cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How schools structure opportunity: The role of curriculum and placement in math attainment

Abstract Most of the research on math attainment focuses on whether students begin the 9th grade in algebra 1, geometry, or algebra 2, and how that affects their subsequent progression through math sequences. While providing valuable insights, this focus on vertical differentiation among math courses fails to consider the horizontal differentiation existing at the same math level (e.g., remedial, general, and honors versions of the same course). This study uses statewide longitudinal administrative transcript data to examine the consequences of horizontal differentiation in algebra 1, the most common ninth grade math course. Analyses reveal that many students were placed into remedial or honors algebra 1 despite not having corresponding low or high eighth grade math standardized test scores. The consequences of placement into less rigorous math courses were very difficult to overcome, even accounting for eighth grade test scores and ninth grade achievement. In addition, school algebra 1 curriculum was associated with attainment beyond students’ own course placement. These findings offer important insights into how school curricula structure opportunities, with implications for both theory and practice.
Development of LED/OLED Photoelectric Materials and Assembly Technology in Taiwan

Taiwan is positioned as number one in worldwide LED chips supply.The sales revenue is ranking number 2.In this paper,we have reviewed the development history of Taiwan LED industry.Some of the important technologies developed by Taiwan LED industry and research organizations that improved LED efficiency and quality were also highlighted.The development of organic light-emitting diode in Taiwan was shown in the applications of display industry proven to be standing in some advantageous position.Solid-state lighting is also going to be one of the key areas recently and will be discussed in details including phosphorescent organic materials,the exploitation of device technology and the developing tendency of OLED.
Exploring the Antecedents of Mothers’ Attitudes Toward the FCC’s Policy Statement on Toy-Based Programming

In 1991, the FCC issued a policy stating that toy-based programming (TBP) is acceptable but barred commercials for featured toys during the show. The present study’s purpose was to assess the extent to which mothers’ parental socialization tendencies, policy familiarity, and TBP opinions influence attitudes toward the FCC’s policy. Regression results based on responses from 158 mothers suggest that attitudes toward the FCC’s policy seem to be driven primarily by attitudes toward TBP. Familiarity with the policy appears to have less of an (but still significant) impact in determining opinions about the ruling.
Social Cues and Interest in Reading Political News Stories

People tend to prefer information sources that agree with their viewpoints, as predicted by the selective exposure theory, and to associate with people who are like them, a process known as homophily. Scholars raise fears that the combination of these factors can limit the diversity of viewpoints to which people are exposed, particularly when people find news through social network sites. In this study, we evaluate whether we can use annotations showing that a story was shared by people who are in some way similar to encourage people to read articles that may challenge their viewpoints. Most annotations (shared city, employer, music tastes, liked organizations, and friendship) had no discernable effect on reading interest compared to no annotation. Shared job type, though, led to decreased interest in reading an article. Although people consider themselves similar to others sharing news articles, this predominantly does not change their reading interest.
Accelerating research on Spotted Wing Drosophila management using genomic technologies

Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is an invasive species and a serious pest of berry and soft-skinned fruit crops. The close genetic relationship between D. suzukii and other well-studied Drosophila species has provided researchers with an already extensive genetic toolkit. The reference genome and transcriptome of this insect have been annotated and made publicly available since 2013, and facilitate basic and applied research. In this review, we present a synthesis of recent research that implements next-generation sequencing and genomic technologies to better understand biological questions concerning this important pest. Much of the work performed is directly applicable to improving agricultural management practices, and includes topics such as insecticide response and resistance, invasion demographics, seasonal biology, and RNA interference technologies for pest control.
Acoustic Imaging of Clustered Rocket Nozzles Undergoing End Effects

A nonintrusive measure of the exhaust plume and immediate sound field produced by a cluster of two thrust-optimized parabolic contour nozzles is studied during two steady-state conditions. The first condition is at a nozzle pressure ratio of 25, at which point the flow is in a restricted-shock separated state. The second condition is at a nozzle pressure ratio of 37 and is when the flow and internal shock pattern transition rapidly between free-shock separated flow and the end-effects regime. These end-effects regime pulsations produce significant vibroacoustic loads due to the intermittent breathing of the last trapped annular separation bubble with the ambient. The exhaust plumes and surrounding sound field are first visualized by way of retroreflective shadowgraphy. Radon transforms of the spatially resolved shadowgraphy images are then used to characterize the statistical behavior of the acoustic wave fronts that reside within the hydrodynamic periphery of the nozzle flow. The findings reveal quantita...
Effect of Heating on Water Soluble Biuret-Positive Compounds of Canned Cured Pork Picnic Shoulder.

Protein solubility loss as a result of heat denaturation/coaguiation was followed by a ratio of extractable biuret positive compounds (EBPR). Extracts of water-soluble proteins were evaluated by isoelectric focusing (IEF) on polyacrylamide gels. Four heat treatments (60°C, 62.8°C, 65.6°C and 68.8°C) were employed in processing canned (No. 300×407) cured pork. Center cores from canned samples were ground for water soluble protein extraction utilizing a 1:3.3 meat-to-water ratio by high-speed blending (Sorvall Omni-mixer) for 1 min at 0-2°C, centrifuging 10 min at 27,000 ×g at 0-2°C and filtering (0.45-μa.m) with vacuum assist. Eight ml of the clear extract was re-heated in a glass tube for 15 min at 70°C, removed, and chilled (0-2°C) immediately. Coagulum was removed by filtration. EBPR was calculated from mg of protein/ml of initial muscle extract divided by mg of protein/ml of reheated extract for each temperature treatment. EBPR values were 1.75, 1.24, 1.13, and 1.10, respectively. Using 70°C as the critical temperature, an upper 95% confidence limit EBPR value of 1.12 was calculated. Portions of protein extract were isoelectrofocused on thin layer (0.8 mm) low concentration (5% monomer) polyacrylamide gels (pH gradient 3-10). IEF gels generally showed resolution of 12 to 23 protein bands in the muscle extracts, depending upon temperature treatment. Certain bands with apparent isoelectric points (pis) ranging from 7.4 to 8.5 decreased in staining intensity (silver stain) as temperature increased. The general protein separation profiles correlated with decreasing EBPR values as temperature increased.
Mathematical Foundations of Linear Kinetics

The following is the summary of a series of lectures I presented for a number of years to graduate students interested in Mathematical Modeling in Biology. The aim of those lectures, as well as the present discussion, is to give investigators an idea of the range of possibilities for more quantitative grounds behind the results of their investigations.
Understanding the impact of insulating and conducting endplate boundary conditions on turbulence in CSDX through nonlocal simulations

The Controlled Shear Decorrelation Experiment (CSDX) linear plasma device provides a unique platform for investigating the underlying physics of self-regulating drift-wave turbulence/zonal flow dynamics. A minimal model of 3D drift-reduced nonlocal cold ion fluid equations which evolves density, vorticity, and electron temperature fluctuations, with proper sheath boundary conditions, is used to simulate dynamics of the turbulence in CSDX and its response to changes in parallel boundary conditions. These simulations are carried out using the BOUndary Turbulence (BOUT++) framework and use equilibrium electron density and temperature profiles taken from experimental measurements. The results show that density gradient-driven drift-waves are the dominant instability in CSDX. However, the choice of insulating or conducting endplate boundary conditions affects the linear growth rates and energy balance of the system due to the absence or addition of Kelvin-Helmholtz modes generated by the sheath-driven equilibr...
Law and Economics of Agency and Partnership

This chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Law and Economics offers an economic theory of how the law of agency and partnership facilitates economic transactions using these two devices. Agency and partnership help us broaden the traditional, simplified Coasian dichotomy between contract, used in situations of low transaction costs, and the firm, used in situations of high transaction costs. Although economists tend to view “agency” solely from the perspective of “agency costs,” from a legal point of view, the fundamental aspect of agency law that distinguishes it from contract is that agency involves relationships among three parties: the principal, the agent, and the third party with whom the agent interacts. Agency law both facilitates contracts between principals and third parties, by allowing intermediaries to bind principals to those contracts, and protects third parties against unwanted harms caused by the use of agents. The key to understanding the law of agency is that the tripartite nature of the agency relationship enables any two of the parties to collude against the other. The primary economic purpose of agency law is to enhance the benefits of agency the deterring such collusion. The law of partnership takes a step beyond agency because it involves multiple principals who jointly own assets. Partnerships facilitate contracting by enabling the pooling of resources in the joint pursuit of a business enterprise. Although economists recognize firms such as partnership as a “nexus of contracts,” the law of partnership focuses on the problems caused by the fact of multiple owners. Multiple ownership complicates both the agency law concerns with contracting with third parties and protecting those third parties from harm, because partners are in some sense principals and in some sense agents of the partnership as an entity. Moreover, multiple ownership of property implies shared control over that property, and thus requires rules of internal governance and management. Shared ownership also creates the possibility of misappropriation of jointly owned property by one of more partners and disputes about what counts as joint property. The multiple owner aspect of partnership creates collusive possibilities beyond those in simple agency. Partners can collude against other partners or the partnership, can collude with third parties against the partnership, or can collude against a third party. The primary economic purpose of partnership law is to enable partners to realize the benefits of joint ownership while minimizing the costs associated with these more complex forms of collusion.
Chance constraint based design of input shapers

The focus of this paper is on the design of input shapers for systems with uncertainties in the parameters of the vibratory modes which need to be attenuated. A probabilistic framework is proposed for the design of the robust input shaper, when the uncertain modal parameters are characterized by probability density functions. A convex chance constrained optimization problem is posed to determine the parameters of input shapers (time-delay filter) which can accommodate the users acceptable risk levels for a prescribed residual energy threshold. Robust input shapers are developed for various compact support distributions to illustrate the ability of the proposed formulation to synthesize input shapers which can satisfy a residual energy threshold with a given risk level. This problem formulation can conceivably reduce the conservative nature of worst case controllers which have to ensure that all realizations of the uncertain system have to satisfy a prescribed performance index. The chance constrained input shaper is designed for a spring-mass-dashpot system with three different distributions for the uncertain spring stiffness. Results provide encouragement for the extension of the proposed approach to multi-dimensional and multi-model uncertainties.
The role of certificate of need legislation: a survey

The Certificate of Need (CON) process was created primarily as a cost containment mechanism to prevent duplication of health care facilities and equipment. The intent of CON programs was to deter new health services programs while protecting existing programs and, to some extent, counterbalance market-place principles. Obtaining a Certificate of Need is expensive and time-consuming, and thus remains a relevant issue today. Maintaining a regulated environment may have some spill over benefits in terms of stability and quality. To examine this topic, in the summer of 2000, a small-scale survey was designed and administered to ascertain the views of hospital administrators on the CON process in Maryland. Despite some limitations of the survey specific to the size of the representative sample and mix in respondents, several conclusions can be drawn.
Chemotherapy of Brain Metastases

Abstract Metastatic brain tumors (MBT) are the most common complication of systemic cancer and affect 20%–40% of all adult cancer patients. Whole-brain radiotherapy and surgical resection of accessible, solitary lesions have been the mainstay of treatment. Recently, chemotherapy has become a more viable treatment option for MBT. Many different drugs and administrative approaches have been shown to be clinically active. Traditional chemotherapy, given before or during irradiation, can be effective with agents such as cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and etoposide. Nontraditional approaches, such as temozolomide and intra-arterial administration of carboplatin, have demonstrated activity against recurrent metastatic disease. In early clinical trials of interstitial chemotherapy, biodegradable polymers have shown some clinical efficacy and have been well tolerated. Molecular approaches are also under investigation in response to new information regarding the metastatic phenotype. Potential targets include growth factor receptors and other protein tyrosine kinases, internal signal transduction pathways, ras activation, and matrix metalloproteinase activity. New clinical trials will be needed to investigate these new molecular-based therapeutics, alone and in combination with currently available treatment options, to determine the optimal application of chemotherapy to MBT.
External Beam Radiation Salvage for Residual or Recurrent Local Tumor Following Radical Prostatectomy

AbstractExternal beam radiation therapy was used as a means of salvage in 32 patients with either incomplete excision or palpable local recurrence following radical prostatectomy. Patients were divided into 2 groups consisting of 13 patients who were referred within 4 months of incomplete excision (group 1) and 19 who were referred only after palpable local recurrence had developed (group 2). The 5 and 10-year actuarial survival free of disease in group 1 was 57 per cent, compared to 40 and 20 per cent for group 2 (p equals 0.05). Fourteen patients with an elevated pre-radiation therapy serum acid phosphatase level and/or bladder invasion had an especially poor prognosis, with a median survival free of disease of only 2.4 years. Ten complications were recorded in 5 patients (16 per cent), which were slightly higher than experienced in irradiated patients without a previous radical operation. The data support the contention that external beam radiation therapy may offer a means of post-radical prostatectom...
NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE OF THE REGION SURROUNDING THE 5′ END OF 18S rRNA FROM SOYBEAN INFERRED FROM THE GENE SEQUENCE

Publisher Summary Although rRNA genes are transcribed at high levels in all eukaryotes, little is known about their transcription initiation process in plants. This chapter examines this process by characterizing the intergenic spacers of the ribosomal repeat in soybean. The 5' end of 18S rDNA from soybean has been identified. This DNA was originally cloned in Charon 4A as a part of one-and-a-half rDNA repeat . Those regions that code for 18S and 25S rRNA were localized by Southern and Northern analysis of the cloned DNA. These data were confirmed by S-l mapping experiments. Experiments, similar to those performed on the 5' end of 18S on rRNA, are in progress to pinpoint the 3' end of 25S rRNA and the 5' end of precursor rRNA. It is hoped that from this information, the site of initiation of transcription of rRNA in soybean could be found.
Asymptotics of Numerical Methods for Nonlinear Evolution Equations

We consider the evolution equation (E) du/dt = au + f(t,u), u(0) = u0 in a Hilbert space H, where A is assumed to generate a C0 semigroup. The asymptotic-in-time behavior of solutions to (E) is studied together with the asymptotic-in-time behavior of methods for approximating (E).
Abstract 468: Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Senescence of Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells Are Prevented by Hypoxic Culture

Rationale: Therapeutic potential of c-Kit+ cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) is modest in autologous cell therapy clinical trials and could benefit from optimization to maximize functional activity. ...
Weakly-supervised Compositional FeatureAggregation for Few-shot Recognition.

Learning from a few examples is a challenging task for machine learning. While recent progress has been made for this problem, most of the existing methods ignore the compositionality in visual concept representation (e.g. objects are built from parts or composed of semantic attributes), which is key to the human ability to easily learn from a small number of examples. To enhance the few-shot learning models with compositionality, in this paper we present the simple yet powerful Compositional Feature Aggregation (CFA) module as a weakly-supervised regularization for deep networks. Given the deep feature maps extracted from the input, our CFA module first disentangles the feature space into disjoint semantic subspaces that model different attributes, and then bilinearly aggregates the local features within each of these subspaces. CFA explicitly regularizes the representation with both semantic and spatial compositionality to produce discriminative representations for few-shot recognition tasks. Moreover, our method does not need any supervision for attributes and object parts during training, thus can be conveniently plugged into existing models for end-to-end optimization while keeping the model size and computation cost nearly the same. Extensive experiments on few-shot image classification and action recognition tasks demonstrate that our method provides substantial improvements over recent state-of-the-art methods.
Precarious bodies in Henry James’s What Maisie Knew

A critical history of treating consciousness as incorporeal in Henry James has been succeeded by an examination of embodied consciousness in his fiction, including cognitive, feminist materialist, ...
Bioinspired Nitroalkylation for Selective Protein Modification and Peptide Stapling.

Nitroalkanes react specifically with aldehydes, providing rapid, stable, and chemoselective protein bioconjugation. These nitroalkylated proteins mimic key post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins and can be used to understand the role of these PTMs in cellular processes. Demonstrated here is the substrate scope of this bioconjugation by attaching a variety of tags, such as NMR tags, fluorescent tags, affinity tags, and alkyne tags, to proteins. The structure and enzymatic activity of modified proteins remain conserved after labeling. Notably, the nitroalkane group leads to easy characterization of proteins by mass spectrometry because of its distinct fingerprint pattern. Importantly, the nitro-alkylated peptides provide a new handle for site-selective fluorination of peptides, thus installing a specific probe to study peptide-protein interactions by 19 F NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, nitroalkane reagents can be used for the late-stage diversification of peptides and for the synthesis of peptide staples.
PhenX: Host: Social/Cognitive measures for tobacco regulatory research

A working group (WG) of experts from diverse fields related to nicotine and tobacco addiction was convened to identify elements and measures from the Host: Social/Cognitive domain to include in the Tobacco Regulatory Research Collection in the PhenX Toolkit, a catalogue of measures for biomedical research. This paper describes the methods used to identify, select, approve and include measures in the toolkit with potential relevance to users of both conventional and newer tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). In addition to 25 complementary measures primarily focused on cigarette use already present in the PhenX Toolkit, the WG recommended 11 additional social/cognitive measures focused on children and adult users or potential users of tobacco products. Of these, 10 were self-administered measures: frequency of communication with parents about smoking, quality of communication with parents about smoking, susceptibility to tobacco use, behaviour economics/purchase behaviour, motivation to quit (both single and multi-item measures), hedonic tone or response to pleasurable situations, multigroup ethnic identity, peer and family influence on smoking, attentional control and house rules about tobacco use. The remaining selected measure was computer based (distress tolerance). Although validated tools for use in the Host: Social/Cognitive realm are available, much remains to be done to develop, standardise and validate the tools for application to users of e-cigarettes and other non-combusted tobacco products, non-English language speakers and adolescents.
Single-shot quantitative x-ray imaging from simultaneous scatter and dual energy measurements: a simulation study

Conventional x-ray imaging struggles with quantitation due to several challenges, including scatter, beam hardening, and multiple overlaying materials. We propose a new single-shot quantitative imaging (SSQI) method enabled by the combination of a primary modulator and a dual-layer detector to quantify area density of specific materials. The primary modulator enables scatter correction for the dual-layer detector, and the dual-layer detector enables beam hardening correction for the primary modulator. The dual-layer detector further provides motion-free dual-energy imaging from a single shot. When combined, the scatter-corrected dual-energy images can be used to create materialspecific images, including of soft tissue, bone, or iodine. A simulation study was performed of SSQI for chest x-ray imaging. We simulated projections of a digital chest phantom using a 120 kV spectrum, primary modulator, and dual-layer detector, with the addition of scatter and noise. Using the low-frequency property of scatter, a pre-calibrated material decomposition, and the known primary modulator pattern, we jointly recovered the scatter images in the dual-layer images and the material decomposition of the phantom. The resulting material decomposition accurately separated soft tissue from bone, reducing the RMSE in material-specific images by 66-84% as compared to no scatter correction. Through this simulation study, we have demonstrated the potential of SSQI for material quantification that is robust against scatter. The simplicity and broad applicability of SSQI to x-ray systems has the potential for widespread adoption, leading to improved quantitative imaging not only for chest x-ray but also for real-time image guidance and for cone-beam CT.
3D-printed laryngoscope for military austere environments.

Additive manufacturing, or 3D-printing, has increasingly been used to produce medical equipment over the last decade. This has been used in unique military specific applications as well[1 2][1] 3D-printing obviates reliance on the typical supply chain for some critical medical devices. 3D printing
Late-Onset Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Results in Jejunal Stricture Managed with Endoscopic Dilation.

Background. Late-onset posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after orthotopic heart transplantation is rare. Case Presentation. We present a rare diagnosis of small bowel stricture caused by healed lymphomatous ulcers in a patient with orthotopic heart transplantation and PTLD diagnosed 25 years after initial transplantation. We also demonstrate successful endoscopic balloon dilations that improved the patient’s obstructive symptoms. Conclusion. It is important to consider stricture from healed lymphomatous ulcers in posttransplant patients presenting with obstructive symptoms.
Gradients in seasonality and seawater oxygen isotopic composition along the early Permian Gondwanan coast, SE Australia

Abstract Oxygen isotope compositions of marine carbonates are commonly employed for understanding ancient temperatures, but this approach is complicated in the very distant past due to uncertainties about the effects of diagenesis and the isotopic composition of seawater, both locally and globally. Microsampled accretionary calcite from two species of the fossil bivalve Eurydesma Sowerby and Morris 1845 collected from sediments of Cisuralian age in high latitude marine sediments along the SE coast of Australia records cyclic seasonal fluctuations in shell δ 18 O values during growth, demonstrating the primary nature of the isotope signal and thus allowing investigation of early Permian seawater isotopic composition and water temperature in the high southern latitudes. The mean and seasonal range of δ 18 O carb decreases poleward across about 10° of paleolatitude (∼67°S–77°S). The presence of co-occurring dropstones and stratigraphically associated glendonites constrains winter temperatures across the region to near-freezing, thus permitting calculation of realistic estimates of water composition and summer temperatures. Summer δ 18 O carb values indicate water temperatures between 5 °C and 12 °C, with warmer values at lower latitudes. The decrease in both mean sea surface temperature and seasonal amplitude with increasing latitude on the Gondwanan coast is much like that observed along high-latitude coastlines today. Calculated δ 18 O water decreases toward the pole, likely associated with an increasing contribution of isotopically light fresh water derived from summer snow–melt. The gradient in δ 18 O water is similar to that documented over a similar span of latitude on the modern SE Greenland coast. We infer the presence of a north-flowing coastal current of cold, O 18 -depleted water that entrains progressively greater amounts of more typical seawater as it moves away from the pole. δ 18 O values in SE Australia, however, are about 3‰ lower than those off Greenland, suggesting comparatively lower salinity water or more O 18 -depleted glacial ice/runoff in the Permian Gondwanan high latitudes, perhaps augmented by more depleted (negative) global average seawater. Conditions in southeastern Australia during the largest of the Permian deglaciations were warmer than present-day Antarctica at similar latitudes, but may approximate those of early-mid Miocene Antarctica, with frozen winters but summers closer to 10 °C.
A Calculus of Untyped Aspect-Oriented Programs

Aspects have emerged as a powerful tool in the design and development of systems, allowing for the encapsulation of program transformations. The dynamic semantics of aspects is typically specified by appealing to an underlying object-oriented language via a compiler transformation known as weaving. This treatment is unsatisfactory for several reasons. Firstly, this semantics violates basic modularity principles of object-oriented programming. Secondly, the converse translation from object-oriented programs into an aspect language has a simple canonical flavor. Taken together, these observations suggest that aspects are worthy of study as primitive computational abstractions in their own right. In this paper, we describe an aspect calculus and its operational semantics. The calculus is rich enough to encompass many of the features of extant aspect-oriented frameworks that do not involve reflection. The independent description of the dynamic semantics of aspects enables us to specify the correctness of a weaving algorithm. We formalize weaving as a translation from the aspect calculus to a class-based object calculus, and prove its soundness.
A compartmental model of oxygen transport derived from a distributed model: treatment of convective and oxygen dissociation properties

The authors derive a compartmental model for oxygen transport in vascular blood which is suitable for both steady and time-varying analysis, and which can be used with any kind of oxygen dissociation function. The derivation focuses on the establishment of expressions for the lumped convective term and the lumped oxygen dissociation function. Results of the simulation show that the value of the lumped convective term in the present model is significantly larger than that found in previously published models, and that the value computed from the present lumped oxygen dissociation function, while not significantly different under normal or mildly hypoxic conditions from that used in the other models, becomes significantly larger under severe hypoxia. >
Evolutionary connection between the catalytic subunits of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases and eukaryotic RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and the origin of RNA polymerases

Background The eukaryotic RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP) is involved in the amplification of regulatory microRNAs during post-transcriptional gene silencing. This enzyme is highly conserved in most eukaryotes but is missing in archaea and bacteria. No evolutionary relationship between RDRP and other polymerases has been reported so far, hence the origin of this eukaryote-specific polymerase remains a mystery.
Role of µ, κ, and δ Opioid Receptors in Tibial Inhibition of Bladder Overactivity in Cats

In α-chloralose anesthetized cats, we examined the role of opioid receptor (OR) subtypes (µ, κ, and δ) in tibial nerve stimulation (TNS)-induced inhibition of bladder overactivity elicited by intravesical infusion of 0.25% acetic acid (AA). The sensitivity of TNS inhibition to cumulative i.v. doses of selective OR antagonists (cyprodime for µ, nor-binaltorphimine for κ, or naltrindole for δ ORs) was tested. Naloxone (1 mg/kg, i.v., an antagonist for µ, κ, and δ ORs) was administered at the end of each experiment. AA caused bladder overactivity and significantly (P < 0.01) reduced bladder capacity to 21.1% ± 2.6% of the saline control. TNS at 2 or 4 times threshold (T) intensity for inducing toe movement significantly (P < 0.01) restored bladder capacity to 52.9% ± 3.6% or 57.4% ± 4.6% of control, respectively. Cyprodime (0.3-1.0 mg/kg) completely removed TNS inhibition without changing AA control capacity. Nor-binaltorphimine (3-10 mg/kg) also completely reversed TNS inhibition and significantly (P < 0.05) increased AA control capacity. Naltrindole (1-10 mg/kg) reduced (P < 0.05) TNS inhibition but significantly (P < 0.05) increased AA control capacity. Naloxone (1 mg/kg) had no effect in cyprodime pretreated cats, but it reversed the nor-binaltorphimine-induced increase in bladder capacity and eliminated the TNS inhibition remaining in naltrindole pretreated cats. These results indicate a major role of µ and κ ORs in TNS inhibition, whereas δ ORs play a minor role. Meanwhile, κ and δ ORs also have an excitatory role in irritation-induced bladder overactivity.
Monitoring Legal Compliance: The Growth of Compliance Committees*

The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations’ (COSO) framework outlines three objectives of internal control. This paper addresses the third and least emphasized component, compliance with laws and regulations. We address the growing importance of board-level oversight of legal compliance and the emerging role of a separate board committee dedicated to the compliance function. A recent COSO project emphasizes the importance of the monitoring function; COSO observes that many companies are not conducting this function effectively. We examine the use of a board-level compliance committee to monitor legal compliance. We also discuss the roles of corporate counsel and internal auditors in assisting with monitoring. Our results show that over the last 15 years a growing percentage of S&P 500 firms have adopted a board-level compliance committee. Internal auditors’ specialized training and expertise in the areas of monitoring and prevention would complement the company’s legal expertise and be of significant value to boards of directors in helping them fulfill their compliance oversight responsibilities. Le controle de conformitE aux lois: la croissance des comitEs de conformitE RESUME Le cadre de reference du Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) decrit trois objectifs du controle interne. Les auteurs se penchent sur le troisieme de ces objectifs, le plus neglige d’entre eux : la conformite aux lois et aux reglements. Ils etudient l’importance croissante de la surveillance de la conformite aux lois exercee a l’echelon du conseil d’administration et le role en emergence d’un comite distinct emanant du conseil d’administration, charge d’assurer cette surveillance. Un projet recent du COSO souligne l’importance de la fonction de controle. Or, selon les observations du COSO, maintes societes ne s’acquittent pas de cette fonction avec efficacite. Les auteurs s’interessent au recours a un comite de conformiteemanant du conseil pour controler la conformite aux lois. Ils analysent egalement les roles des conseillers juridiques d’entreprises et des auditeurs internes a ce chapitre. Les resultats de leur etude revelent qu’au cours des 15 dernieres annees, un pourcentage croissant de societes du palmares S&P 500 ont cree un comite de conformiteemanant du conseil. La formation et les competences specialisees des auditeurs internes dans les domaines du controle et de la prevention completeraient les competences juridiques de l’entreprise et seraient un precieux atout pour les conseils d’administration dans l’exercice de leurs responsabilites en matiere de surveillance de la conformite.
FINDING THE BLOCK LOWER TRIANGULAR FORM OF A SPARSE MATRIX

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with efficient algorithms that find the block lower triangular form of a sparse matrix. The best algorithm has two stages, namely, finding a maximal assignment for A followed by finding the strong components of the associated directed graph. The recursive algorithm finds the strong components of a directed graph in O (V, E) time. The chapter presents a non-recursive version of Tarjan's algorithm, called STCO, along with a detailed analysis and a sparse matrix interpretation. The analysis reveals the constants of the linear bounds in V and E. The work of Hoperoft and Karp is an important contribution to the maximal assignment problem. The chapter describes some new heuristics and supplement results with a further statistical study. The more complicated parts of ASSIGN ROW and the Hoperoft–Karp algorithm are hardly ever used.
A search for periodicity in the x ray spectrum of black hole candidate A0620-00

The archived data from the SAS-3 observations of the X-ray nova A0620-00, the best of the stellar blackhole candidates, were exhaustively examined for evidence of variable phenomena correlated with the orbital motion of the binary system of which it is a member. The original analysis of these data was completed before discovery of the binary companion and determination of the orbital period of the system. New interest was drawn to the task of a reexamination of the archive data by the recent discovery of the massive nature of the X-ray source through analysis of the Doppler variations and ellipsoidal light variations of the faint K-star companion by McClintock and Remillard. The archive research, carried out under the supervision of the principal investigator, was the topic of the thesis submitted to the MIT Department of Physics by Kenneth Plaks in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Plaks' effort was focused on the elimination of fluctuations in the data due to errors in attitude solutions and other extraneous causes. The first products of his work were long-term light curves of the X-ray intensities in the various energy channels as functions of time during the time from outbursts in August 1975 to quiescence approximately 6 months later. These curves, are refined versions of the preliminary results published in 1976 (Matilsky et al. 1976). Smooth exponentials were fitted to these long term light curves to provide the basis for detrending the data, thereby permitting a calculation of residuals derived by subtracting the fitted curve from the data. The residuals were then analyzed by Fourier analysis to search for variations with the period of the binary orbit, namely 7.75 hours. No evidence of an orbital periodicity was found. However, the refined light curve provides a much clearer picture of the outburst and subsequent decay of the X-ray luminosity. In fact, there were two outbursts, each followed by an exponential decay with similar time constants of about 25 days. Previous evidence of a three-oscillation variation with a 7.8 day period were confirmed. Substantial theoretical effort has been devoted to attempts to account for the decay characteristics as the result of the gradual eating up of an accretion disk by a stellar-mass blackhole (e.g., Huang and Wheeler 1989). The improved decay curves will provide significant new constraints on the theoretical analyses.
Correlation between the rate of lipid peroxidation and cellular maturity as measured by creatine kinase activity in human spermatozoa.

: We have demonstrated previously that creatine kinase (CK) activity is a measure of cellular maturity and fertilizing potential in human spermatozoa. In the present work we have examined whether there is a relationship between sperm CK activity and the rate of lipid peroxidation (LP) as measured by malondialdehyde (MDA) formation. Both MDA production and CK activity were higher in oligospermic than in normospermic specimens (P < 0.001, N = 41 and 101, respectively), and there was a close correlation (R = 0.43, P < 0.001) between these two biochemical parameters. As demonstrated previously with the CK measurements, there was a heterogeneity among the groups: About 40% of the oligospermic men had MDA and CK activity values similar to that of the normospermic group, and 12% of the normospermic men had MDA and CK activity values similar to that of the oligospermic group. We have also examined in three experimental paradigms the question of sperm-to-sperm propagation of increased LP and the possible increase in LP following centrifugation as used in sperm preparation for assisted reproduction: The MDA differences among Percoll sperm fractions originating within the same specimens, the lack of change in MDA production after co-centrifugation and co-incubation of samples with high and low sperm LP rates, and the repeated centrifugation of the same specimens without an increase in MDA production all indicated the lack of sperm-to-sperm propagation of LP or increase in LP due to mechanical stress. However, the iron content of Ham's F-10 medium or iron added to human tubal fluid medium has significantly increased the rate of LP in various sperm samples. Exposure to iron during sperm preparation procedures in assisted reproduction is likely to affect sperm integrity and fertilizing potential. We can con-clude that there are highly significant differences in the rate of LP among men and among sperm within the same specimen. We suggest, based on the relationship between LP and CK activity, that the increased rate of LP along with the increased CK content are due to incomplete cytoplasmic extrusion during terminal spermatogenesis. The retained excess cytoplasm in immature sperm fuels LP. Thus, the increased rate of spontaneous LP is an “inborn” rather than an “acquired” property of spermatozoa.
Identification of cytochrome P4501A inducers in complex mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

An in vitro ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) assay was used to study the ability of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mixtures of PAHs to induce Ah receptor (AhR) mediated cytochrome P4501A activity in PLHC-1 fish hepatoma cells. The purpose was to identify the most potent inducers from a set of thirteen separate PAHs and describe interactions occurring in complex mixtures of these PAHs. Where possible, potency was expressed in terms of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TCDD-EQ) by normalizing the PAH results to a TCDD standard curve. The most potent inducers were benzo(k)fluoranthene > benzo(a)pyrene {approx} benzo(b)fluoranthene > chrysene {approx} benzo(a)anthracene. At equal concentrations, these PAHs yielded potencies of 1670, 940, 655, 255, and 185 pg TCDD-EQ/g, respectively. Analysis of various mixtures of the thirteen PAHs suggested that complex interactions may be occurring.
Statistical assessment of model fit for synthetic aperture radar data

Parametric approaches to problems of inference from observed data often rely on assumed probabilistic models for the data which may be based on knowledge of the physics of the data acquisition. Given a rich enough collection of sample data, the validity of those assumed models can be assessed in a statistical hypothesis testing framework using any of a number of goodness-of-fit tests developed over the last hundred years for this purpose. Such assessments can be used both to compare alternate models for observed data and to help determine the conditions under which a given model breaks down. We apply three such methods, the (chi) 2 test of Karl Pearson, Kolmogorov's goodness-of-fit test, and the D'Agostino-Pearson test for normality, to quantify how well the data fit various models for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The results of these tests are used to compare a conditionally Gaussian model for complex-valued SAR pixel values, a conditionally log-normal model for SAR pixel magnitudes, and a conditionally normal model for SAR pixel quarter-power values. Sample data for these tests are drawn from the publicly released MSTAR dataset.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Brillouin scattering measurements of the velocity and attenuation of high frequency sound waves in superfluid helium

Abstract We have measured, from the Brillouin spectrum of scattered laser light, the velocity and attenuation of thermally driven high frequency first sound in liquid helium under its saturated vapor pressure between 1.25°K and the lambda point. The sound wavevector was fixed at 2.0339 × 10 5 cm -1 ; the frequency varied from 768 MHz at our lowest temperature to 709 MHz near T λ. We find no dispersion in the sound velocity except quite near T λ. The attenuation shows a sharp rise near T λ and, for lower temperatures, a definite peak whose maximum lies between 1.4 and 1.5°K. We compare our results with the theory of Landau and Khalatnikov near T λ and with the theory of Khalatnikov and Chernikova at lower temperatures.
Absolute infrared intensities of ClO−3 and SCN−

Abstract KBr pellets containing small quantities of ClO − 3 and SCN − were prepared by freeze-drying and pressing the powder in an evacuable die. Infrared spectra were recorded at room temperature, and subsequent replots were used to calculate theintegrated absorbances. These values, together with sample concentrations and pathlengths, were used to determine the absolute intensity and dipole derivative of each fundamental vibration for both ions.
Rapidly rotating nuclei as riemann ellipsoids

A Riemann ellipsoid is a classical fluid with an ellipsoidal boundary whose motion depends linearly on position. Their theory has been applied to the physics of rotating stars by Chandrasekhar and Lebovitz. In this paper, the Riemann ellipsoid equations of motion are proven to constitute a Hamiltonian dynamical system. The phase space is a co-adjoint orbit of the Lie group GCM(3), which is generated by the linear group Gl(3, R) and the inertia tensor. The gcm(3) Casimir invariant is shown to be the square of the conserved Kelvin circulation. The co-adjoint orbits are the reduced phase spaces of Riemann ellipsoids for which conservation of circulation has been exploited fully. Equilibrium solutions are reported for the nuclear potential formed by the sum of the attractive surface energy and the repulsive Coulomb potential. Among the solutions of obtained are the rigidly rotating Maclaurin spheroids and Jacobi ellipsoids, irrotational fluids, collective and noncollective prolate spheroids, Riemann sequences indexed by the rigidity, bounding self-adjoint sequences, and ellipsoids for which the angular momentum and circulation are not aligned with a principal axis. Quantum Riemann ellipsoids are constructed using the method of geometric quantization. In a follow-up paper, the stability of the equilibrium solutions will bemore » reported. copyright 1988 Academic Press, Inc.« less
Large deviations for increasing sequences on the plane

We prove a large deviation principle with explicit rate functions for the length of the longest increasing sequence among Poisson points on the plane. The rate function for lower tail deviations is derived from a 1977 result of Logan and Shepp about Young diagrams of random permutations. For the upper tail we use a coupling with Hammersley's particle process and convex-analytic techniques. Along the way we obtain the rate function for the lower tail of a tagged particle in a totally asymmetric Hammersley's process.
The Role of the Cluster Variation Method in the First Principles Calculation of Phase Diagrams

The Cluster Variation Method (CVM) proposed by Professor Kikuchi to study coopera­ tive phenomena in solids has played a major role in the development of phenomenological and first principles theories of phase equilibrium. The CVM provides an accurate and rigorous framework for the study of the configurational thermodynamics of alloys. As such, the method has been a powerful tool in the quest for insight into the main contributions to alloy phase stability and in the interpretation of complex and extensive experimental data. The early successes of the CVM have also been instrumental in the development of ab-initio methods for the reliable description of phase equilibrium and, in particular, of phase dia­ grams. These new developments have relied heavily on the CVM and on the theoretical ideas put forth over 40 years ago by Professor Kikuchi. Here, we review the use of the CVM in the first-principles computation of phase diagrams, and present results for the Zr-Nb system. The theory that emerges is one that incorporates the calculation of total energies in the local density approximation, configurational entropies using the CVM, and vibrational modes in the Debye-Grtineisen approximation.