that IL-1 contributes to sickness behavior induced by LPS and influenza virus infection, but it is not the only factor involved.
A review of the stability of disconnected equilibrium capillary surfaces

A disconnected free surface consists of several separate pieces (connectivity components). The connectivity components and solid walls bound a connected liquid region. Generally, the stability problem for such equilibrium configurations cannot be simply reduced to a set of independent problems for each connectivity component. Rather, the set of connectivity components, the solid walls and the connected liquid region must be considered simultaneously. In this review, we outline particular properties of the stability of mechanical equilibrium of systems with disconnected free surfaces and summarize the results of previous work. Several open problems are also discussed.
Heterogeneous labelling of acid-soluble nucleoside 5'-monophosphates during short in vivo incubation with phosphate-32P.

A PROBABLE explanation of the heterogeneous 32P-labelling of 5′-nucleotide units of ribonucleic acid of rat liver1 and deoxyribonucleic acid of thymine-requiring E. coli 2 after brief incubation with phosphate-32P is that the carbon-bound phosphate groups of postulated precursor 5′-nucleotides3 become labelled at unequal rates. Brumm, Potter and Siekevitz4 have studied the incorporation of phosphorus-32 into acid-soluble nucleotides of rat liver, but the isolated guanylic and uridylic acids were noted to contain impurities. Because there is little direct in vivo evidence that 5′-nucleotides actually are the building blocks in biosynthesis of nucleic acids in mammalian tissues, we have re-investigated the status of labelling after a short time of incubation, when unequal synthetic rates should be most easily observable.
A feasibility study of prompt capture gamma in vivo neutron activation analysis.

The feasibility of using the information contained in the radiative capture gamma ray spectrum of the neutron‐irradiated human body to measure quantitatively total body elemental compositioni n v i v o has been investigated. Results of time dependent Monte Carlo simulations have shown that spectral interference of nonradiative capture origin can be completely eliminated by pulsing the detector/spectrometer system in anticoincidence with the neutron source. Calculations based on the results of the Monte Carlo simulation and on an experimental measurement of the efficiency versus energy characteristics of a Ge(Li) detector suggest that the primary limitation of the proposed technique would be inter‐element spectral interference rather than inadequate detector sensitivity. Experimental measurements using a pulsed 14‐MeV neutrongenerator and Ge(Li) gamma‐ray spectrometer have produced results that are consistent with the predictions of the theoretical model. A radiative capture gamma‐ray spectrum of a tissue‐equivalent phantom was measured in pulsed mode and analyzed off‐line using a computerized spectral analysis procedure. The results were scaled to a proposed facility consisting of a 2.5‐MeV pulsed neutron source and a detection system comprising two 50‐cm3 Ge(Li) detectors past which the subject would be scanned. It has been shown that in principle the elements hydrogen, chlorine, calcium, and nitrogen [the latter using large NaI (T1) detectors] could be measured with such a facility at an average body dose level of 0.1 rad. At this dose level the coefficients of variation based on counting statistics alone would be ±2%, or better, for these four elements. With an improvement in the detector/spectrometer energy resolution, the elements sulfur and carbon might also be measurable. It is also shown that by modifying the pulsing sequence appropriately and using 14‐MeV neutrons, total body oxygen could also be measured at the 0.1 rad dose level via its inelastic neutron scattering deexcitation gamma activity.
Two smoke test methods — A comparison of data

Different approaches have been taken in the United States and Great Britain to measure the smoke-producing characteristics of materials in terms of specific optical density. An investigation has been conducted to determine if a correlation exists between the methods.
Giant Surface-Plasmon-Induced Drag Effect

We predict a giant surface-plasmon-induced drag-effect rectification (SPIDER). In nanowires, this giant SPIDER generates rectified THz potential up to 10V and electric fields up to 105-106V/cm. The giant SPIDER is an ultrafast effect.
Corporate community:: a theory of the firm uniting profitability and responsibility

The general concept of stakeholder management seems to be widely accepted, but its central tenet of “balancing” interests was prominently abandoned during the 1990s, as corporations favored financial interests rather than the balanced treatment proposed by stakeholder theory. The prevailing logic of business provides little incentive to do otherwise. Managers and scholars generally think about stakeholders in terms of morality, ethics, and social responsibility rather than economic value and competitive advantage. This article presents an economic theory of the firm and supporting evidence that reconcile the conflict between profitability and responsibility. Rather than passive recipients of responsible treatment, modern stakeholders work with managers to improve their own benefits while also enhancing corporate profitability. Thus, the wealth‐creating role of business arises directly out of integrating stakeholders into a productive whole – a “corporate community.”
Ions and energy metabolism in duck salt-gland: possible role of furosemide-sensitive co-transport of sodium and chloride.

1. The effects of methacholine on net ionic movements and energy metabolism of the avian salt-gland have been studied, using slices of glands taken from salt-adapted Pekin ducks. The slices were equilibrated with media and drugs for 120 min at 1 °C before the experimental incubation at 38 °C. 2. During incubation at 38 °C the slices accumulated K+ and lost Na+ and Cl-. In the presence of methacholine, they retained more Na+ and Cl- and accumulated less K+, the maximal effects being given by 0·5-1·0 mM-methacholine. Similar results were obtained whether the medium contained 10 mM-Tris (used in most experiments) or 25 mM-HCO3- as the major buffer. 3. The higher final levels of cell Na+ and Cl- induced by methacholine were not seen when furosemide (1 mM) was also present. Methacholine did not induce a higher level of cell Na+ when medium Cl- was replaced by I-, NO3- or SO42-, and did not induce a higher Cl- content when medium Na+ was replaced by choline or Li+. The fall of K+ accumulation caused by methacholine was also prevented by furosemide or by replacing Cl- in the medium with other anions. The anion-transport inhibitors, SCN- (up to 10 mM) and 4,4′-diisothiocyano-2,2′-disulphonic acid stilbene (DIDS) (up to 2 mM) did not prevent the effects of methacholine. 4. Methacholine stimulated respiration and lowered the slice ATP contents, and these effects were both prevented by ouabain or furosemide. Ouabain, but not furosemide, also reduced the basal (i.e. in the absence of methacholine) rate of respiration and raised the ATP level. SCN- and DIDS had no effect on basal or stimulated respiration or on ATP contents. 5. The respiratory stimulation and fall of ATP induced by methacholine were totally prevented if medium Na+ was replaced by choline. Replacement of Na+ by Li+ caused some stimulation of basal respiration; it also permitted some loss of ATP in the presence of methacholine, but the loss was smaller than that seen in the normal Na+ medium. 6. The respiratory stimulation and fall of ATP induced by methacholine were prevented if medium Cl- was replaced by SO42-. The effects of methacholine were partially blocked when NO3- replaced Cl-. 7. The results are consistent with the stimulation by methacholine of a furosemide-sensitive, coupled entry of Na+ and Cl- into the cells, associated with a loss of K+. This would result in a stimulation of Na+ extrusion by the ouabain-sensitive transport system for Na+ and K+ with increased consumption of ATP.
Long‐Term Changes in Mollisol Organic Carbon and Nitrogen

Conversions of Mollisols from prairie to cropland and subsequent changes in crop production practices in the Midwestern USA have resulted in changes in soil organic matter. Few studies have used archived samples, long-term resampling of soils to a depth of 1 m, and space for time studies to document these changes. We resampled soils by depth (0-100 cm) in fields at 19 locations in central Illinois on poorly drained Mollisols that were in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) rotations, were tile drained, and had no known history of manure application in recent decades. Three fields were paired with virgin prairie remnants, two had grass borders that were sampled, and 16 had been previously sampled in 1901 to 1904 or 1957 under various land uses (virgin prairie, cultivation, grass cover). The soils had large amounts of C and N in the profile, with mean values of 175 [corrected] Mg C ha(-1) and 16.1 Mg N ha(-1) for the 18 cultivated fields sampled in 2001 and 2002. We confirmed a large reduction in organic C and total N pools from conversion of prairies to annual cultivation and artificial drainage and documented no change in these organic matter pools of cultivated soils during the period of synthetic fertilizer use (1957--2002). Cultivated fields had soil C and N concentrations typically 30 to 50% less than virgin prairie soils. Smaller but significant declines in C and N concentrations were found when comparing 1900s cultivated fields to concentrations in 2002, after another 100 yr of cultivation, and in comparing 1957 grass covered fields that had been converted to annual cultivation before 2002. The reduction in organic matter after cultivation of prairies occurred mostly in the top 50 cm of soil, with evidence of translocation of C and N from these upper layers to the 50- to 100-cm depth, possibly enhanced by tile drainage. For these Mollisols, declines in organic matter were likely completed by the 1950s, with organic matter pools in a steady state under the production practices in place from the late 1950s through 2002.
A system for operational aerosol optical depth data assimilation over global oceans

[1] In this study, we present an aerosol data assimilation system destined for operational use at the Fleet Numerical Meteorological and Oceanographic Center (FNMOC). The system is an aerosol physics version of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System (NAVDAS) that is already operational. The purpose of this new system, NAVDAS-Aerosol Optical Depth (NAVDAS-AOD) is to improve the NRL Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS)'s forecasting capability by assimilating observational data sources with NAAPS forecast fields. This will allow for not only improved aerosol forecasting but also for dramatically enhanced global scale research capabilities for the study of aerosol-meteorology interaction. NAVDAS-AOD assimilates a newly developed over-water Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) level 3 aerosol product with NAAPS. This paper is the second in a series which describes NRL's program to realistically monitor global aerosol distributions. Here we explain the reasons and procedures for constructing the over-water level 3 MODIS aerosol product, describe the theoretical basis for NAVDAS-AOD, and provide a thorough statistical error analysis for both the MODIS observations and the NAAPS model background fields that are critical to aerosol data assimilation. Using 5 months of analysis, our study shows that by carefully screening over-water satellite observations to ensure only the best quality data are used in the aerosol assimilation process, the NAVDAS-AOD can significantly improve the NAAPS global aerosol optical depth analysis as well as improve the aerosol forecast skill.
Satiety elicited by the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin in normal and VMH-lesioned rats.

The dose-response curve of satiety elicited by intraperitoneal injections of the synthetic C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK) in normal rats is U-shaped over the range 1–100 U/kg with the maximal effect at 40 U/kg. Injections of 40 U/kg also inhibited 5.5-hr-fasted feeding of rats with electrolytic lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus. The results confirm the findings of Gibbs, Young, and Smith ( J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 84 , 488–495, 1973) , that injections of CCK decrease food intake of rats, and indicate that this effect of CCK is not mediated through the ventromedial hypothalamus.
On a problem posed by Orey and Pruitt related to the range of the N-parameter wiener process in Rd

Let W(N,d) be the N-parameter Wiener process with values in Rd.It is shown that the range of W(N,d) is all of Rd when d<2N, answering a question raised earlier by Orey and Pruitt.
The Impact of Regulation on the U.S. Nonprofit Sector: Initial Evidence from the Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004

SYNOPSIS: The early 2000s revealed a series of high-profile financial frauds in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. In response to several of these financial scandals, California passed the Nonprofit Integrity Act (NIA) of 2004. This seminal piece of governance regulation sought to increase financial transparency and mitigate fundraising abuses by California charitable organizations. This study examines the characteristics of California charitable organizations before and after the Act to understand the initial impact the Act had on nonprofit organizations. Key findings from the study include limited reported improvement in financial reporting quality and an increase in accounting fees following the implementation of the Act. California nonprofits subject to the Act’s provisions did exhibit an increase in executive compensation following the implementation of the Act; however, the increase was less than that exhibited by the population of nonprofits during the same time period. Overall, the results of th...
The effect of antitastamines on the laryngeal chemoreflex

The laryngeal chemoreflex (LCR) consists of apnea, laryngospasm, and cardiovascular changes in neonates after laryngeal irritation and has been implicated in sudden infant death syndrome and apnea of infancy. Antihistamines attenuate a similar vagally mediated pulmonary chemoreflex. The intravenous antihistamine effect on the LCR was studied in neonatal piglets. Laryngeal muscle activity, respiration, blood pressure, and pulse were measured during water stimulation of the LCR. After baseline LCR recordings, intravenous diphenhydramine (2.5 mg/kg) or cimetidine (20 mg/kg) was bolused (control group received saline). LCR measurements were repeated over 7 hours. Diphenhydramine significantly shorted apneas (P < .05) 3 to 7 hours after drug bolus, which is believed to be secondary to central atropinic effects. Cimetidine demonstrated no attenuation of the LCR.
The Extreme C Terminus of Primase Is Required for Interaction with DnaB at the Replication Fork

We have shown previously that a protein-protein interaction between DnaG and DnaB is required to attract the primase to the replication fork. This interaction was mediated by the C-terminal 16-kDa domain (p16) of the primase. A screen was developed that allowed the detection of mutant p16 proteins that did not interact with DnaB. Various mutagenesis protocols were used to localize this interaction domain to the extreme C terminus of the primase. A mutant primase missing only the C-terminal 16 amino acids was isolated and its activities examined. This mutant enzyme was fully active as a primase, but was incapable of interacting with DnaB. Thus, the mutant primase could not support DNA synthesis in either the general priming reaction or during φX174 complementary strand DNA replication. Alanine cluster mutagenesis and deletion analysis in p16 allowed the further localization of the interaction domain to the extreme C-terminal 8 amino acids in primase.
Inequalities for Green's operator applied to the minimizers

In this paper, we prove both the local and global Lφ -norm inequalities for Green's operator applied to minimizers for functionals defined on differential forms in Lφ -averaging domains. Our results are extensions of Lp norm inequalities for Green's operator and can be used to estimate the norms of other operators applied to differential forms.
System centric and user centric queueing models for IEEE 802.11 based wireless LANs

We consider the following two views of an IEEE 802.11 based Wireless LAN: (i) as seen by the WLAN medium and (ii) as seen by a user. In the system centric view, we model the WLAN medium as a server that allocates its resources to users in a round Robin manner. This resource sharing model not only provides a simple model for the system, it also enables us to derive the channel service rate and the total delay incurred in transmitting a packet. For Poisson arrivals, the resource sharing model takes the form of an M/G/1/PS system with the mean delay being the same as that in an equivalent M/M/1 system. We then take a user centric view and model each user's queue as a separate G/G/1 queue. We derive the probability distributions for the different delay sources, i.e., random back-off time, random number of collisions and random number of successful transmissions from other users. This user centric model can provide insights into understanding access and queuing delays in 802.11 DCF. Finally, we discuss the utility of these models for functions such as capacity analysis, admission control and QoS enforcement.
Dance Education Matters: Rebuilding Postsecondary Dance Education for Twenty-First Century Relevance and Resonance

Abstract Postsecondary dance education is at a crucial juncture in its history in academe. Emerging from women's physical education programs in the 1930s, the profession's realignment with the arts broadly and arts-based education specifically has been characterized by ambitious goals and steady growth through the 1990s. However, a number of critical developments over the past decade have displaced many previous gains and undermined the overall stability and integrity of the field. Four primary challenges are investigated in this article: curricular equity, expansive dance education programs, graduate study opportunities, and national leadership. I urge dance educators and administrators to re-envision and expand P–12 dance education in the liberal arts tradition to include private studio, commercial-sector, dance in community and related teaching professions. This article provides recommendations and strategies for developing relevant and resonant twenty-first-century dance education programs beyond curr...
How the Imaging Core Lab builds and implements service modules for use in clinical PET/CT trials

654 Learning Objectives: To introduce how the Imaging Core Lab (ICL) builds and implements important components for use in clinical PET/CT trials. Abstract (summary): The ICL has accumulated extensive experience and collaborated with numerous sites and PET/CT manufacturers in clinical trials. Five components were established for clinical trials in the ICL. The facilities component includes proprietary scanners and vendor workstations, forming the ICL infrastructure. An administrative component was organized to integrate the infrastructure together with dedicated individuals in trial implementations. The implementations were performed strictly according to the third component, Standard Operation Procedures (SOP), in regular core lab meetings, training sessions and quality assurance (QA). Dedicated Technical Site Manuals were developed for each participating site, within which protocols for imaging acquisition, ICL-site communication, specific trial emails and FTP servers, data archiving and transfer, WebEx meetings as well as equipment validation were documented. Data receipt confirmation and quality check (QC) reports as part of the QA component were implemented in SOPs to verify compliance with protocol guidelines. ICL performs an on-site or virtual site visit as the credentialing component for site qualifying assessment. Automatic and semi-automatic programs as the post-processing component were developed for the standardized data processing of DICOM archives, database management, QC and data de-identification. These outlined components were integrated in the ICL SOP implementations and have shown a satisfactory achievement in standard operations and guidelines, and have lead to the successful completion of clinical PET/CT trials.
Anterior Corneal Dystrophy of American Dutch Belted Rabbits: Biomicroscopic and Histopathologic Findings

Spontaneously occurring anterior corneal opacities were present in related, juvenile American Dutch belted rabbits. Slit lamp biomicroscopy revealed focal opacities of epithelium, basement membrane, and subepithelial corneal stroma. Lesions were characterized histologically by thin and disorganized surface epithelium, thickened and intensely staining epithelial basement membrane, fimbriated and irregular basement membrane-stromal juncture, and disorganized subepithelial stroma. Biomicroscopic and histopathologic features of anterior corneal dystrophy of American Dutch belted rabbits appear similar to those of human anterior corneal dystrophies.
Evidence of an Enzymatic Source of Off Flavors in “Lipoxygenase-Null” Soybeans

The utilization of soybean products as food ingredients and foods is often limited by their beany-grassy flavor. Eliminating seed lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes 1, 2 and 3 reduces the amounts of volatile off-flavor compounds in stored soybeans and soy products significantly, but they are not completely eliminated. The present work presents evidence that lipoxygenase-null (LOX-null) soybeans contain a LOX-like enzyme that is responsible for the off-flavors in LOX-null soybeans. Volatiles production in triple LOX-null soybeans was terminated by heat treatment, which suggests an enzymatic cause to the off-flavors. The source is LOX-like in that the volatile compounds produced are similar to LOX-generated products of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oxygen was consumed when a LOX-null protein solution was incubated with crude soybean oil suggesting that the enzyme catalyzed oxygen consuming reactions. The generation of flavor compounds was inhibited by the typical LOX inhibitors propyl gallate and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). The enzyme appears to be more active with phosphatidylcholine than with other lipid substrates. The cause of the off-flavors in LOX-null beans appears to have enzyme-like characteristics. This is the first report of the initial characterization of this LOX-like enzyme.
On the analysis of membrane protein circular dichroism spectra

Analysis of circular dichroism spectra of proteins provides information about protein secondary structure. Analytical methods developed for such an analysis use structures and spectra of a set of reference proteins. The reference protein sets currently in use include soluble proteins with a wide range of secondary structures, and perform quite well in analyzing CD spectra of soluble proteins. The utility of soluble protein reference sets in analyzing membrane protein CD spectra, however, has been questioned in a recent study that found current reference protein sets to be inadequate for analyzing membrane proteins. We have examined the performance of reference protein sets available in the CDPro software package for analyzing CD spectra of 13 membrane proteins with available crystal structures. Our results indicate that the reference protein sets currently available for CD analysis perform reasonably well in analyzing membrane protein CD spectra, with performance indices comparable to those for soluble proteins. Soluble + membrane protein reference sets, which were constructed by combining membrane proteins with soluble protein reference sets, gave improved performance in both soluble and membrane protein CD analysis.
The Firing of an Excitable Neuron in the Presence of Stochastic Trains of Strong Synaptic Inputs

We consider a fast-slow excitable system subject to a stochastic excitatory input train and show that under general conditions, its long-term behavior is captured by an irreducible Markov chain with a limiting distribution. This limiting distribution allows for the analytical calculation of the system's probability of firing in response to each input, the expected number of response failures between firings, and the distribution of slow variable values between firings. Moreover, using this approach, it is possible to understand why the system will not have a stationary distribution and why Monte Carlo simulations do not converge under certain conditions. The analytical calculations involved can be performed whenever the distribution of interexcitation intervals and the recovery dynamics of the slow variable are known. The method can be extended to other models that feature a single variable that builds up to a threshold where an instantaneous spike and reset occur. We also discuss how the Markov chain analysis generalizes to any pair of input trains, excitatory or inhibitory and synaptic or not, such that the frequencies of the two trains are sufficiently different from each other. We illustrate this analysis on a model thalamocortical (TC) cell subject to two example distributions of excitatory synaptic inputs in the cases of constant and rhythmic inhibition. The analysis shows a drastic drop in the likelihood of firing just after inhibitory onset in the case of rhythmic inhibition, relative even to the case of elevated but constant inhibition. This observation provides support for a possible mechanism for the induction of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease and for their relief by deep brain stimulation, analyzed in Rubin and Terman (2004).
Nyquist, Bode, and Nichols Plots of Uncertain Systems

This paper investigates the frequency response of an uncertain system whose set of possible transfer functions is represented by a polytope of numerator-denominator polynomial pairs. It will be shown that the frequency response of the edge transfer functions provides most of the information required to determine all possible frequency responses of the system Once the edge response is computed, a simple procedure can be used to obtain the complete response. These results can be used to compute the frequency response at any point in the complex plane, so they are applicable to continuous-time and discrete-time systems. For an interval family of tansfer functions, the edge result in this paper can be combined with known properties of interval polynomials to give an even simpler method of computing the frequency response. This simplification is only valid for frequencies on the jw-axis, so its application is limited to continuous-time systems.
Relativistic Jets in Stellar Systems

Albeit their nature remains elusive, relativistic, collimated outflows of energy and particles appear to be a nearly ubiquitous feature of accreting black holes. As evidence accumulates for a dominant role of the jet in dissipating the liberated accretion power, questions around their powering mechanism and even composition remain unanswered. In this chapter, I will describe the main observational properties of relativistic jets from black hole X-ray binaries, with a particular emphasis on recent developments around three main topics: (i) the role and relative importance of the accretion flow, relativistic jet and equatorial wind; (ii) the existence of global luminosity-luminosity correlation(s) in quiescent and hard state black hole X-ray binaries, and their interpretation(s); (iii) (ways of estimating) the total jet power, and its relation to black hole spin.
Realization of Streaming Media Data Multicast Based on UDP

With wide usage and special needs of AV transmission services on the Internet, streaming media transport protocol and its technology is studied. In order to effectively resolve and control highly sensitive delay problem on the streaming media services and on carefully comparing TCP and UDP features, an UDP-based streaming media transmission multicast system is designed and implemented. By experiment, a delay time performance in different playout buffer (PB) length and different client numbers are achieved. The results demonstrated the real-time advantage of UDP on streaming media transmission.
Modelling and measurements of power losses and turbulence intensity in wind turbine wakes at Middelgrunden offshore wind farm

Understanding of power losses and turbulence increase due to wind turbine wake interactions in large offshore wind farms is crucial to optimizing wind farm design. Power losses and turbulence increase due to wakes are quantified based on observations from Middelgrunden and state-of-the-art models. Observed power losses due solely to wakes are approximately 10% on average. These are relatively high for a single line of wind turbines due in part to the close spacing of the wind farm. The wind farm model Wind Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) is shown to capture wake losses despite operating beyond its specifications for turbine spacing. The paper describes two methods of estimating turbulence intensity: one based on the mean and standard deviation (SD) of wind speed from the nacelle anemometer, the other from mean power output and its SD. Observations from the nacelle anemometer indicate turbulence intensity which is around 9% higher in absolute terms than those derived from the power measurements. For comparison, turbulence intensity is also derived from wind speed and SD from a meteorological mast at the same site prior to wind farm construction. Despite differences in the measurement height and period, overall agreement is better between the turbulence intensity derived from power measurements and the meteorological mast than with those derived from data from the nacelle anemometers.The turbulence in wind farm model indicates turbulence increase of the order 20% in absolute terms for flow directly along the row which is in good agreement with the observations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Organizational Communication Meets Queer Theory: Theorizing Relations of “Difference” Differently

In this essay, I show how further engagement with queer theory can contribute to organizational communication theorizing about difference. After reviewing the theoretical roots of difference and intersectionality research in organizational communication, I draw from queer theory to articulate three guiding principles for queer difference research: (a) emphasizing the notion of normativity; (b) adopting an anticategorical approach to difference, intersectionality, and normativity; and (c) advocating a politics that challenges normativity. I conclude by discussing both the relevance and potential of queer theory for all communication theorists and suggest that further engagement with queer theory is consistent with putting communication at the center of explanations to social reality
Experimental investigation of microwave imaging via space-time beamforming for breast cancer detection

We investigate the experimental feasibility of detecting small malignant breast tumors using a recently proposed method of microwave imaging via space-time beamforming. A microwave sensor comprised of a planar synthetic array of compact ultrawideband (1-11 GHz) antennas is placed above a breast tissue phantom - a tank of homogeneous normal breast tissue simulant covered by a thin layer of skin simulant. A small (< 0.5 cm) synthetic tumor is embedded in the breast phantom. At each position in the array, the antenna transmits a synthetically generated ultra-short pulse into the breast phantom. A robust data-adaptive algorithm removes the artifact caused by the dominant backscatter from the skin-breast interface. The signals are passed through a 3-D space-time beamformer designed to image backscattered energy as a function of location. Even millimeter-sized malignant tumors have relatively large microwave scattering cross-sections due to their significant dielectric-properties contrast with normal breast tissue. Therefore they produce localized regions of large backscatter energy levels in the beamformer image. The successful detection and localization of very small synthetic tumors embedded in the skin-breast tissue phantom is demonstrated.
Cooperative and competitive effects associated with Fe(CO)3 binding to annelated benzenes

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out on the sequential transfer of Fe(CO)3 groups from the Fe(CO)3 complex of cyclobutadiene [CBD–Fe(CO)3, 5] to tris(etheno)-annelated benzene (3) and to 1,2;4,5-bis(etheno)-annelated benzene (9). The changes in the electronic structure of the central benzene ring in 3, brought about by each Fe(CO)3 transfer reaction, make the transfer of Fe(CO)3 groups to 3 from 1–3 molecules of 5 cooperative. Our calculations find that, as the number of Fe(CO)3 groups transferred to 3 increases, the bond lengths between the benzo carbons and each Fe atom decrease; and the energetic favorability of each Fe(CO)3 transfer reaction increases. In contrast, the transfer of Fe(CO)3 groups to 9 from two molecules of 5 is competitive. Transfer of a second Fe(CO)3 group from 5 to 9 increases the bond lengths between the benzo carbons and the Fe atoms and makes the second Fe(CO)3 transfer reaction more energetically unfavorable than the first. Our calculations also indicate that there is little, if any, π bonding between the three CBD–Fe(CO)3 rings in 8, the tris-Fe(CO)3 adduct of 3. Therefore, π bonding between the four-membered rings in 8 cannot explain the comparatively favorable energy for its formation.
Children's Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale: Construction and Validation

Abstract In this article, the construction and validation of an environmental attitude and knowledge scale designed for children are described. The scale fills a need, expressed by several writers in environmental education, for a research instrument that has sound psychometric properties, can be used in a variety of research settings, and will allow comparisons of results across studies.
Multiple timescales and uncertainty in motor adaptation

Our motor system changes due to causes that span multiple timescales. For example, muscle response can change because of fatigue, a condition where the disturbance has a fast timescale or because of disease where the disturbance is much slower. Here we hypothesize that the nervous system adapts in a way that reflects the temporal properties of such potential disturbances. According to a Bayesian formulation of this idea, movement error results in a credit assignment problem: what timescale is responsible for this disturbance? The adaptation schedule influences the behavior of the optimal learner, changing estimates at different timescales as well as the uncertainty. A system that adapts in this way predicts many properties observed in saccadic gain adaptation. It well predicts the timecourses of motor adaptation in cases of partial sensory deprivation and reversals of the adaptation direction.
Point-of-Care Estimated Radiation Exposure and Imaging Guidelines Can Reduce Pediatric Radiation Burden

Introduction: The steady increase in the use of computed tomography (CT) has particular concerns for children. Family physicians must often select pediatric imaging without any decision support. We hypothesized that point-of-care decision support would lead to the selection of imaging that lowered radiation exposure and improved guideline congruence. Methods: Our double-blind, randomized simulation included family physicians in the Military Health System. Participants initially reviewed a pediatric hematuria scenario and selected imaging without decision support. Participants were subsequently randomized to either receive imaging-appropriateness guidelines and then estimated radiation exposure information or receive estimated radiation information then guidelines; imaging selections were required after each step. The primary outcome was the selected imaging modality with point-of-care decision support. Results: The first arm increased CT ordering after viewing the guidelines (P = .008) but then decreased it after reviewing radiation exposure information (P = .007). In the second arm radiation information decreased CT and plain film use (P = not significant), with a subsequent increase in ultrasound and CT after the guideline presentation (P = .05). Conclusions: Decision support during a simulated pediatric scenario helped family physicians select imaging that lowered radiation exposure and was aligned with current guidelines, especially when presented with radiation information after guideline review. This information could help inform electronic medical record design.
An Assessment of In‐Person and Remotely Operated Laboratories

Increasingly mechanical engineering departments are beginning to incorporate remotely operated laboratories into their laboratory curriculums. Yet very few studies exist detailing the extent to which this new medium for laboratory delivery fulfills the educational goals of traditional in-person laboratories. This paper describes a comparison of educational outcomes between in-person and remotely operated laboratories in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The study carried out in the 2001 Fall semester was performed using a remotely operated and an in-person jet thrust laboratory. The laboratories illustrate the fundamentals of compressible fluid mechanics as part of an undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. The results from this study indicated no significant difference in the educational outcomes between students who performed the in-person or the remote experiment.
Complications and management of Meckel's diverticulum--a review.

Objective: To review the anatomy, symptomatology, diagnosis, complications and management of symptomatic and asymptomatic Meckel's diverticula. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Teaching hospital, The Netherlands. Subjects: 27 consecutive patients who underwent resection of a Meckel's diverticulum during the 16 year period 1 January 1981 31 August 1997. Main outcome measures: The symptomatology and histopathological findings. Results: 15 patients had symptoms and 12 did not. Haemorrhage and inflammation were the most common presenting symptoms. All histopathological signs of inflammation were found in those with symptomatic diverticula. Resected asymptomatic Meckel's diverticula were abnormal in only two occasions: one contained an adenocarcinoma and one a faecolith. Conclusion: All symptomatic Meckel's diverticula should be resected. The surgical treatment of asymptomatic Meckel's diverticula is still controversial.
Nuclear inheritance and genetic exchange without meiosis in the binucleate parasite Giardia intestinalis

The protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia) is a major waterborne pathogen. During its life cycle, Giardia alternates between the actively growing trophozoite, which has two diploid nuclei with low levels of allelic heterozygosity, and the infectious cyst, which has four nuclei and a tough outer wall. Although the formation of the cyst wall has been studied extensively, we still lack basic knowledge about many fundamental aspects of the cyst, including the sources of the four nuclei and their distribution during the transformation from cyst into trophozoite. In this study, we tracked the identities of the nuclei in the trophozoite and cyst using integrated nuclear markers and immunofluorescence staining. We demonstrate that the cyst is formed from a single trophozoite by a mitotic division without cytokinesis and not by the fusion of two trophozoites. During excystation, the cell completes cytokinesis to form two daughter trophozoites. The non-identical nuclear pairs derived from the parent trophozoite remain associated in the cyst and are distributed to daughter cells during excystation as pairs. Thus, nuclear sorting (such that each daughter cell receives a pair of identical nuclei) does not appear to be a mechanism by which Giardia reduces heterozygosity between its nuclei. Rather, we show that the cyst nuclei exchange chromosomal genetic material, perhaps as a way to reduce heterozygosity in the absence of meiosis and sex, which have not been described in Giardia. These results shed light on fundamental aspects of the Giardia life cycle and have implications for our understanding of the population genetics and cell biology of this binucleate parasite.
Is Brain Insulin Action Relevant to the Control of Plasma Glucose in Humans

The notion that central nervous system (CNS) insulin action plays an important role in mediating the inhibition of endogenous glucose production (EGP) is becoming increasingly accepted (1–5). In the rodent, insulin’s effect in the brain involves transport of insulin across the blood–brain barrier, activation of insulin signaling, opening of neuronal ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, signaling via vagal hepatic efferents, phosphorylation of liver STAT3, and suppression of gluconeogenic gene expression, with subsequent reduction of EGP due to inhibition of gluconeogenesis but not glycogenolysis (6–10). The effect was relatively slow in onset (requiring several hours to appear) and was evident under nonphysiological circumstances because infusion of insulin into a peripheral vein results in absolute or relative hepatic insulin deficiency (Fig. 1) (11,12). In addition, glucagon was not replaced, raising the possibility that insulin’s brain–liver effect is only manifest when the liver is deprived of other normal regulatory inputs. Despite such limitations, these studies have led some to conclude that brain insulin action is “required,” “necessary,” or even “essential” for the suppression of EGP by insulin (2,5,7–10). Figure 1 In the basal state, arterial and hepatic portal vein insulin concentrations are approximately 10 and 30 µU/mL, respectively, such that the concentration of insulin in blood entering the hepatic sinusoids is ∼25 µU/mL. A threefold increase in basal insulin secretion or portal vein insulin infusion ( A ) increases both arterial (brain) and liver insulin concentrations by threefold. When insulin is acutely elevated in this way, insulin’s direct hepatic effect drives the rapid suppression of EGP, and the CNS effects of insulin on the liver are masked. In response to a threefold rise in insulin brought about by infusion into a peripheral vein ( B ), arterial (brain) insulin concentrations are also elevated threefold, but in …
Near maximum-likelihood detector with one-bit ADCs for multiuser massive MIMO systems

In massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, deploying a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for each antenna element may not be power and cost efficient. Assuming each antenna is connected to a pair of one-bit ADCs, i.e., one for each real and imaginary component of the received signal, a near maximum likelihood (nML) detector for uplink multiuser massive MIMO systems is proposed in this paper. The proposed nML detector is based on a standard convex optimization technique and becomes optimal when the number of receive antennas at the base station goes to infinity. Simulation results show that the proposed nML detector can simultaneously support multiple users using higher-order constellations, e.g., 16 quadrature amplitude modulation, and performs much better than a simple zeroforcing (ZF)-type detector.