cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring Potential Ethnic Conflict in Southeast Asia

This article offers insights into the identification of cases with a significant potential for ethnic conflict over a 2-3 year time horizon through an examination of the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to the analysis of ethnic conflict potential in those cases. The goal is to suggest an analytical framework with applicability to the assessment of ethnic conflicts in Southeast Asia and beyond; thus, factors are identified that tend to precipitate or facilitate ethnic conflict in a world dominated by the norms of the modern state system. Twenty-four ethnic minority groups are identified in Southeast Asia that havesome potential for conflict over the next 2-3 years. The AHP methodology is then employed as a means to measure the potential for ethnic conflict among these twenty-four groups. Potential is defined as the product of desire or motivation to act (i.e., the motivating factors) and the ability or capability to act (i.e., the enabling conditions), such that: POTENTIAL = (MOTIVATION) X (ABILITY). This approach to ethnic conflict analysis promotes consideration of the contextual factors that influence feelings of marginalization and capacity to effect change—a considerable step forward over approaches that are based on (inevitably problematic) generalizations about the shared attributes or historically rooted prejudices toward ethnic groups.
Structure of rubredoxin: an x-ray study to 2.5 A resolution.

Abstract The non-heme iron protein, rubredoxin (molecular weight 6300) crystallizes as rhombs which possess the symmetry of the space group R 3. The parameters of the unit cell referred to hexagonal axes are a = b = 64.5 A and c = 32.7 A with nine molecules per unit cell. The structure was first solved at 3 A resolution with data from the native protein and a single derivative (mercuri-iodide) by using the effects of anomalous scattering. The map was readily interpretable in terms of what was known about the structure. The resulting model was confirmed by a 3 A electron density map based on phases determined using a second derivative alone (uranyl derivative). Data for the native protein and the HgI 4 2− and UO 2 2+ derivatives have been extended to include all planes with spacings greater than 2.5 A. The electron density map based on these data shows that the molecule consists of an irregularly folded polypeptide chain which contains an appreciable amount of anti-parallel pleated sheet structure but no alpha helix. The iron atom is bound to four cysteine sulfur atoms to form an apparently tetrahedral complex.
Long-Acting κ Opioid Antagonists Disrupt Receptor Signaling And Produce Noncompetitive Effects By Activating C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase

Norbinaltorphimine (NorBNI), guanidinonaltrindole, and atrans-(3R,4R)-dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl) piperidine (JDTic) are selective κ opioid receptor (KOR) antagonists having very long durations of action in vivo despite binding non-covalently in vitro and having only moderately high affinities. Consistent with this, we found that antagonist treatment significantly reduced the subsequent analgesic response of mice to the KOR agonist U50,488 in the tail-withdrawal assay for 14–21 days. Receptor protection assays were designed to distinguish between possible explanations for this anomalous effect, and we found that mice pretreated with the readily reversible opioid antagonists naloxone or buprenorphine before norBNI responded strongly in the tail-flick analgesia assay to a subsequent challenge with U50,488 1 week later. Protection by a rapidly cleared reagent indicates that norBNI did not persist at the site of action. In vitro binding of [3H]U69,593 to KOR showed that Kd and Bmax values were not significantly affected by prior in vivo norBNI exposure, indicating that the agonist binding site was intact. Consistent with the concept that the long-lasting effects might be caused by a functional disruption of KOR signaling, both norBNI and JDTic were found to stimulate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation in HEK293 cells expressing KOR-GFP but not in untransfected cells. Similarly, norBNI increased phospho-JNK in both the striatum and spinal cord in wild type mice but not in KOR knock-out mice. Pretreatment of mice with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 before norBNI attenuated the long acting antagonism. Together, these results suggest that the long duration KOR antagonists disrupt KOR signaling by activating JNK.
Biomechanics of a muscular hydrostat: a model of lapping by a reptilian tongue

We have developed a quantitative model of an example of a muscular hydrostat, a reptilian tongue, and have used this model to study a functional movement, protrusion and retrusion, a form of lapping. The model tongue consists of a longitudinal muscle that shortens the tongue when it contracts, and a circumferential muscle wrapped around the longitudinal muscle that lengthens the tongue when it contracts. The anatomy of the model tongue and the pattern of activation of its muscles are based on studies of the tongue of the lizard Tupinambis nigropunctatus (Smith 1984). The mechanics of pressure vessels were used to derive a relationship between the forces in the two muscles. Muscle force production was modelled as the product of length/tension properties, force/velocity properties, and activation due to neural inputs (incorporating both recruitment and firing period). Passive forces were modeled as a force in parallel with the longitudinal muscle. Muscle activation dynamics were modeled as a first order low pass filter. When the model tongue is short, the two muscles can lengthen or shorten it with comparable forces, but as it lengthens, the force that the circumferential muscle can exert drops precipitously. When the tongue is long, it can neither be very stiff, nor can it generate much force. The model also reproduces the kinematics of lapping movements actually observed in Tupinambis.
Advanced encryption system with dynamic pipeline reconfiguration for minimum energy operation

Power dissipation is a major concern in sub-nanometer IC designs with technology scaling pushing towards higher clock frequencies. Techniques such as dynamic voltage (and frequency) scaling (DVS) to minimize power while providing good throughput have become commonplace. This paper presents a fully pipelined 256-bit key advanced encryption system (AES) design implemented with power-saving pulse-clocked latches as pipeline flip-flops that supports pipeline collapse, whereby pipeline stages can be unified by making stage latches transparent. The design is fabricated on a foundry 90-nm low standby power process. Measured results show the design is capable of 64 Gb/s encryption, limited by the I/O speed. A 7.6% decrease in the energy per operation beyond DVS power reduction using pipeline stage unification (PSU) is obtained.
Environmental and Human Health Risks of Aerosolized Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are gaining attention from the academic and regulatory communities, not only because of their antimicrobial effects and subsequent product applications, but also because of their potential health and environmental risks. Whereas AgNPs in the aqueous phase are under intensive study, those in the atmosphere have been largely overlooked, although it is well established that inhalation of nanoparticles is associated with adverse health effects. This review summarizes the present state of knowledge concerning airborne AgNPs to shed light on the possible environmental exposure scenarios that may accompany the production and popularization of silver nanotechnology consumer products. The current understanding of the toxicity of AgNPs points toward a potential threat via the inhalation exposure route. Nanoparticle size, chemical composition, crystal structure, surface area, and the rate of silver ion release are expected to be important variables in determining toxicity. Possible routes of aerosolization of AgNPs from the production, use, and disposal of existing consumer products are presented. It is estimated that approximately 14% of silver nanotechnology products that have been inventoried could potentially release silver particles into the air during use, whether through spraying, dry powder dispersion, or other methods. In laboratory and industrial settings, six methods of aerosolization have been used to produce airborne AgNPs: spray atomization, liquid-flame spray, thermal evaporation-condensation, chemical vaporization, dry powder dispersion, and manual handling. Fundamental uncertainties remain about the fate of AgNPs in the environment, their short- and long-term health effects, and the specific physical and chemical properties of airborne particles that are responsible for health effects. Thus, to better understand the risks associated with silver nanotechnology, it is vital to understand the conditions under which AgNPs could become airborne.
Effect of caption meaning on memory for nonsense figures

Recognition and recall of simple nonsense figures were investigated. Five different relations between captions and figures were tested: no caption, physically descriptive, abstract, meaningful, and humorous. Thirty nonsense figures were presented with captions of a particular relation followed by an additional 30 figures that required the subjects to generate the same type of captions. Following distraction, the subjects attempted to recall and draw all 60 figures. Fifteen of the first thirty figures that had supplied captions were then tested for recognition without their captions. Recall of figures with supplied humorous captions was best and abstract captions resulted in poorest recall. For generated captions, meaningful and no caption conditions were best recalled and descriptive captions were worst. This interaction between source of caption and type of meaning indicates that certain information such as humor can be relatively more helpful if supplied than if generated. Recognition was better for recalled figures but without an interaction with caption meaning or error type. Thus, in the present study, the captions served as retrieval cues without significantly influencing memory for the figure itself.
Role of km23-1 in RhoA/actin-based cell migration.

km23-1 was originally identified as a TGFs receptor-interacting protein that plays an important role in TGFs signaling. Moreover, km23-1 is actually part of an ancient superfamily of NTPase-regulatory proteins, widely represented in archaea and bacteria. To further elucidate the function of km23-1, we identified novel protein interacting partners for km23-1 by using tandem affinity purification (TAP) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS). Here we show that km23-1 interacted with a class of proteins involved in actin-based cell motility and modulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We further showed that km23-1 modulates the formation of a highly organized stress fiber network. More significantly, we demonstrated that knockdown (KD) of km23-1 decreased RhoA activation in Mv1Lu epithelial cells. Finally, our results demonstrated for the first time that depletion of km23-1 inhibited cell migration of human colon carcinoma cells (HCCCs) in wound-healing assays. Overall, our findings demonstrate that km23-1 regulates RhoA and motility-associated actin modulating proteins, suggesting that km23-1 may represent a novel target for anti-metastatic therapy.
Image segmentation using wavelet-domain classification

We introduce a new image texture segmentation algorithm, HMTseg, based on wavelet-domain hidden Markov tree (HMT) models. The HMT model is a tree-structured probabilistic graph that captures the statistical properties of wavelet coefficients. Since the HMT is particularly well suited to images containing singularities (edges and ridges), it provides provides a good classifier for textures. Utilizing the inherent tree structure of the wavelet HMT and its fast training and likelihood computation algorithms, we perform multiscale texture classification at various scales. We then fuse these multiscale classifications using a Bayesian probabilistic graph to obtain a reliable final segmentation. Since HMTseg works on the wavelet transform of the image, it can directly segment wavelet-compressed images, without the need for decompression. We demonstrate the performance of HMTseg with synthetic, aerial photo, and document image segmentations.
The political economy of food subsidy reform: the case of Egypt

Abstract This paper examines the political economy of food subsidy reform efforts in Egypt. Egypt provides a case of a country with a large food subsidy program that has been relatively effective as a social safety net, but a program that is also expensive and poorly targeted to the needy. Policy discussions about strategies to improve the system’s performance run into the extreme political sensitivity of the issue of food subsidies in Egypt. Food subsidies are perceived to be important in promoting political stability and providing some legitimacy to a political system where civil liberties are limited. Egypt therefore illustrates the dilemmas facing policymakers and others contemplating food subsidy reform in developing countries where there are concerns that reform may spark political unrest. This paper argues that even in cases where food subsidy reform is a highly politicized issue, there are still a number of pragmatic policy steps that can be taken that meet the twin goals of reforming the system in ways that better target the poor while functioning more efficiently.
Structural specificity of sugars that inhibit gliding motility of Cytophaga johnsonae

It is a common observation that gliding bacteria form raised, smooth-edged colonies on nutrient-rich media, and typical thin, spreading, uneven-edged colonies on nutrient-poor media. An earlier study of the effect of different sugars on colony spreading by Cytophaga johnsonae was expanded to include the effects of several sugars and other organic compounds on the motility of groups of cells (“rafts”), and latex bead movement on cells' surfaces. When the structures of those sugars that did, or did not, affect raft formation and colony spreading were compared, it was noted that those sugars that inhibited these two manifestations of gliding motility all possessed a common sub-structure, that found in the portion of glucopyranose comprising carbons 3, 4, 5, and 6. If these structural features were altered chemically or stereochemically, the resulting molecule had little to no effect on motility. The differential effects of some compounds on raft formation, colony spreading, and bead movement are noted. A regulatory mechanism that would turn off motility in the presence of an inhibitory sugar is implicated, and the relevance of such a system to the life of the organism is discussed. We report, as well, additional compounds that will serve as carbon and energy sources for C. johnsonae.
Rain pattern and soil moisture content effects on atrazine and metolachlor losses in runoff

Herbicide concentration in runoff varies dramatically within a storm, therefore storm pattern is postulated to have a significant impact on herbicide loss. We evaluated the effects of storm pattern and soil moisture content on herbicide loss in runoff, and used our data to validate the uniform mixing concept for modeling herbicide transfer to runoff. Atrazine and metolachlor were surface applied to air-dried soil at rates of 1.12 and 2.24 kg/ha, respectively. Two soils (Cecil sandy loam and Miami silty loam),four storm patterns (uniform, advanced peak, intermediate peak, and delayed peak), and two moisture levels (wet and dry) were used. Dissolved herbicide losses from the advanced peak were twice those from the other patterns for both herbicides for Cecil soil. The significance of rain pattern effects was reduced for Miami soil, but metolachlor loss from the advanced peak was 1.9 times that from the delayed peak. Rain pattern affected sediment-bound herbicide loss, but no consistent trend was shown for both soils. Under wet conditions a greater potential for dissolved and sediment-bound herbicide losses was shown for both herbicides on Miami soil than on Cecil soil. Measured herbicide concentrations in runoff decreased exponentially with cumulative rainfall depth, and were adequately described by the uniform mixing model. Results show that information on intensity distribution and transient infiltration rate is needed to better predict both instantaneous and total herbicide losses during a storm.
Structure of the C-terminal heme-binding domain of THAP domain containing protein 4 from Homo sapiens.

The thanatos (the Greek god of death)-associated protein (THAP) domain is a sequence-specific DNA-binding domain that contains a C2-CH (Cys-Xaa{sub 2-4}-Cys-Xaa{sub 35-50}-Cys-Xaa{sub 2}-His) zinc finger that is similar to the DNA domain of the P element transposase from Drosophila. THAP-containing proteins have been observed in the proteome of humans, pigs, cows, chickens, zebrafish, Drosophila, C. elegans, and Xenopus. To date, there are no known THAP domain proteins in plants, yeast, or bacteria. There are 12 identified human THAP domain-containing proteins (THAP0-11). In all human THAP protein, the THAP domain is located at the N-terminus and is {approx}90 residues in length. Although all of the human THAP-containing proteins have a homologous N-terminus, there is extensive variation in both the predicted structure and length of the remaining protein. Even though the exact function of these THAP proteins is not well defined, there is evidence that they play a role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle modulation, chromatin modification, and transcriptional regulation. THAP-containing proteins have also been implicated in a number of human disease states including heart disease, neurological defects, and several types of cancers. Human THAP4 is a 577-residue protein of unknown function that is proposed to bind DNA in a sequence-specificmore » manner similar to THAP1 and has been found to be upregulated in response to heat shock. THAP4 is expressed in a relatively uniform manner in a broad range of tissues and appears to be upregulated in lymphoma cells and highly expressed in heart cells. The C-terminal domain of THAP4 (residues 415-577), designated here as cTHAP4, is evolutionarily conserved and is observed in all known THAP4 orthologs. Several single-domain proteins lacking a THAP domain are found in plants and bacteria and show significant levels of homology to cTHAP4. It appears that cTHAP4 belongs to a large class of proteins that have yet to be fully functionally characterized. On the basis of prior work, we predicted that cTHAP4 is composed of a heme-binding nitrobindin domain, making THAP4 the only human THAP protein predicted to bind a cofactor. Nitrobindin, a recently characterized protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, is structurally similar and exhibits nitric oxide (NO)-binding properties that resemble the heme-binding nitrophorins. Nitrophorins use a heme moiety to store, transport, and release NO in a pH-specific manner. Although the exact function of nitrobindin is not fully known, the similarities between the well-characterized nitrophorins imply a role in NO transport, sensing, or metabolism. To better elucidate the possible function of THAP4, we solved the hemebound structure of cTHAP4 to a resolution of 1.79 {angstrom}.« less
Mobility and uniformity of the electron gas in wide parabolic GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs wells

Abstract We report low-temperature magnetotransport measurements on remotely-doped wide parabolic GaAs/Al/inf>Ga−Ga1−xAs well structures which contain thick (> 1000 A) layers of high mobility (> 2×105 cm2/V-sec) electron gas. Similar magnitudes and temperature dependences for the Hall mobilities are found in three samples with widely different well widths, sheet densities, and 3D design densities, leading to information on the possible mobility-limiting scattering mechanisms. Comparisons of the subband energy splittings obtained from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillation measurements with those obtained from self-consistent calculations are used to comment on the uniformity of the electron density profile and deviations from parabolicity in the well potential for these samples.
Panhypopituitarism in a child with common variable immunodeficiency.

Background Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) represents a group of heterogeneous, still undifferentiated, syndromes that are all characterized by defective antibody formation. It is often associated with autoimmune disease. Methods An African-American girl was diagnosed with CVID at age 3 years. She was seen during an adrenal crisis precipitated by pneumonia at the age of 8 years and 10 months. The diagnosis of panhypopituitarism was established soon after. Results Panhypopituitarism in this patient was believed to be the result of the autoimmune process known as lymphocytic hypophysitis. This hypothesis was suggested by the results of magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions Awareness of the possibility of this process in children or adults with CVID may lead to earlier diagnosis of panhypopituitarism. These patients also have failure to thrive, and earlier diagnosis may avoid a life-threatening event.
SCALE analysis of CLAB decay heat measurements for LWR spent fuel assemblies

Abstract A set of decay heat measurements for spent fuel assemblies recently carried out at the Swedish central interim storage facility for spent fuel, CLAB, was analyzed with the SCALE code system. The measurements include a variety of light water reactor assemblies that cover a large burnup range – up to 51 GWd/MTU – and a cooling time domain of interest to spent fuel storage and transportation applications. The results of the analysis show a good agreement between measured and predicted decay heat, with the calculated decay heat in general within the range of the uncertainty of the measured value. The effect of various assembly data on the calculated decay heat is analyzed and discussed. Uncertainties that may arise from various approaches and assumptions in the computational model are identified and examined.
Modification of epoxy resins via m-chloroperbenzoic acid-epoxidized carbon nanotubes

In this article, epoxidized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used to modify current epoxy resins. The produced epoxy groups on the nanotube surface significantly enriched nanotube chemistry and made them soluble in the organic solvents. Atomic force microscopy characterization indicated that epoxidized nanotubes were well dispersed in the organic solvent and most of them were isolated. Fracture surface of modified epoxy resins suggested that fracture toughness of the modified resins was significantly improved, demonstrating fracture characteristic of typical ductile materials. Epoxidized CNTs-modified epoxy resins demonstrated a 50% increase in the Young's modulus, 32% improvement in the tensile strength with 1 wt % loading. This study provides an effective way to synthesize novel epoxy resins. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Theory and modeling of a relativistic klystron amplifier with high space charge for microsecond applications

We discuss basic Relativistic Klystron Amplifier physics. We show that in the intense space-charge regime the maximum power extraction does not coincide with the maximum harmonic bunching. In addition, we show that as the beam is bunched, the additional power stored in the Coulomb fields does not add significantly to the overall power extraction. Because of these effects, the power extraction at 1.3 GHz for a 500 kV, 5 kA beam with reasonable beam-to-wall spacing is limited to around 35%. 3 refs., 17 figs.
A descriptive evaluation of the effects of No. 2 fuel oil on the tissues of the soft shell clam, Mya arenaria L.

Clams were exposed for 28 days at 4/sup 0/C to oil initially added in an emulsified form to simulate naturally occurring conditions of chronic exposure. Radical tissue changes did not occur after this exposure. It is possible that either the very low concentration of oil present in the water column was not sufficient to alter tissue structure or the exposure time was not long enough. The hydrocarbon concentrations in the water column of each tank measured during the last 3 weeks of exposure varied from 1.52 to 0.29 ppM. The general effects of subacute oil exposure can be characterized as a depletion of glycogen and generalized leukocytosis particularly evident in the blood sinuses of the pallium and mantle membrane. Increase in vacuolization of the diverticula, stomach and intestines was also evident. The histological effects appeared to be dose dependent. The clams exposed to the initial 100 ppM oil emulsion had more frequent and noticeable histological differences from the controls.
Localization of the phrenic nucleus in the rat: A HRP study

The localization of the phrenic nucleus in the rat spinal cord was studied with the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. After injection of HRP into the hemidiaphragm, labeled neurons were localized in a distinct nucleus between the ventromedial and ventrolateral cell groups of the ventral horn, with a longitudinal extension from the rostral 3rd to 5th cervical segments. Labeled neurons were oval or round in shape, medium-sized and tightly clustered. Labeled neurons were found in a well-defined cell column parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cervical spinal cord in frontal sections.
GALACTOSE METABOLISM BY ISOLATED PERFUSED LIVERS OF WEANLING RATS

The liver is both the principal organ for galactose disposition and also a target of galactose induced toxicity. In the transferase deficient galactosemic individual the neonatal period is the most significant and hazardous. For these reasons we have undertaken studies of galactose metabolism and its consequences in the isolated perfused liver of the weanling rats. In a closed recirculating system using the Mortimore perfusion apparatus 18-21 day old rat puppies were perfused with no substrate, 10 mM glucose and galactose at 1, 2, 4, 10, 20, 40 and 60 mM. Glucose production peaks at 2 mM galactose. Galactose uptake is saturated by the 10 mM level of galactose. ATP decreases with circulating galactose >4 mM. The levels of the Leloir pathway enzymes remain constant with time and substrate level for at least 135 minutes of perfusion. UDPG/UDPgal, G-1-P/G-6-P and lactate/pyruvate ratios remain unchanged at varying levels of galactose. No galactitol or galactonate was produced by these livers at any level of galactose. This system provides an excellent physiological model for the investigation of the regulation and control of galactose metabolism.
A DC-to-1GHz tunable RF ΔΣ ADC achieving DR = 74dB and BW = 150MHz at f 0 = 450MHz using 550mW

The ultimate ADC for receiver applications would be one that converts any desired RF signal directly into digital form so that the rest of the signal chain enjoys accurate and flexible digital signal processing and CMOS scaling. Flexibility in center frequency (f 0 ), bandwidth (BW), sampling frequency (f S ), full-scale (FS), dynamic range (DR) and power consumption (P) would allow the ADC to handle multiple standards and adapt to the RF environment [1–4]. The ADC reported in this paper is a step toward this Holy Grail of ADCs, supporting f 0 = 0 to 1GHz, BW = 35 to 150MHz, f S = 2 to 4GHz and FS = −18dBm to +18dBm. At f 0 = 450MHz, BW = 150MHz, f S = 4GHz and FS = +6dBm, the ADC achieves instantaneous DR = 74dB and peak SNR = 69dB with P = 550mW.
Assessing Reading Comprehension

Generally, experts agree on what good readers do to comprehend text—they connect new text with past experiences, interpret, evaluate, synthesize, and consider alternative interpretations. Yet, traditional measures of reading comprehension only provide a general indicator of how well a student understands text. They do not provide information about how the student uses cognitive and metacognitive processes or explain why a student may be struggling. This article discusses various traditional and innovative reading comprehension assessment measures, including standardized norm-referenced tests, informal reading inventories, interviews and questionnaires, anecdotal records and observations, oral retelling, freewriting, and think-aloud procedures. For each technique relative strengths and weaknesses are described.
Theory of ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry: resonant excitation and radial ejection in orthorhombic and cylindrical ion traps

Abstract Most prior treatments of ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) radiofrequency excitation have been based on a uniform electric field (infinitely extended electrode) approximation. In this paper, we develop analytical representations (based on Taylor series or Fourier series expansions) for the radiofrequency excitation potential in finite orthorhombic traps of square cross-section. The rate of increase of ICR orbital radius in response to single-frequency on-resonance excitation was then integrated for these and other prior models to obtain the onset of radial ejection. Both present methods (and prior related methods by Rempel [Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Processes, 70 (1986) 163] and van der Hart and van de Guchte [Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Processes, 82 (1988) 17]) are nearly indistinguishable for ion cyclotron orbital radius out to about 40% of the maximum radius allowed by the trap, and diverge thereafter. The Fourier series method is highly accurate all the way out to the trap boundary for ions in the midplane of the trap; because the transverse component of the excitation field decreases away from that midplane, the Fourier series method represents an upper limit to the actual excited ICR orbital radius, and should thus accurately predict the onset of radial ejection. We find that the experimentally observed onset of ion ejection occurs at about 1.3 times the excitation voltage—duration product calculated from the uniform-field model, in excellent agreement with the Fourier series prediction. Moreover, since the experimentally observed onset of ejection is found to be essentially independent of trapping voltage and ion mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, the ejection onset can be interpreted as radial (rather than axial) ejection. The present theories are developed in full algebraic detail for a cubic ion trap. Extension of either method to orthorhombic traps of arbitrary relative dimensions is straightforward; explicit solutions are given for the Taylor series model for orthorhombic traps of square cross-section. In addition, the Fourier series method is extendable to right circular cylindrical traps of arbitrary aspect ratio; all relevant analytical expressions are listed in the text. Finally, for a given excitation voltage × duration product, the present results imply that the excitation period should exceed several ICR orbital periods in order to minimize magnetron radius; this constraint is especially important for ions of high m/z.
A NEW DUAL-REACTION MASS DYNAMIC VIBRATION ABSORBER ACTUATOR FOR ACTIVE VIBRATION CONTROL

A new passive/active dynamic vibration absorber is proposed for structural vibration control. The device consists of two reaction-masses attached to the primary structure through elastic elements. The active force pair is applied between these two reaction masses. This configuration should be contrasted to the traditional single reaction-mass system where the control force pair is implemented between the reaction-mass and the primary structure. The performance of the new device is evaluated by controlling the response of a cantilever beam subjected to white noise excitation. The control approach used is the feedforward algorithm. For purposes of comparison, the results are compared to the performance of an equivalent single reaction mass device. The results show that the proposed dual-mass dynamic vibration absorber actuator achieves the same level of vibration reduction using only half the control effort required by the single reaction-mass actuator. In addition, the concept of force transmissibility function is introduced. This function is the force applied by the hybrid dynamic vibration absorber onto an infinity impedance due to a unit control force. It is demonstrated that this function is an effective means to determine the potential of these devices.
A case study on the benefits of combining reliability stress tests

This paper discusses two distinct benefits associated with product reliability qualifications by combining individual reliability stress tests into a single test. First, a combined test will make better use of test equipment, personnel and product samples required for the qualification, implying a cost benefit. Secondly, a combined test allows interaction between the stress sources to occur on all failure causes. These benefits were realized as a result of a power supply application. Each individual test was designed to address specific causes which are assumed to be totally independent of other failures. A combined test can verify or deny independence and therefore provide a stronger practical test. Hence, this paper will demonstrate that a combined reliability test will provide more efficient testing with solid engineering product performance coverage. In addition, an approach is proposed for combining tests which fixes the acceleration rates between stress tests as the same ratio as under the nominal operating product environmental conditions.
Age, Gender, and Ethnicity of Counsellor Trainees and Corresponding Counselling Self-Efficacy: Research Findings and Implications for Counsellor Educators

This study explored the counselling self-efficacy of students in a counsellor education programme, in regard to age, gender, and ethnicity characteristics. To assess counselling self-efficacy, the Counselling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE) of Larson et al. (Counsellor Education & Supervision 41: 120–130, 1992) was administered at the end of a semester to counselling students engaged in different stages of a counsellor training program. No significant differences were found in regard to gender and age-group categories, but significant differences were found among ethnic groups. It was found that Asian and White students generally had similar and also lower counselling self-efficacy means than the other ethnic groups in the sample in regard to several counselling-specific categories. Implications for counsellor educators in training counselling students of diverse characteristics are discussed.
Economic conservation laws as indices of corporate performance

Abstract This paper attempts to apply to corporate behavior at the microeconomic level an analytical method known as economic conservation laws. At the macro level, efficient operation and performance of nations are analyzed by the income-wealth conservation law. Corporate management needs to be able to judge whether or not a company can achieve the maximum long-run profit. The aim of this paper is to use conservation laws to test corporate performance. The paper gives a simple explanation of the so-called Noether Theorem and presents typical examples of corporate models. Then economic conservation laws under different hypotheses are derived. These laws are tested by both the U.S. data and Japanese data.
The effect of risk on the value of lost international business profits

The primary goal for providing damages for loss of business profits to a plaintiff, is to make the plaintiff whole with regards to monetary losses suffered. When the loss of profits results from international operations, the determination of the loss is more complex than from domestic operations, since political and currency risk need to be considered in addition to business risk. When lost profits occur in the future, these need to be discounted to present value. The discount rate used to discount these profits should be adjusted to acount for the risk associated with these future lost profits.
Direct dynamics simulations of the oxidation of a single wall carbon nanotube

Classical dynamics simulations, coupled directly with semiempirical molecular orbital theory, reveal some of the important oxidation chemistry occurring in single wall carbon nanotubes. Two chemisorption reactions, 1,2 and 1,4-cycloaddition with 1O2, are observed from the simulations, the latter determined as the kinetically favored adsorption pathway and confirmed with ab initio HF/6-31g total energy calculations. Opening of the nanotube is found to occur by the decomposition of a cyclic 1,2-peroxide-like addition product, which can be formed directly through a symmetric concerted addition reaction or by diffusion of the O2 moiety from the 1,4-addition product. The oxygen induced degradation of the nanotube is initiated by tube opening followed by a two-step mechanism involving desorption of CO. The presence of a highly strained four-membered ring in the cap, following elimination of CO, is observed in the simulations. Consistent with experimental observation, the nanotube cap is oxidized substantially faster than is the cylindrical base of the tube. This suggests, as has previous work, that oxidation will initially occur preferentially at the cap and selectively with the pentagons. A likely product of cap removal consists of an open end oxygen-terminated nanotube.
The relationship of interest to internal and external motivation

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between student interest and motivation. Previous studies have shown that measures of interest have attained positive relationships with global measures of motivation (Frymier, Shulman & Houser, 1996; Weber & Patterson, 2000). Additionally, even though a number of instructional researchers have speculated that interest is related to motivation through intrinsic means (Brophy, 1983; Mitchell, 1993; Schiefele, 1991; Schraw, Brunning & Svoboda, 1995; Stipiek, 1996; Tobias, 1994), there has been no systematic effort to provide any empirical evidence to these claims. Results indicate that interest is significantly related to intrinsic, but not extrinsic, motivation.
Essay review: the history of ecology

L'ecologie est une science vaste, difficile a ecrire car elle englobe de nombreuses methodes, de la physiologie a la modelisation mathematique des ecosystemes. L'A. n'analyse alors que deux oeuvres, l'une de Gregg Mitman sur l'ecologie des population, l'autre de Joel Hagen sur l'histoire de l'ecologie des ecosystemes
Interactive Timeline Viewer (ItLv): A Tool to Visualize Variants Among Documents

In this paper we describe ItLv (Interactive Timeline Viewer), a visualization tool currently used to depict the variants obtained in a textual collation. A textual collation is a process in which a base text is compared against several comparison texts to identify differences (variants) among them. The interactive options of ItLv provide different abstractions of a dataset by enabling the presentation and exploration of the relationships that exist within the dataset. Applying ItLv to the dataset resulting from a collation therefore helps understand the relationships among the texts. The example dataset used in this paper is a collation of six early editions of Cervantes' Don Quixote.
Performance analysis of a flexible protocol achieving user fairness in high-speed dual-bus networks with destination release

Performance unfairness has been an open problem in the IEEE 802.6 (distributed queue dual bus, or DQDB) protocol. The unfairness can be amplified when erasure capability is introduced. This study is motivated by some efforts made by others in attempting to balance throughput in DQDB networks. The authors investigate two more fairness criteria-packet delay and packet blocking. The three fairness criteria are studied together with the p/sub i/-persistent protocol, assuming erasure capability in the network. For each criterion, values of various network settings which determine the achievability of the criterion are calculated analytically, and the performance characteristics of the protocol are shown. The analytical results closely match the results from simulations of the protocol. The results demonstrate that the fairness criterion on packet delay results in the best performance. However, the fair-packet delay requirement is also more difficult to maintain since it is the most sensitive to network load changes. >
Effective Cardiac Myocyte Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Requires VEGF

Perhaps one of the most significant achievements in modern science is the discovery of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), which have paved the way for regeneration therapy using patients’ own cells. Cardiomyocytes differentiated from hiPSCs (hiPSC-CMs) could be used for modelling patients with heart failure, for testing new drugs, and for cellular therapy in the future. However, the present cardiomyocyte differentiation protocols exhibit variable differentiation efficiency across different hiPSC lines, which inhibit the application of this technology significantly. Here, we demonstrate a novel myocyte differentiation protocol that can yield a significant, high percentage of cardiac myocyte differentiation (>85%) in 2 hiPSC lines, which makes the fabrication of a human cardiac muscle patch possible. The established hiPSCs cell lines being examined include the transgene integrated UCBiPS7 derived from cord blood cells and non-integrated PCBC16iPS from skin fibroblasts. The results indicate that hiPSC-CMs derived from established hiPSC lines respond to adrenergic or acetylcholine stimulation and beat regularly for greater than 60 days. This data also demonstrates that this novel differentiation protocol can efficiently generate hiPSC-CMs from iPSC lines that are derived not only from fibroblasts, but also from blood mononuclear cells.
B-myb Promoter Retargeting of Herpes Simplex Virus γ34.5 Gene-Mediated Virulence toward Tumor and Cycling Cells

Deletion of the gamma34.5 gene coding for virulence markedly reduces cytotoxicity mediated by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) (J. M. Markert et al., Neurosurgery 32:597-603, 1993; N. S. Markovitz et al. , J. Virol. 71:5560-5569, 1997). To target lytic virulence to tumors, we have created a novel HSV-1 mutant, designated Myb34.5. This viral mutant is characterized by a deletion of the gene for infected cell polypeptide 6 (ICP6; also known as UL39 or ribonucleotide reductase) and of the two endogenous copies of the gamma34.5 gene (RL1) and by reintroduction of one copy of gamma34.5 under control of the E2F-responsive, cellular B-myb promoter. On direct intracerebral inoculation in BALB/c mice, the 50% lethal dose (LD(50)) for Myb34.5 was 2.7 x 10(7) PFU while that for HSVs with mutations in the gamma34.5 gene could not be technically achieved with available viral stocks and it was estimated as >1 x 10(7) PFU. The LD(50) for an HSV with a single defect in ICP6 function was 1.3 x 10(6) PFU. Conversely, Myb34.5's oncolytic efficacy against a variety of human glioma cells in culture and in vivo was enhanced compared to that of HSVs with gamma34.5 mutations, and in fact, it was comparable to that of the wild-type F strain and of viral mutants that possess a wild-type gamma34.5 gene. The characteristic shutoff of host protein synthesis, occurring after infection of human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells by gamma34.5 mutant viruses (J. Chou and B. Roizman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:3266-3270, 1992), was not present after infection with Myb34.5. There was an increase of almost 3 logarithmic units in the production of progeny virus in arrested fibroblasts compared to that in cycling fibroblasts infected with Myb34.5. These results suggest that transcriptional regulation of gamma34.5 by cell cycle-regulated promoters can be used to target HSV-1 virulence toward tumors while maintaining the desirable neuroattenuated phenotype of a gamma34.5 mutant.
Influence of Dispersion Method on Dissolution Rate and Bioavailability of Digoxin from Triturations and Compressed Tablets II

Ball milling or muller milling digoxin with a 20-fold excess of lactose, sucrose, calcium phosphate dibasic, or microcrystalline cellulose significantly enhanced its dissolution rate. Tablets prepared with such triturations also exhibited superior rates of dissolution. Those prepared with the digoxin-lactose trituration gave plasma levels in rats that were 89.6% of the values from an oral solution of digoxin. A simple blend of unmilled digoxin with lactose yielded tablets producing plasma levels only 80% as high. Excellent content uniformity was characteristic for all triturations and tablets prepared by ball or muller milling.
β subunit-specific modulations of BK channel function by a mutation associated with epilepsy and dyskinesia

Large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels modulate many physiological processes including neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission and regulation of myogenic tone. A gain-of-function (E/D) mutation in the pore-forming α subunit (Slo1) of the BK channel was recently identified and is linked to human neurological diseases of coexistent generalized epilepsy and paroxysmal dyskinesia. Here we performed macroscopic current recordings to examine the effects of the E/D mutation on the gating kinetics, and voltage and Ca2+ dependence of the BK channel activation in the presence of four different β subunits (β1–4). These β subunits are expressed in a tissue-specific pattern and modulate BK channel function differently, providing diversity and specificity for BK channels in various physiological processes. Our results show that in human (h) Slo1-only channels, the E/D mutation increased the rate of opening and decreased the rate of closing, allowing a greater number of channels to open at more negative potentials both in the presence and absence of Ca2+ due to increased Ca2+ affinity and enhanced activation compared with the wild-type channels. Even in the presence of β subunits, the E/D mutation exhibited these changes with the exception of β3b, where Ca2+ sensitivity changed little. However, quantitative examination of these changes shows the diversity of each β subunit and the differential modulation of these subunits by the E/D mutation. For example, in the presence of the β1 subunit the E/D mutation increased Ca2+ sensitivity less but enhanced channel activation in the absence of Ca2+ more than in hSlo1-only channels, while in the presence of the β2 subunit the E/D mutation also altered inactivation properties. These findings suggest that depending on the distribution of the various β subunits in the brain, the E/D mutation can modulate BK channels differently to contribute to the pathophysiology of epilepsy and dyskinesia. Additionally, these results also have implications on physiological processes in tissues other than the brain where BK channels play an important role.
Registration frameworks for IP mobility agents hierarchies

Mobile IP is a network layer solution to the wide-area mobility problem in the Internet. Mobility agents' hierarchies and regional registrations have been introduced in the foreign domain as a local-area mobility solution. In this paper, we critique the current regional registration proposal identifying some drawbacks with its registration mechanisms signaling design. In addition, we introduce novel registration frameworks for regional and home registrations associated with intra-hierarchy handoffs. We attempt to emphasize the local handoff aspect and benefit from the presence of a mobility support overlay network in the form of an agents' hierarchy. Performance evaluation results through network simulation demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques in reducing UDP packet loss, and maintaining better TCP throughput versus base mobile IP, in the case of a distant home agent.